AFL Barwon puts forward plans for complete overhaul to football, netball competitions from 2025

A major shake-up has been proposed by AFL Barwon which would see a new competition structure implemented — headlined by a cashed-up top league. See the plans here.

A major shake-up has been proposed by AFL Barwon. Picture: Mark Wilson

AFL Barwon is proposing a shock competition overhaul for football and netball from 2025, with a new league structure headlined by a cashed-up Premier League put forward.

League headquarters has had two consultations with club presidents with differing views expressed on the shake-up.

The concept drawn up by AFL Barwon would see anywhere from two to four divisions with relegation and promotion every three years at a minimum.

AFL Barwon’s mooted revamp hopes to address equalisation and competitiveness, capitalise on growing participation numbers, strengthen competitions across the region, supercharge female football and introduce junior clubs Surf Coast and Armstrong Creek into the senior ranks.

Data shared with clubs revealed that 46 per cent of clubs are supportive of the changes, with 25 per cent opposed and 30 per cent clubs yet to provide a position.

Football clubs in the Premier League would have a bumper $120,000 salary cap by 2027 – up from the current $100,000 in the Geelong Football League – while netball clubs’ salary caps would surge to $35,000, compared to the current $15,000 offered in the GFNL and the Bellarine Football Netball League.

Sides from across the GFNL, BFNL and GDFNL are open to join the Premier League but must meet specific parameters.

Concept summary for the competition overhaul.

To qualify, clubs must meet participation requirements and have a male senior/reserve football side, at least one male junior football side, at least two junior grades of netball and at least one A-E grade netball senior team.

The three potential competition structures floated by AFL Barwon’s proposal are: Premier League, Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3; Premier League, Division 1, Division 2; or AFL Barwon Bellarine and Geelong Division 1 and Division 2.

In the proposal, Premier League competitors would be able to splash $110,000 on players in 2025 GFL before gradually increasing to a peak of $120,000 in 2027.

The $120,000 salary cap would make the region financially competitive with the top competitions across Victoria, including the Goulburn Valley FNL, Eastern FNL, Northern FNL, Southern FNL and Western FNL.

Project outcomes from the proposal.

Division 1 and Division 2 would rise to $88,000 and $71,500 respectively in 2025 – up from the current $80,000 in 2023 in the BFL and $70,000 in the GDFL.

Division 1 would then rise to $96,000 in 2027, while Division would reach a salary cap of $78,000.

AFL Barwon regional manager Ed Wilson said that there has been major growth in participation across the region – increasing 10.2 per cent annually in football and 8.4 per cent year on year in netball.

He said that the lack of movement in the past decade between teams in all three Geelong competitions was among the catalysts for the proposal.

Wilson made clear that the model would have a widespread approach with an emphasis on junior football and netball, and female football.

AFL Barwon's reasons for undertaking the changes.

“If we look at our GFNL, BFNL and GDFNL, it has been the same teams up the top, the same teams at the bottom and the same teams in the middle and there’s some data that reflects. We want to create a model that has greater equalisation,” Wilson said.

“We are sitting in a growth corridor at the moment and we’ve got to be able to plan for that for the future and capitalise on it.

“We have growing participation numbers across all competition groups – that’s male and female, junior and senior, football and netball.

“This project goes across male and female, junior and senior football and netball. So it’s not just about senior football and netball, we are looking at female football and changes in that as well as junior football and netball.

“The mentality behind it is that if we make a change in one area, it actually impacts the other. So it all has to be considered all at once.”

AFL Barwon will meet with clubs again in a month’s time and hopes to make a decision on the overhaul before the start of next season which is scheduled to start in late March next year.

Originally published as AFL Barwon puts forward plans for complete overhaul to football, netball competitions from 2025