Several Geelong female football teams demand action from AFL Barwon over concerns towards Thomson

Angry Geelong women’s football clubs have written to AFL Barwon over several alleged concerns against an opposition club. See the details.

Picture: Mark Wilson

A bloc of disgruntled football clubs have raised major concerns to AFL Barwon about opposition club Thomson, which they say have impacted on the integrity of the women’s competition.

In an email seen by this masthead and addressed to recently-appointed AFL Barwon Regional General Manager Lisa Patterson, a division 1 female football director with reported backing by all other clubs barring Thomson, stated the Tigers had “brought the game into disrepute” and were “damaging efforts to develop and sustain a competitive female competition conducted with the intent and spirit of the AFL Barwon equalisation measures”.

Concerns surrounded player point categorisations, while there were also alleged claims of dishonest behaviour around post-game team sheets, re-registering of former players without their knowledge or consent, and inappropriate entry by a coach into an opposition change room and approach to an umpire during a division 2 game last month.

The letter insisted these concerns were having a negative impact on players and coaches’ mindsets, as well as supporters, regarding the current state of the women’s competition.

When approached for comment, AFL Barwon confirmed it had received formal correspondence from its female football clubs outlining issues towards Thomson.

However, when questioned on specific concerns, the governing body stated it would engage directly with clubs, instead of speaking “through public forums”.

“A considered response has been provided directly to the clubs involved,” an AFL Barwon spokesperson said.

“AFL Barwon remains committed to addressing all operational matters with the highest standards of integrity, respect, and confidentiality, and to ensuring they are managed through the appropriate and established processes.”

Geelong Football Umpires League declined to make comment on alleged behaviour at a May 10 game.

Thomson FNC co-presidents Lachie Young and Luke Baker stated no formal reports or evidence had been brought to the club’s attention around game-day behaviour, but would be happy to review any evidence if provided.

“We as a club would feel confident that an opposing team would approach us with any inappropriate incidents if they occurred,” they stated.

They said they have 52 players registered to play this season – across a division 1 and 2 side – stating all players register themselves on PlayHQ.

They also referred concerns around player point categorisations to AFL Barwon, who uphold the PPS System.

The co-presidents backed their women’s football coach Simon Cavallo, who spearheads the program, stating he was “passionate about the sport and keeping female football alive and well in the Geelong community”.

It comes after Thomson forfeited all premiership points last season, due to an inability to field a division 1 side under the competition’s flat 40-point total team cap each week.

The Tigers program, which has no formal junior girls program above mixed U12 teams and has relied on recruitment for their women’s players, had been elevated to division 1 in 2024 following grading games after previously contesting division 2, which had no TPP limits at the time.

AFL Barwon have introduced a total team points cap for division 2 this year, after restructuring its women’s competition from three divisions to two, with promotion-relegation to dictate the make up of divisions moving forward.

The Tigers’ average points used per game in 2024 was 58.89 – the Tigers winning seven of their nine games before forfeiting premiership points, including victories against both eventual grand finalists.

In their seven matches this season, the fourth-placed Tigers (5-2) used the maximum 40 points in fixtures against top-three St Mary’s, Grovedale and Geelong Amateur, while they came under 40 points in their four matches against lower-ranked teams (35, 39, 36, 39).

This season, the Tigers have fielded more than a dozen players who are either recruits to the club, new to footy or returning after taking time off — recruits attracting a 3-point tag, newcomers rated as 1-pointers and those returning to footy a mix of both of 1 and 2 pointers depending on how long they have been away from the game.

Players are eligible to have 1 point deducted each year for “a season of service” to their club – a season classified as playing a minimum five games for that club.

However one instance saw three Thomson players, captain Belle Murphy-Bowen, Ally Janetzki and Keara Ryan, have their points allocation reclassified from 3-point players in 2024 to 1-pointers in 2025.

It came after they all made a one-off appearance for Warburton-Wesburn’s senior women’s team in its season-opener in the Outer East Football Netball League division 2 competition this year.

Moves between leagues have often seen footballers receive an additional player point in the past.

When asked to clarify the three players’ new points allocations last month, an AFL Barwon spokesperson said the following footballers “were assessed according to the AFL Barwon Female Football Player Points Policy and their individual circumstances”.

Three Thomson division 1 players were also transferred to St Albans to play against the Tigers in a division 2 fixture on May 4.

The letter also claimed AFL Barwon had erred in its own application of its PPS categories when longtime QAFLW player Paris Lightfoot joined Thomson this year as a 3-point player, instead of a 5 or 4 point player typically designated to Tier 1 or 2 state league players respectively.

The clubs said in correspondence to one club on April 30, AFL Barwon stated the QAFLW should not be considered a state league.

However, clubs believe this position is incorrect, considering the QAFLW is the highest ranked women’s league in Queensland.

An outdated AFL Barwon Female Player Points System policy, last reviewed in July 2023, previously categorised the QAFLW as a ‘Category 4 – State league” which drew 5 player points at the time.

However updated AFL Barwon and AFL Victoria player points guidelines, revised as of September 2024, make no mention of both Queensland’s men’s and women’s competitions (QAFL/QAFLW) in their points categorisation, despite all other state leagues, including the VFL, SAFNL, WAFL, NTFL, TSL and junior pathway program Coates Talent League providing clear categorisation of allocated player point totals.

AFL Queensland categorises the QAFL/QAFLW as “state league” competitions on its website.

Originally published as Several Geelong female football teams demand action from AFL Barwon over concerns towards Thomson