AFL Barwon & AFL Victoria today announced a significant governance reform and AFL Barwon organisational restructure designed to strengthen alignment between community football and netball competitions within the Barwon region.

The reform of football’s governance structure follows more than a decade of evolution in the way community football and netball are administered across regional Victoria.

Regional Administration Centres (RACs) were first introduced in response to the 2011 Peter Jackson Report, which recommended consolidating local league administration, umpiring, and game development into unified regional models. While the approach achieved varying degrees of success across Victoria, it became clear that this structure  was increasingly difficult to sustain, especially given significant growth across both football and netball competitions in the Barwon region. The AFL Barwon Commission, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria have been in constant dialogue regarding possible changes for the past 12 months.

In recent years, AFL Victoria has increased its focus toward participation growth, game development, and community engagement, recognising RAC models — centred on consolidated administration — may no longer be the most effective framework for delivery of these priorities, as well as increasingly complex football and netball league operations and locally focused strategic initiatives.

The governance reform reflects this new direction. It aims to establish clearer responsibilities between AFL Victoria’s strategic governance role and local operations of Leagues,  ensuring that football and netball in the region remains strong, sustainable, and community-led.

This new structure will provide greater clarity of roles, strengthen local league connections, and maintain a regional focus where the sports of football and netball can thrive.

A name for the new local entity is still being finalised.

Appointment of a Chief Executive Officer

As part of this transition, the recruitment  of the first Chief Executive Officer to manage League functions and a newly created position, will lead the reformed organisation into its next phase of growth and development of Leagues and competitions.

Recruitment for the role commences immediately, with the successful candidate to begin in January 2026.

Reporting directly to the newly constituted Board, the CEO will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight across football and netball programs in driving governance excellence, community engagement, and financial sustainability.

This appointment reflects a commitment to strengthening independent operations and enhancing support for leagues, clubs, and volunteers.

Realignment of the Region Manager Role

The AFL Victoria Region Manager position for Barwon will transition to align with the AFL Victoria governance and priorities. Lisa Patterson will continue in this role.

The Region Manager will lead regional governance and strategic alignment under AFL Victoria, working collaboratively with Barwon Leagues to drive participation and game development and deliver regional planning, facilities, and development initiatives.

This realignment ensures a clear separation of League operations and competition management and strategic governance, leadership and growth (led by the AFL Victoria Region Manager), reinforcing transparency and consistency across the Barwon region.

Continued Regional Operations

The newly constituted body (name to be confirmed) will ensure regional governance and leadership responsibilities of Leagues will align closely with AFL Victoria, and will continue to operate with a strong regional operational focus.

The organisation will remain responsible for the delivery and management of Bellarine FNL and Geelong FNL and key regional competitions including:

• Female Football,
• Junior Football, and
• Midweek Netball.
• All Abilities Football and Netball
• Football Umpiring

It will also continue to provide administrative and operational support to the Geelong & District Football Netball League (GDFNL) and the Colac & District Football Netball League (CDFNL) through existing service agreements.

This ensures continued consistency in competition delivery, tribunal processes, and operational standards across the region’s football and netball landscape.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

To support these changes, constitutional amendments for member consideration will be brought forward at its next Annual General Meeting, to be held in February 2026. 

Proposed amendments include but not limited to:

• Removal of Regional Governance clauses
• Inclusion of clauses to establish League operational functions
• Formal inclusion of the Geelong FNL and Bellarine FNL Chairs as members of the AFL Barwon Commission.
• Replacement of the “Regional General Manager” title with “Chief Executive Officer”; and
• Update of the organisation’s trading name to reflect the football and netball focus and removal of AFL and Barwon branding.

These changes are designed to modernise and strengthen  the regions governance, operations, league connections, and collaboration across the region’s football and netball network.

Transition Period

A 12-month transition period will be implemented to ensure a smooth and coordinated change process.
During this period, consultation with key stakeholders — including leagues, clubs, umpires, and partners will remain a top priority.

Next Steps

Town Hall Meeting

Thursday 4 December 2025 – Time and venue TBC

AFL Barwon Commission and AFL Victoria staff in attendance to talk the structure further and answer any questions.

Further updates on governance outcomes and appointments will be communicated in early 2026, following the completion of the recruitment process and constitutional review.

Two standout players from Bell Park FNC have earned the honour of representing Victoria in the prestigious 2025 Toyota AFL Open – Inclusion division.

Kai Eade and Zachary Ireland, both participants in the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust All Abilities Football Netball League, have been selected in the state representative side, highlighting their exceptional talent and commitment to the game.

The Toyota AFL Open Inclusion division is an annual representative competition for players aged 16 and over with an intellectual disability. It provides a platform for Australia’s top footballers to showcase their skills while promoting inclusion and raising awareness of the abilities of these athletes. Each State and Territory fields a team, bringing together participants from across the country.

In 2024, Victoria entered two teams - Metro and Country with Victoria Country claiming the Division 2 title. For 2025, these sides have combined to form a unified Victoria team, aiming to defend their title under the guidance of co-coaches Rob Klem and Anthony Scolyer.

The selection of Eade and Ireland from Bell Park FNC is a proud moment for the club and the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust All Abilities competition, demonstrating the pathway for talented players to reach elite representative levels. Their inclusion in Team Victoria reinforces the strength of AFL Barwon’s inclusive football and netball programs.

Team Victoria – Inclusion
Co-Coaches: Rob Klem and Anthony Scolyer

AFL Barwon’s umpiring community had a remarkable year in 2025, demonstrating dedication, professionalism, and growth across the region. The season it delivered an impressive 11,567 umpire appointments an 18% increase on 2024 which is a clear testament to the resilience and commitment of the region’s umpires. 

Recruitment and development initiatives strengthened the umpiring base throughout the year. A total of 559 umpires were registered as an AFL Barwon umpire, with aligned field umpire numbers increasing by 17, ensuring depth at higher competition levels. Female participation grew by 16%, reflecting AFL Barwon’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. Standardising umpire pay across competitions also improved discipline and retention, with some competitions seeing increases of up to 33%.

Supporting development and pathways for umpires continued to be a priority. Club appointed umpires were registered in Officials HQ, enabling targeted coaching, mentoring, and performance support to strengthen skills and confidence. Maintaining high standards remained a core focus, with 88% of registered umpires completing the AFL’s mandatory online modules, ensuring professionalism and integrity across all competitions. Female umpires received particular attention, with two AFL Victoria Female Umpiring Hubs hosted in Geelong, providing mentoring, networking, and skill development opportunities that are helping to grow the next generation of officials. 

Participation in AFL Victoria’s CUAP program offered talented umpires exposure to competitions such as the Coates Talent League, VFLW, and V/Line Cup, opening doors to state-level appointments and enhancing career pathways. The expanded use of HUDL video coaching further supported skill development, giving umpires immediate feedback from coaches and contributing to improved match-day performance. 

Technology also played an important role in 2025. The transition of junior football competitions to online umpire match reports and voting improved data accuracy and reduced administrative burdens, allowing AFL Barwon to focus on supporting umpires and maintaining high-quality appointments across all competitions.

Even with some challenges in availability, particularly among boundary and club aligned umpires, the region ensured every match was officiated to a high standard. By emphasising mentoring, development, and engagement, AFL Barwon ensured umpires were well supported and that participants experienced fair and professional competition across every league. 

The achievements of 2025 reflect the dedication of AFL Barwon’s umpiring community and the organisation’s commitment to nurturing a sustainable, high-performing cohort of officials. Through ongoing innovation, pathways, and development, the region is well positioned to continue supporting and growing umpiring talent while delivering outstanding officiating for players, coaches, and the wider community in the years ahead.