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THE BARWON BULLETIN

The official noticeboard for AFL Barwon Club Officials & Volunteers.
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EDITION 74
APRIL 15, 2026
(LAST UPDATED - April 15, 2026)
Bulletin Archive
Contact Us

(Umpire appointments are updated Thursday 4pm)

Vacancy | Netball Competition Coordinators

AFL Barwon are seeking an enthusiastic, and motivated person(s) to coordinate the AFL Barwon Junior Netball midweek competitions.

The Netball Competition Coordinator is primarily responsible for managing and coordinating all onsite venue requirements for the AFL Barwon Junior Netball midweek competitions. The AFL Barwon Junior Netball competitions are run across Tuesday and Friday evenings at multiple venues.

Further Information
Expressions of Interest: Barwon Regional Council

AFL Barwon is pleased to invite expressions of interest and nominations for appointments to the newly established Barwon Regional Council. 

The Regional Council has been formed as part of an evolving governance model for community football and will play a key role in providing strategic guidance and recommendations to AFL Victoria. This includes matters relating to the administration, growth, and long-term sustainability of Australian Football across the Barwon region.

Read more
On-field Officials Apparel Orders
A reminder that all on-field officials aparell orders must be complete via the AFL Barwon store.

You can view the full range and place your order via the link below.

Order here
Training Football Orders
Just a reminder that AFL Barwon has match and training footballs available for purchase from our office.

You can view the full range and place your order via the link below.

Order here
Join RTP’s Game Changers and Be Part of the Cats Photoshoot!

We’re excited to offer a unique opportunity for clubs registering a young person in the Game Changers Leadership Program.

Each registered participant will have the exclusive chance to be part of Read the Play’s ambassador photoshoot, alongside ambassadors including Geelong Cats stars Claudia Gunjaca, Mark Blicavs and Mark O'Connor at GMHBA Stadium on Tuesday 28 April from 4.15–5.30pm.

To secure this opportunity, simply register your young leader in the Game Changers program by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April.

What is the Game Changers Leadership Program?

The Game Changers Leadership Program is designed for young people aged 14–20 across the Barwon region who are ready to lead change in their clubs. Participants will:

  • Work alongside other young leaders across Geelong
  • Design and deliver their own mental health initiative back at their club
  • Access a mix of online and in-person sessions, with flexible fortnightly meetings
  • Take part in professional development, training and public speaking opportunities
  • Showcase their leadership through events and celebrations

This program supports young people to bring their ideas to life, while building confidence, leadership capability and a stronger understanding of mental health and wellbeing.

Register here
Geelong Cats Women in Sport Breakfast

Paving the Media Landscape
Host: Natalie Edwards
Featuring: Abbey Holmes & Sarah Jones

Key Details

Date: Wednesday 6 May 
Where: President's Room, GMHBA Stadium
When: 6:30am Arrival, 6:45am Start
Dress Code: Business Casual

Pricing

  • $95 per person

  • $900 for a table of 10

Inclusions

  • Seated hot breakfast

  • Q&A with Abbey & Sarah

  • Networking opportunities

  • Digital gift bag

Book here
Dulux Colour Your Club Returns for 2026

The Dulux Colour Your Club initiative is back for 2026, giving grassroots sporting clubs across Victoria another chance to refresh their facilities and bring new life to their community spaces.

Local clubs are invited to nominate for the opportunity to win a Dulux paint makeover.

To enter, simply tell us in 100 words or less why your club deserves a makeover, and don’t forget to include photos or videos to support your submission.

The winning club will receive $4,000 worth of Dulux paint, along with up to $500 in tools and accessories to help bring the transformation to life. To make the day even more special, a Geelong Cats player and the iconic Dulux dog will be on hand to lend their support.

All it takes is a passionate group of volunteers ready to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

Register here
Marathon Foods assist to keep kids on the field

Thanks to Marathon Foods, we are proud to support clubs in reducing barriers to participation in community sport.

Four (4) clubs will each receive $2,000 to assist with junior registration relief, helping ensure young players can stay involved in the game despite financial pressures.

We know how important sport is for connection, wellbeing, and community — this initiative is designed to quietly support those who need it most.

All nominations and submitted information will remain strictly confidential, with support to be administered privately through successful clubs.

Key Information

  • Funding available: 4 clubs x $2,000
  • Purpose: Junior registration relief (and essential support where required)
  • Applications close: 5:00pm, Friday 24th April
  • One application per AFL Barwon Football Netball Club and must be completed by club official.

For further information or guidance, please contact AFL Barwon Commercial Partnerships and Communications Manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Enter Here
Live Life Whole Coaches Workshop
We’re excited to invite you to an upcoming Coaches Workshop focused on supporting young females 15 and over participating in AFL or Netball at local community club level.
This workshop is delivered by the Live Life Whole Project, an initiative led by experienced, evidence-based health professionals. Their work supports women and girls across all life stages through workshops and programs delivered to clubs within our region.
Their approach focuses on preventative health education, empowering young female athletes to become self-aware, informed, and confident in managing their health and wellbeing—both in sport and in everyday life.
This session will explore the unique challenges faced by young female athletes and provide practical strategies to help them thrive both on and off the field. With a strong focus on female health and wellbeing, the LLW will dive into the key differences in coaching girls and address the barriers that can impact their participation and performance in sport.
Take a look at the following video to set the scene - here
What you’ll gain from this workshop:
  • A deeper understanding of the specific needs of young female athletes
  • Practical tools to support their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing
  • Insights into common barriers to participation—and how to overcome them
  • Strategies to create a positive, inclusive, and empowering team environment
Who should attend?
We’d love for you to join us and be part of creating a stronger, healthier future for young women in sport.
Can I ask you to promote this internally within your clubs. You may even want to share this video that Live Life Whole posted on their socials.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQquWqQjsju/?igsh=MTA1YXRpZDRsdXE1aQ==
Details found here:
Where - AFL Barwon Social rooms - 204 Roslyn Road, Highton
When - Monday April 20th - 6pm-7.30pm
Bookings essential. To secure your spot please register here -  https://forms.gle/35fn7aFKzLtJiCc98
Netball Vic Coaching Courses

Please see the upcoming coaching courses ran by Netball Vic.

https://vic.netball.com.au/events#148

 

General Football

Free Epworth Water Carrier Tops - Senior Football Competitions

Thanks to one of our Premier Partners, Epworth Geelong, three water carrier tops are now available for each Senior Men’s Football (GFNL & BFNL Seniors) and Senior Female Football (Division 1 & 2) teams.

These can be collected from AFL Barwon HQ and are to be used at all senior matches throughout the season.

Please note, these tops form part of the on-field uniform, and all clubs are required to adhere to this from the upcoming round.

Match Footballs & Paperwork Collection
Please be advised that match footballs and relevant paperwork is available for collection from the AFL Barwon office for the following conpetitions.
  • GFNL Seniors & Reserves
  • Senior Female
  • Under 18 Male
  • Under 17 Female
  • Under 16 Male
  • Under 14 Male
  • Under 14 Female
The non-competitive age group's match footballs and relevant paperwork will be available next week.
Please ensure someone from your club arranges collection prior to your upcoming matches.

Resource Links

On-Field Vests & Apparel (loco)
Football Order Form

General Netball

Netball Operations Intern - Work Experience Overview – AFL Barwon

We are excited to welcome work experience participants into our team and provide a valuable learning and development experience. Our program is designed to give students or recent graduates real-world exposure to the operations of a dynamic organisation, hands-on opportunities to contribute, and the ability to explore different areas of our business.

What We Offer

As part of your time with us, you’ll gain hands-on experience working alongside a passionate and experienced team, allowing you to contribute meaningfully to our day-to-day operations. You’ll also gain insight into all areas of the business, including (but not limited to)

  • Operations and Administration
  • Events and Competitions
  • Community Engagement
  • Governance and Compliance

Please click here for the position description and for more information.

Paperwork Reminders
  • Please ensure you are using the HOWDEN pre-match checklist (not Wills) – this can be printed or completed online (preferred)
  • Players must be written on both the scoresheet and position tracking sheet prior to the commencement of play
    • Please ensure you are writing their FULL name (surname).
    • First quarter positions must be on BOTH documents (then all others on position tracking)
    • If a player takes the court when they are not listed, goals scored while this player was not on court will be discounted
  • Please ensure you are removing any player who didn’t take the court from the line up on PlayHQ
  • Goals and goal attempts are entered as 2/5 (two goals from 5 attempts), NOT 2/3 (2 goals, 3 misses).
  • Attempts are only required for 17U and above.
  • A Grade MUST be e-scored.
Key Resources

There are several resources available via the AFL Barwon Netball Resources page that may be helpful for you. Please ensure you review these if there is anything you are unclear about, or keep them printed by the scorebench.

Please also see below some example scoresheet and position tracking sheets for A Grade – 17U, and 15U and below.

https://www.aflbarwon.com.au/images/2026/Barwon%20Bulletin/April/Example%20Scoresheet%20-%20Juniors%20copy.pdf

https://www.aflbarwon.com.au/images/2026/Barwon%20Bulletin/April/EXAMPLE%20Scoresheet%20and%20Position%20Tracking%20A%20-%2017U.pdf 

Please visit https://aflbarwon.com.au/netball-resources for all information.

Game time/date change requests

A reminder that any request to change game times/days of play must be received more than 14 days in advance.

Requests inside of this window risk not being approved.

Due to the multiple competitions we administer, changes can create additional administrative burden, and have great impact on both umpire and mentor appointments.

 We kindly ask that you please adhere to this timeline.

Position Tracking Documentation

Now that the season is underway, we would really encourage your clubs to be pre-typing your position tracking documentation.

We are seeing a lot of handwritten names, as well as one or two just on plain paper!

While clubs are to bring their own documentation, host clubs should still have blank copies available in case these are forgotten.

Please click here for the updated template for printing

Netball Connect Checks

Registration cross checking between PlayHQ and Netball Connect will be sent out to clubs next week. Please ensure you are registering your players across both platforms.

Penalties as outlined in the AFL Barwon by-laws may apply.

Junior / Midweek Netball

Midweek Netball Information

Our midweek competition is set to begin next week!

  • Tuesday 21 April- 9&U, 11&U and All-Abilities
  • Friday 24 April- 13&U, 15&U and 17&U

The venues we will be using for our midweek competition can be found below:

  • Kardinia Park
  • Shell Road Reserve (Ocean Grove FNC)
  • Grinter Reserve (Newcomb FNC)
  • Richmond Oval (East Geelong FNC)
  • Lara Recreation Reserve (Lara FNC)
  • Leopold Memorial Reserve (Leopold FNC)

The first two weeks of the grading fixture have been released and are available on the PlayHQ public website.

These fixtures have been developed based on the proposed grades submitted by each club during the team entry process.

Grading will take place for four weeks and fixtures will be created and released accordingly with clubs notified when new fixtures are available.

A reminder to all participants that as per AFL Barwon’s bylaws and competition rules that all players must be registered before taking the court.

Netball and Paperwork Collection

Midweek netballs and paperwork (including 9U)is available for collection from AFL Barwon.

Please visit 204 Roslyn Road, Highton, 3216 during business hours to collect.

Netball Umpiring

Club Umpire Coordinators Reminder - Weekly Rosters
Reminder to send through your umpire rosters weekly to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
assist in providing mentoring opportunities for your club umpires. Ideally send these through during the week once confirmed.
AFL Barwon Midweek Umpiring

AFL Barwon are currently at capacity for NEW umpires. There will be another intake prior to the Summer Season and we encourage those interested to sign up through the expression of interest form now via this link. 

More Information here

Resource Links

Netball Resources
2026 AFL Barwon Pre-season Handbook
Bunnings Legend of the Tongs

Bunnings Legend of the Tongs is back for 2026! Clubs can nominate their legends for the chance to win weekly prize packs. Plus, a chance to win a trip for two to attend the AFL Footy Festival & 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final, and an additional $25,000 in Bunnings products & materials for the club. 

Competition closes: 16 August 2026.

Click here for more information and to nominate
Container Deposit Scheme

Local club fundraising opportunity through Container Deposit Scheme partnership 

Local football clubs across the state will be supported again in 2026 to raise funds and become more sustainable through a partnership between AFL Victoria and Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic). CDS Vic provides the opportunity for Victorians to return eligible drink containers for a 10-cent refund. 

*For those clubs that have already registered, tell us what your club is saving for via your deposit scheme collection by completing this 1-minute survey - https://forms.office.com/r/KfwE8S9VM9 

More information can be found here:

https://cdsvic.org.au/afl-victoria

More information
Toyota Good for Footy Raffle
The Toyota Good for Footy Raffle is back for 2026! Starting Friday 10 April and running through to Monday 21 of September. zero-cost, hassle-free fundraising, 100% of the proceeds go directly back into your clubs. Last year Toyota helped raise an incredible $1,173,270 for 837 clubs nationwide. Major prizes include Toyota vehicles, unforgettable footy experiences, and more!  
Click here for more information
AAMI: Clangers for Good AAMI Clangers for Good is back for 2026!

Packed flippers instead of your footy boots? Clangers happen! Clangers could win someone or their club a share in $250,000. Simply tell AAMI how they can help. This is their biggest prize pool ever and is available to local clubs and footy fans.

Click here for more information including T&C’ s.
New “Code of Conduct” and “Complaints and Disciplinary Policy” for Community Netball

Netball Australia have released two new, and important, documents for the community netball. We will soon provide all affiliates with more information and education on these new policies but wanted to provide you with access to these documents as soon as possible.

  1. The Code of Conduct for Community Netball. This Code of Conduct sets out the standards of behaviours that are expected of all Affiliates and Relevant Persons in our sport, including those individuals that are registered with a Member Organisation, such as players, umpires, coaches, administrators and volunteers, as well as parents and spectators – whether in-person or online. Importantly, this Policy replaces and supersedes the previous Netball Victoria Codes of Conduct.
  2. The Complaints & Disciplinary Policy replaces and supersedes the previous Netball Integrity Policy Framework Conduct & Disciplinary Policy, with updates, amendments and added information.

Both Policies sit under the Netball Australia Integrity Framework, and all affiliates are expected to abide by and uphold these policies. To view these polices, please head to Netball Australia’s Integrity Policies Page

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