AFL Barwon Female Football is a women's Australian rules football competition based in the greater Geelong region. The first season of senior football held for women in the area was 2018. The senior competition has since swelled to multiple divisions incorporating 19 teams. A further eight underage girls divisions are also competed for in the 2023 season.
Background
AFL Barwon is the governing body overseeing Australian rules football in the Geelong and greater district. After many years in which only junior girl's competitions were organised, a senior women's football competition commenced in 2018 under the banner of AFL Barwon Women's Football. Rather than being organised by the GFL, GDFL, or the BFL, the competition is managed under the AFL Barwon banner. The competition was renamed to AFL Barwon Female Football ahead of the 2019 season.
2018 inaugural season competing teams: Bellarine Football League: Barwon Heads; Drysdale; Geelong Amateur; Ocean Grove Geelong Football League: Grovedale; Lara; St Joseph's; St Mary's Geelong & District Football League: Bell Post Hill; Geelong West Giants; North Geelong Colac & District Football League: Colac Imperials
The competition has held grading games at the start of the seasons in 2018, 2021–2024 in order to compose divisions to try to make matches as competitive as possible.
In March 2024, following extensive consultation AFL Barwon announced that the competition would transition from playing mostly on Sundays to scheduling Saturday matches from 2025.
Current clubs
Division 1 ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.AFL Barwon SeasonsAFL Barwon Senior PremiershipsTotalMost recentBarwon HeadsSeagullsHoward Harmer Reserve, Barwon Heads—19222018–12018Geelong AmateurAmmos, PegasusQueens Park, Highton—19262018–42026GrovedaleTigersBurdoo Reserve, Grovedale—19472018–1 2024Geelong West GiantsGiantsWest Oval, North Geelong—20172018–12022PortarlingtonDemonsPortarlington Recreation Reserve, Portarlington—18742026–0—South BarwonSwansMcDonald Reserve, Belmont—19902021–12025St Joseph'sJoeysHerne Hill Reserve, Herne Hill—19732018–12022St Mary'sSaintsKardinia Park West, South Geelong—19532018–12019
Division 2 ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.AFL Barwon SeasonsAFL Barwon Senior PremiershipsTotalMost recentAngleseaRoosEllimatta Reserve, Anglesea—19632021–22024Barwon Heads reserves/Ocean GroveSeagulls/GrubbersHoward Harmer Reserve, Barwon Heads and Shell Road Reserve, Ocean Grove—20262026–0—Bell ParkDragonsHamlyn Park, Bell Park—19582026–0—Belmont LionsLionsWinter Reserve, Belmont—19652024–1 2024DrysdaleHawksDrysdale Recreational Reserve, Drysdale—18792018–0—Grovedale reservesTigersBurdoo Reserve, Grovedale—19472018–1 2024LaraCatsLara Recreation Reserve, Lara—18802018–12026ModewarreWarriorsMt Moriac Recreation Reserve, Mount Moriac—18792023–12023St Albans/ThomsonSupersaints, TigersSt Albans Reserve, Thomson and Thomson Recreation Reserve, Thomson—20262026–0—St Joseph's reservesJoeysHerne Hill Reserve, Herne Hill—19732018–12022St Mary's reserves/Geelong Amateur reservesSaints, Ammos, PegasusKardinia Park West, South Geelong and Queens Park, Highton—19532018–12019TorquayTigersSpring Creek Reserve, Torquay—19522019–0—
Former clubs ClubColoursNicknameHome GroundFormer LeagueEst.AFL Barwon SeasonsAFL Barwon Senior PremiershipsFateTotalMost recentBell Post HillPanthersMyers Reserve, Bell Post Hill—197620180 -In recessColac ImperialsImperialsWestern Reserve, Colac—19222018–20210 -In recessNewtown & ChilwellEaglesElderslie Reserve, Newtown—19332021–20250—In recessNorth GeelongMagpiesOsborne Park, North GeelongVWFL18762018–202522019In recess
Premiers
Division 1 †Team also won the minor premiership for finishing on top of the ladder Season Premiers Runners-up Score Venue Best on ground 2018 North Geelong† St Mary's 6.5 (41) d. 2.3 (15) Burdoo Reserve 2019 St Mary's Geelong Amateur 6.4 (40) d. 4.5 (29) Bisinella Oval 2020Season cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. 2021Not awarded 2022 Geelong Amateur† St Mary's 4.5 (29) d. 0.3 (3) Herne Hill Reserve Cheryl de Groot (Geelong Amateur) 2023 Geelong Amateur† Grovedale 4.10 (34) d. 2.1 (13) Herne Hill Reserve Danielle Sgarbi (Geelong Amateur) 2024 Grovedale† Geelong Amateur 2.8 (20) d. 1.6 (12) Bisinella Oval Taylah Hassett (Grovedale) 2025 Geelong Amateur† Grovedale 4.9 (33) d. 3.1 (19) Bisinella Oval Bella Hill (Geelong Amateur) 2026 Geelong Amateur† Grovedale 6.7 (43) d. 4.8 (32) Bisinella Oval Lucy Ware (Geelong Amateur)
Division 2 †Team also won the minor premiership for finishing on top of the ladder Season Premiers Runners-up Score Venue Best on ground 2018 Barwon Heads Colac Imperials 4.9 (33) d. 4.8 (32) Burdoo Reserve 2019 North Geelong† Drysdale 3.8 (26) d. 0.1 (1) Bisinella Oval 2020Season cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. 2021Not awarded 2022 St Joseph's† Torquay 5.3 (33) d. 3.2 (20) Herne Hill Reserve Tamika Lewis (St Joseph's) 2023 Geelong West Giants† Thomson 3.5 (23) d. 3.4 (22) Herne Hill Reserve Teagan Tatlock (Thomson) 2024 Anglesea St Joseph's 5.9 (39) d. 3.5 (23) Bisinella Oval Ella Nickolaus (Angelsea) 2025 South Barwon Geelong West Giants 4.6 (30) d. 3.6 (24) Bisinella Oval Elara Dillon (South Barwon) 2026 Lara Torquay 8.9 (57) d. 2.8 (20) Bisinella Oval
Division 3 †Team also won the minor premiership for finishing on top of the ladder Season Premiers Runners-up Score Venue Best on ground 2021Not awarded 2022 Anglesea† South Barwon 6.6 (42) d. 2.3 (15) Herne Hill Reserve Ruby Manson (Anglesea) 2023 Modewarre North Geelong 6.0 (36) d. 1.8 (14) Herne Hill Reserve Monique Martin (Modewarre) 2024 Belmont Lions† Modewarre 1.7 (13) d. 1.2 (8) Bisinella Oval Ashleigh Feehan (Belmont) 2025Division not held 2026Division not held
Best and Fairest Award Division 1 2018 — Charlotte Thorne (North Geelong) 39 votes 2019 — Stephanie Abfalter (Geelong Amateur) 19 votes 2021 — Isabella Hill (Grovedale) 21 votes 2022 — Alana Tully (Grovedale) 2023 — Danielle Sgarbi (Geelong Amateur) 2024 — Janessa Fitzgerald (Grovedale) 19 votes 2025 — Phoebe Monahan (Thomson) 28 votes 2026 — Isabella Hill (Geelong Amateur) 24 votes
Division 2 2018 — Emma Allen (Barwon Heads) 23 votes 2019 — Charlotte Thorne (North Geelong) 27 votes 2021 — Temikka Beeston (North Geelong) 18 votes 2022 — Tara Smith (Drysdale) 2023 — Daisy Wilson (South Barwon) 2024 — Elara Dillon (South Barwon) 19 votes 2025 — Elara Dillon (South Barwon 30 votes 2026 — Ailish Tyrrell (St Albans/Thompson); Kara Stacey (Lara); Lahnee Firth (Anglesea) 18 votes
Division 3 2021 — Charlotte Simpson (St Joseph's) 18 votes 2022 — Maggie Caudullo 2023 — Tara Smith (Drysdale) 2024 — Monique Martin (Modewarre) 14 votes
Leading Goalkickers Division 1 2018 — Ashleigh Bond (St Mary's) 28 goals 2019 — Ashleigh Bond (St Mary's) 23 goals 2021 — Bianca Cheever (St Mary's) & Rhianna Arnold (Geelong Amateur) 16 goals 2022 — Allesha McLean (St Mary's) 25 goals 2023 — Lucy Were (Geelong Amateur) 23 goals 2024 — Emily Kenshole (Thomson) 27 goals 2025 — Lillee Barendsen (Geelong Amateur) 51 goals 2026 — Bella Gilham (St Joseph's) 50 goals
Division 2 2018 — Teagan Barber (Colac Imperials) 23 goals 2019 — Melissa Egan (Drysdale) 61 goals 2021 — Melissa Egan (Drysdale) 20 goals 2022 — Bianca Deckker (Drysdale) 28 goals 2023 — Emily Kenshole (Thomson) 31 goals 2024 — Bella Gilham (St Joseph's) 32 goals 2025 — Neave Dickson (Newtown & Chilwell) 41 goals 2026 — Victoria Paapa-Silva (Lara) 47 goals
Division 3 2021 — Charlotte Simpson (St Joseph's), Rebekah Lane (South Barwon) & Camille King (Anglesea) 21 goals 2022 — Rebekah Lane (South Barwon) 28 goals 2023 — Bianca Deckker (Drysdale) 24 goals 2024 — Dakota Harrington (St Albans) 24 goals
Sponsorship The divisions has had the following organisations as naming rights partner for each season: 2018: Epworth Health (Division 1) Corio Bay Health Group (Division 2) 2019, 2021–present: Epworth Health (Divisions 1–3)
Representative matches In May 2019, an AFL Barwon Female Football representative team coached by Geelong AFLW player Melissa Hickey, and captained by Barwon Heads' Emma Allen, played the Northern Football Netball League.
References
External links Official website PlayHQ Results & Ladders (2022)