The Geelong Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball league in Victoria, Australia. It is widely regarded as the highest-standard Australian rules football league in regional Victoria, with several former AFL players now playing for a variety of clubs.
History The league was formed in 1979 when twelve clubs broke away from the Geelong & District Football League. The city and country clubs of the old GDFL were divided into the major league competition of the GFL and the minor league of the GDFL. Many of the teams in the lower league wanted a system of promotion and relegation, which was fought by the GFL until the early 1980s when the Victorian Country Football League held a hearing in Melbourne. As a result, a trial promotion–relegation system was put into place on a voluntary basis. Today, the GDFL is opposed to the promotion–relegation system, with a three-division, three-league competition of the Geelong FL, Bellarine FL and Geelong & District FL in place in the Geelong region.
In March 2024, following extensive consultation, AFL Barwon detailed a plan that would expand the second-tier Bellarine Football Netball League to 12 teams from 2025 with a path for a team to accept an invitation for promotion to the GFNL, replacing a club that would then be relegated from the GFNL.
Clubs Locations
Current clubs
ClubColoursMonikerFormerleagueGFNL SeasonsTotalMost recentTotalMost recentBell ParkDragonsHamlyn Park, Bell Park1958GDFL1979–present420110—ColacTigersCentral Reserve, Colac1948HFL2001–present120140—GrovedaleTigersBurdoo Reserve, Grovedale1947GDFL1979–present0—0—Geelong WestGiantsWest Oval, Geelong West2017—2017–present0—0—LeopoldLionsLeopold Memorial Park, Leopold1955BFL1992–present320240—Newtown & ChilwellEaglesElderslie Reserve, Newtown1933GDFL1979–present31986102026North ShoreSeagullsWindsor Park, North Shore1927GDFL1979–present11200022001South BarwonSwansMcDonald Reserve, Belmont1990—1990–present8201382012St AlbansSupersaintsSt Albans Reserve, Thomson1880GDFL1979–present219880—St Joseph'sJoeysHerne Hill Reserve, Herne Hill1973GDFL1985–present4201812008St Mary'sSaintsAnthony Costa Oval, South Geelong1953GDFL1979–present820260—
In recess for 2026 ClubColoursMonikerFormerleagueGFNL SeasonsTotalMost recentTotalMost recentLaraCatsLara Recreation Reserve, Lara1880GDFL1989–present2200222003
Former clubs
ClubColoursMonikerFormerleagueGFNL SeasonsFateTotalMost recentBarwonBulldogsHighton Recreation Reserve, HightonGDFL18561979–19890—Merged with Belmont to form South Barwon in 1990East GeelongEaglesRichmond Oval, East GeelongGDFL187919790—Returned to Geelong & District FNL in 1980Geelong AmateurAmmosQueens Park, HightonGDFL19261986–19880—Moved to Bellarine FNL in 1989Geelong West SCCheetahsBakers Oval, Geelong WestGDFL19261979–19850—Returned to Geelong & District FNL in 1986Geelong West St Peters RoostersWest Oval, Geelong West—19891989–20160—Merged with Geelong West SC to form Geelong West Giants in 2017North GeelongMagpiesOsborne Park, North GeelongGDFL18761979–19820—Returned to Geelong & District FNL in 1984St PetersSaintsWalker Oval, Herne HillGDFL1979, 1982–19880—Played in Geelong & District FNL in 1980-81. Merged with Geelong West to form Geelong West St Peters in 1989ThomsonTigersThomson Recreation Reserve, ThomsonGDFL19531979–1981, 19840—Returned to Geelong & District FNL in 1982 and 1985
Premiers
Senior football The winner of the best on ground award is presented with the Frank Fopiani Medal, named in honour of the late midfielder who won eight GFNL premierships and three best-afield medals during his time with North Shore and St Mary's. In 2015, Fopiani was named by the Geelong Advertiser as the greatest GFNL player of all time. The renaming of the award was announced in September 2024, a month after Fopiani's passing. +Team also won the minor premiership for finishing on top of the ladder^Player also won the Mathieson Medal as the best and fairest in the league Season Premiers Runners-up Score Venue Best on ground 1979 St Mary's North Shore 15.13 (103) d. 12.10 (82) West Oval Trevor McLean (St Mary's) 1980 North Shore+ St Mary's 14.11 (95) d. 13.7 (85) West Oval Steve Mathieson (North Shore) 1981 North Shore+ (2) Newtown & Chilwell 14.12 (96) d. 12.8 (80) West Oval John Albon (North Shore) 1982 Newtown & Chilwell St Peters 19.21 (135) d. 12.9 (81) West Oval Gary Kelly (Newtown & Chilwell) 1983 North Shore+ (3) Bell Park 18.14 (122) d. 17.14 (116) West Oval Darren Purcell (North Shore) 1984 Bell Park St Albans 12.9 (81) d. 10.6 (66) West Oval Grant Sutherland (Bell Park) 1985 Newtown & Chilwell+ (2) St Albans 21.11 (137) d. 13.18 (96) West Oval Basil Flynn^ (Newtown & Chilwell) 1986 Newtown & Chilwell (3) St Albans 21.8 (144) d. 15.8 (98) West Oval Basil Flynn (2) (Newtown & Chilwell) 1987 St Albans+ Newtown & Chilwell 14.12 (110) d. 12.16 (88) West Oval Mark Dahlhaus^ (St Albans) 1988 St Albans+ (2) St Joseph's 12.14 (86) d. 11.12 (78) West Oval Wayne Tyquin (St Albans) 1989 St Joseph's+ St Mary's 18.14 (122) d. 10.5 (65) West Oval John Fitzgerald (St Joseph's) 1990 North Shore (4) St Mary's 14.17 (101) d. 13.9 (87) West Oval Russell Campbell (North Shore) 1991 Bell Park+ (2) North Shore 10.9 (69) d. 4.8 (32) West Oval Brad Nicholls (Bell Park) 1992 St Mary's+ (2) Lara 20.6 (126) d. 12.19 (91) West Oval Michael Hosking (St Mary's) 1993 North Shore+ (5) Lara 25.10 (160) d. 12.12 (64) West Oval Frank Fopiani (North Shore) 1994 Lara+ St Mary's 13.12 (90) d. 12.10 (82) West Oval Jason Hassett (Lara) 1995 North Shore+ (6) Lara 15.22 (112) d. 10.9 (69) West Oval Frank Fopiani (2) (North Shore) 1996 North Shore (7) West Saints 9.15 (69) d. 8.12 (60) West Oval Damien Clark (North Shore) 1997 North Shore+ (8) St Joseph's 22.14 (146) d. 18.7 (115) West Oval Glenn Keast (North Shore) 1998 North Shore+ (9) South Barwon 25.15 (165) d. 11.11 (77) West Oval Danny Warren (North Shore) 1999 North Shore+ (10) St Joseph's 24.12 (156) d. 12.7 (79) Kardinia Park Nathan Lewis (North Shore) 2000 North Shore (11) Lara 9.12 (66) d. 3.9 (27) Kardinia Park Mick Atkins (North Shore) 2001 South Barwon North Shore 16.15 (11) d. 9.4 (58) Kardinia Park Glen Wallace (South Barwon) 2002 Lara+ (2) St Joseph's 17.14 (116) d. 13.14 (92) Kardinia Park Paul Lynch (Lara) 2003 Bell Park (3) St Mary's 8.11 (59) drew 8.11 (59) Kardinia Park Andrew Merriman (St Mary's) 14.6 (90) d. 10.11 (71) Kardinia Park Bruce Cohen (Bell Park) 2004 St Mary's (3) North Shore 19.8 (122) d. 14.11 (95) Kardinia Park Frank Fopiani (3) (St Mary's) 2005 South Barwon (2) Newtown & Chilwell 17.13 (125) d. 14.10 (94) Kardinia Park Leighton Richards (South Barwon) 2006 South Barwon (3) St Joseph's 14.12 (96) d. 12.8 (80) Kardinia Park Warwick Knuckey (South Barwon) 2007 South Barwon+ (4) Bell Park 11.13 (79) d. 6.6 (42) Kardinia Park Jason Armistead (South Barwon) 2008 St Mary's+ (4) Colac 21.15 (141) d. 5.12 (42) Kardinia Park Ben Lavars (St Mary's) 2009 South Barwon+ (5) St Joseph's 15.12 (102) d. 6.9 (45) Kardinia Park Paul Sullivan (South Barwon) 2010 South Barwon (6) Bell Park 11.14 (80) d. 7.13 (55) Kardinia Park Luke Buckland (South Barwon) 2011 Bell Park+ (4) South Barwon 11.12 (78) d. 11.6 (72) Kardinia Park Charlie Hallam (Bell Park) 2012 South Barwon+ (7) Bell Park 17.9 (111) d. 8.12 (60) Kardinia Park Clinton Wells (South Barwon) 2013 South Barwon+ (8) Grovedale 13.16 (94) d. 12.2 (74) Kardinia Park Anthony Biemans (South Barwon) 2014 Colac Leopold 19.14 (128) d. 11.13 (79) Kardinia Park Marcus Crook (Colac) 2015 St Joseph's+ (2) Newtown & Chilwell 13.15 (93) d. 11.9 (75) Kardinia Park Daniel Lovick (St Joseph's) 2016 Leopold+ St Mary's 14.9 (93) d. 8.9 (57) Kardinia ParkJai Thompson (Leopold) 2017 St Joseph's+ (3) St Mary's 18.16 (124) d. 9.7 (61) Kardinia Park Daniel Lovick (2) (St Joseph's) 2018 St Joseph's (4) St Mary's 13.8 (86) d. 11.11 (77) Kardinia Park Joe Macula (St Joseph's) 2019 St Mary's (5) Colac 10.14 (74) d. 10.12 (72) Kardinia Park Ben Moloney (St Mary's) 2020Season cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 2021Season curtailed due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria 2022St Mary's+ (6)Leopold13.13 (91) d. 6.10 (46)St Albans ReserveDamian McMahon (St Mary's) 2023Leopold (2)South Barwon13.16 (94) d. 6.8 (44) Leopold Memorial ParkLogan Wagener (Leopold) 2024Leopold (3)South Barwon 12.11 (83) d. 9.8 (62)Kardinia ParkBrock Williamson (Leopold) 2025St Mary's (7)St Joseph's10.8 (68) d. 7.13 (55)Kardinia ParkKeidan Rayner (St Mary's) 2026St Mary's+ (8)South Barwon15.11 (101) d. 12.9 (81)Kardinia ParkFletcher Hughes (St Mary's)
A Grade netball The winner of the best on court award is presented with the Olivia Cameron Medal, named in honour of the six-time GFNL premiership player who took the court for more than 350 A Grade games at South Barwon. SeasonPremiersRunners-upScoreVenueBest on court2000North ShoreSt Joseph's32 – 172001North Shore (2)Colac32 – 312002LaraNorth Shore54 – 442003Lara (2)South Barwon51 – 492004South BarwonGrovedale53 – 462005South Barwon (2)Grovedale61 – 442006South Barwon (3)St Joseph's64 – 362007South Barwon (4)St Joseph's54 – 382008St Joseph'sSouth Barwon49 – 382009South Barwon (5)Colac59 – 352010South Barwon (6)St Mary's49 – 47Geelong ArenaKelsey Browne (South Barwon)2011South Barwon (7)St Mary's55 – 41Geelong Arena2012South Barwon (8)Leopold59 – 43Geelong Arena2013Newtown & ChilwellSouth Barwon54 – 31Geelong ArenaCasey Price (Newtown & Chilwell)2014Newtown & Chilwell (2)Leopold49 – 28Kardinia ParkDanielle Stewart (Newtown & Chilwell)2015Newtown & Chilwell (3)South Barwon44 – 43Kardinia ParkDanielle Stewart (2) (Newtown & Chilwell)2016Newtown & Chilwell (4)South Barwon51 – 42Kardinia ParkKathleen Knott (Newtown & Chilwell)Newtown & Chilwell (5)St Albans58 – 46Kardinia ParkJulia Woolley (Newtown & Chilwell)2018Newtown & Chilwell (6)St Albans60 – 45Kardinia ParkKathleen Knott (2) (Newtown & Chilwell)2019Newtown & Chilwell (7)St Albans57 – 30Kardinia ParkDanielle Stewart (3) (Newtown & Chilwell)2020Season cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic2021Season curtailed due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria2022ColacNewtown & Chilwell41 – 33St Albans ReserveBrooke Allan (Colac)2023Colac (2)Newtown & Chilwell38 – 37Leopold Memorial ParkIndya Forde (Colac)2024Newtown & Chilwell St Joseph's 38 – 34Kardinia ParkJulia Woolley (Newtown & Chilwell) 2025Newtown & Chilwell St Joseph's37 – 25Kardinia ParkCharity Nasalio (Newtown & Chilwell) 2026Newtown & Chilwell St Joseph's57 – 47Kardinia ParkHolly Adams-Alcock (Newtown & Chilwell)
Individual awards
Senior football
Mathieson Medal The Don Mathieson Medal is presented to the league's best and fairest player at the conclusion of the home-and-away season. It is named after Don Mathieson , who founded the league in 1979. Two players have won the award on three occasions: John Williams for Barwon and St Mary's across four seasons in the late 1980s, and Newtown & Chilwell's Matt McMahon in consecutive seasons in the late 2010s. The award has been shared on 10 occasions, most notably during a four-way tie in 1995. ^Player also won the Leading Goalkicker Award