MONBULK FNC GRANT DENNISON NAN CLEVEN & JESS WHITWORTH
MONBULK JFC PETER DONALD LAURA CROSS
MT EVELYN FNC RAY FELLOWS CATE GARLIC
MT EVELYN JFC DAVID ROBERTS KATE SCEBERRAS
NARRE WARREN FNC PETER LINDSAY SONIA ALEXANDER
OFFICER FC LACHLAN BALZARY TERRI WILLIAMS
OLINDA FERNY CREEK FNC BEN SELBY-HELE CAREY WILLIAMS
OLINDA FERNY CREEK JFC SIMON GILSON TARA TONKIN
PAKENHAM FC DERRICK BROWN NICOLE EDNEY
PAKENHAM LIONS NC MARG JONES SARAH O’NEILL
SEVILLE FNC MICK SHORE WAYNE BAKER
SEVILLE FC NATHAN O’KEEFE COURTNEY O’KEEFE
THORNTON EILDON FNC LUCY MCRAE JESS LAPP
UPWEY TECOMA FNC CRAIG WATERS ALEXANDRIA BANTOCK
UPWEY TECOMA JFC BRENDAN FERGUSON BEKKI COURTNEY
WANDIN FNC NICHOLAS CROSSLAND MELISSA LANG
WANDIN JFC JUSTIN ROBERTS AMY MONTEITH
WARBURTON MILLGROVE FNC STEVE NOONAN DAVID SWANKIE
WESBURN JFC WAYNE MORGAN BRIAN WESTLAKE
WOORI YALLOCK FNC MATT HERRIDGE MEGAN BRITTON
WOORI YALLOCK JFC DANNY HYNDMAN
YARRA GLEN FNC MEAGHAN CARTER SKYE CORRIGAN
YARRA GLEN JFC DALE DAVIS LINDA PEARS
POWELLTOWN FNC GEOFF MOONEY TAYLA ADAMS CLUB PRESIDENT SECRETARY ROC NC NICOLE ROBBINS LOUISE VINCENT
T O N Y M I T C H E L L
O E F N B O A R D
C H A I R M A N
The 2024 Season saw Outer East Football Netball continue to strive for growth, with board and staff members focused on ensuring continued improvement of our football and netball competitions so that all our clubs are prosperous and have the support they need
We know that our sports are vital to communities and townships, as evidenced by some great resurgence stories in 2024 Some examples include Yea Tigers Football coming out of recess with their seniors team only narrowly missing the finals, or Woori Yallock having no netball program in 2023, to then have 76 registered players this year We also had growth in Junior Football with our first ever Under 10 Girls Competition and saw an increase in our umpiring numbers across the board, but particularly an uplift in females joining our ranks.
Excitingly, Outer East Football Netball also became the first competition in Victoria to be a signatory of the Women & Girls Charter, and the Women of the Outer East Advisory Group went from strength to strength this season – we thank everyone on the WOTOE board for their advocacy, dedication and ideas
We have had a focus on Club Development and acknowledging club volunteers, and on offering pathway and development opportunities for our athletes and club volunteers through new or existing partnerships (such as our association with VNL team North East Blaze, or Hawthorn Football Club). Importantly, we also focussed on Club Development support - aiding our clubs in governance, finance, culture, and planning. We thank Maddy Gough for her efforts in 2024 and wish her all the best in her new role with AFL Victoria
We also added a second new role to the Administration in a Media and Communications Co-ordinator Steph Barkas certainly raised the bar across all aspects of our media from digital, social and electronic mediums The ability to tell the wonderful stories across our communities was a highlight.
To our sponsors and commercial partners we extend a huge thanks With your ongoing commitment we are able to provide safe and well managed competitions from juniors to seniors for footballers, netballers, coaches and umpires. Your investment is highly regarded.
Financial stability remains at the heart of the Board’s strategy, appreciating the cost of living increase and strain on volunteers, parents and many involved with our competitions. We will continue to act prudently and act in the best interests of the Outer East Football Netball community.
With all the above headlines in mind, I wish to acknowledge the work that our staff have undertaken in the 2024 season to keep our competition healthy and thriving. To CEO Brett Connell, General Manager of Operations Cameron Hutchison, Junior Football Operations Coordinator Andrew Gibbons, Administration & Events Coordinator Sheryn Harbert, Netball Operations Coordinator Matt Blanchard, Umpire Operations Coordinator Aaron Gillard, Director of Umpiring Jason McNiece, Football Operations & Club Development Coordinator Maddy Gough and Media & Communications Coordinator Steph Barkas, thank you
I would also like to pass on my special thanks to my fellow board members for their support, ideas, discussions and most importantly their continued commitment and contributions to our competition and member clubs Many thanks to Deputy Chair Mark Sargent, and fellow board members Ryan Ford, Lauren Bourke, Josette O’Donnell and Holly Simmons.
In closing, 2024 has been a very strong and successful season and we thank our member clubs for their ongoing efforts and dedication in keeping their clubs thriving. We look forward to continuing to build on the initiatives implemented in 2024 into next season and beyond, and to continue to highlight, acknowledge and celebrate the great people across our community
B R E T T C O N N E L L
By all measures 2024 was a successful year at Outer East Football Netball.
Much reviewing and planning had been conducted across the 2023 season stemming from the Competition Structure Review and the design of a new Strategic Plan.
These key documents would guide our planning across the business from competition, to resourcing to key strategic initiatives and focusses.
Our resourcing to clubs and umpires increased in several areas, with the elevation of Aaron Gillard (Umpire Operations & Competitions co-ordinator) from part-time to full-time Aaron’s connection with AFL Victoria was imperative in recruiting programs geared towards umpiring The employment of Maddy Gough (Club Development & Football Operations co-ordinator) to replace Georgia Chisholm came with a strong focus on club development and support for all clubs The newly established role of Media & Communications co-ordinator completed our structure Steph Barkas joined us at Easter and had a profound effect on our media presence and telling the story of the Outer East Football Netball clubs and community
Our Senior competitions in netball and football also took on a new look. Two divisions of senior football and open netball, in addition to an U18 and U19 competition and (14) of our (20) clubs fielding women’s teams, all key targets and a terrific reflection on the changing face of participation in Outer East The seasons were a positive reflection on the tireless work done at club level by wonderful volunteers and our finals were terrific celebrations of our clubs, players, coaches and umpires. Thank you to Cam Hutchison (General Manager –Operations) and Matt Blanchard (Netball co-ordinator) for their terrific management throughout 2024
A number of key focusses were also implemented across our Junior competition including changes into the junior age groups to maximise participation and the removal of grading Our junior competition numbers recorded another increase with a key initiative being the establishment of our first ever stand-alone U10 Girls competition. Andy Gibbons (Junior Football co-ordinator) has again led the foundation of our senior football competitions with aplomb
We continue to provide representative opportunities throughout our junior football and netball, where we fielded interleague football teams in our annual Interleague Carnival and a number of teams in the Netball Victoria Association Championships
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jason McNiece (Director of Umpiring), Warwick Marsh (Junior Umpire Coach) and all the coaches and umpires for their efforts in 2024 Our umpire numbers are on the rise and Umpiring is a key focus for us again in 2025 Thanks for Peter Dixon and the YRUA for their partnership and importantly Aaron Gillard as acknowledged previously.
Our sincere thanks to our sponsors and commercial partners for their continued support across all aspects of the business Your contribution to our competition is never taken for granted or undersold. To our Major Partner Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) and the following branches who continue to provide wonderful support. Dandenong Ranges CBG (Belgrave, Upwey & Cockatoo-Gembrook), Monbulk & District, Mt Evelyn & District, Wandin-Seville and Upper Yarra (Warburton & Yarra Junction)
To our Naming Rights partners Karcher (Netball and Finals) and Yarra Valley Water (Water Care) thank you for your ongoing partnership. The ongoing support from Pedders Suspension and Brakes, Box Hill Institute/Lilydale Lakeside, Project Gap, Sherrin, Club Connect, Premier Data, GameFace, Sherrin, ISC, Energetic, Victor Sports, Rochford Wines, All Trophies, SSA Sports and Sporting Fine Art is also acknowledged.
Our celebrated Community Partners in Eastern Health, Outside the Locker Room, Round Table Connections and SALT are also acknowledged for their work with our clubs which contributes greatly to the health and wellbeing of our community
Our initial year of partnership with North East Blaze (VNL Club) has been a success and we look forward to building on the partnership for the benefit of both parties moving forward To be partnered with a VNL Club provides wonderful opportunities for our netball clubs in general across playing and coaching.
It is pleasing to report that our financial position is strong as we look to keep the costs to clubs at a manageable level We had an increase in our turnover from 2023 mainly due to an increase in our participation numbers and the flow on effect. Our Operating expenses increased in line with our Operating Revenue, allowing for a small profit at years end In 2024 we invested in the following items to assist clubs across our competition, annual insurance claim pool ($50K), affiliation fee discounts ($21K), specific Club Development work with a number of individual clubs ($10K) and where additional field and boundary were appointed above the regular appointments ($6K)
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Sheryn Harbert in the Business and Finance arm of the organisation. Under stated and behind the scenes but an extremely important role in managing the financial operations Sheryn also manages all of our events and it is testament to her diligence and planning as to the success in this important facet of our organisation, bringing people together to celebrate and reward achievements A highlight of our events being our Women of the Outer East Leadership & Networking Lunch held at Rochford Winery, it was a raging success
I would like to extend our appreciation to both Greg Madigan (AFL Victoria) and Andrea Pearman (Netball Victoria) and their respective teams for their ongoing support of community football and netball Together we achieve more
To the team at Eastern Ranges, led by Danny Ryan, thank you for being a wonderful administrative partner at the Kilsyth Centre of Excellence.
We would also like to acknowledge the wonderful relationship we have with the Yarra Ranges Shire, in particular John Strachan and the broader sport and recreation and parks and gardens teams.
To the Outer East Football Netball Board, thank you Led by Tony Mitchell and Vice Chair Mark Sargent, Lauren Bourke, Ryan Ford, Josette O’Donnell and Holly Simmons you continue to provide support, guidance and strategic direction for the greater good of community sport in the Outer East Thank you for volunteering your time
2025 will be upon us in no time We have been hard at work planning for what the new season will look like. There are several new initiatives planned aimed at bringing our community together, focussed on celebrating and recognising what is great about being part of Outer East Football Netball and never losing sight on providing support, assistance and service to our clubs
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and thanks again for your support
We cannot do this without you
C A M E R O N H U T C H I S O N
G M O P E R A T I O N S
The 2024 season was setup differently with our Senior men’s Premier Division consisting of 12 clubs for the first time since the inaugural year of the MDYVFL in 1966 Following the competition structure review completed through 2023, 2024 also saw our divisions consolidated into two. The last time we had two divisions was in 2018 before the SEFNL clubs joined
The results of the review also strengthened the connection between Football & Netball, with all clubs required to field teams in both sports to be able to compete in the OEFN Senior competitions
The 2023 review recommended a further review of all under’s football competitions (U9’s to U18/19’s) which took place across the 2024 season The results of this review will begin to be implemented in season 2025.
Unfortunately, due to the clubs from the West Gippsland region creating their own Veterans competition and a late withdrawal of one of the remaining OEFN teams, a Veterans football competition wasn’t possible in season 2024.
Pleasingly, the early indications for 2025 are positive as well as a Women’s Veterans competition being explored On a positive note, Yea FNC’s Senior football teams were able to return from recess and had a successful season
The Club forum was held in early February which included education and information sessions across the areas of: Senior & Junior Football Coaching as well as Club Leadership, Club Development, CCSP, PlayHQ Operation, Netball match days, Netball Coaching, Junior competition modified rules and Women’s & Girls programs The event also included a Sponsor & Supplier tradeshow.
Following on from the focus on Coaching provided at the club forum, additional Coach education sessions continued throughout the 2024 season which included a Female coaching academy facilitated by Eastern Ranges U18 boys Head Coach, Lauren Morecroft.
Facility upgrades continued in 2024 with Powelltown’s new rooms opened as well as the Seville Senior football ground works completed Seeing a flat “Chip” following its development was something special to behold. Disappointingly for the Yarra Glen Senior and Junior clubs, their facility was again impacted by flooding which restricted their ability to play any home games in the first half of the season
Our Women’s Football competition continued to grow with new teams entering out of Emerald & Warburton/Wesburn with Officer & Woori Yallock also re-entering sides in 2024 Disappointingly due to some players leaving Yarra Junction to join those sides, the Eagles we not able to field a team in 2024
Additional engagement of the Women’s football participants took place during the off season, the results of this feedback assisted in the formation of the season including: playing times, finals scheduling and how the competitions were promoted, amongst other items.
Notably the two Women’s football Grand Finals were played on a Sunday post the Junior footy competition Grand Finals as to avoid any clashes between the two We were also fortunate to have access to the Kilsyth Centre or Excellence to host these two matches.
We were limited again in season 2024 on several venues for Senior Football & Netball Finals hosting, with the Netball courts at Healesville being the most notable, which forced some unplanned changes and led to 14 Netball matches on one day, being played at some venues The positive of this led to great atmospheres around the Netball matches The weather was mostly good throughout the finals except for the Division One Grand Final day where the rain and strong wind was a persistent factor.
Pleasingly it did not deter the patrons from attending the local battle between a resurgent Healesville and a formidable Warburton Millgrove (who were competing in their first grand final in 18 years). We also recorded our highest attendance for a top division Grand Final day at the Premier Division matches hosted at Officer
The OEFN representative programs remain as a key program item for our competition sustainability and growth. Special mentions to both Matt Blanchard (Netball) and Andy Gibbons (Junior Footy) and their respective team of assistants for getting these programs going and providing our Junior players with exposure to the talent pathways for each sport An additional special mention to Matt for his resilience and persistence around the Junior Netball Competitions for season 2024.
The policy aspects of our operations had a significant shift on the eve of the season beginning, with Outer East Football Netball agreeing to comply with all the policy’s contained within the AFL’s National Community Football Policy Handbook.
These policies include Player Registration, Transfers and Permits, Age Dispensation, Coach and Umpire accreditation, Deregistration, Gender Diversity, Member Protection, Vilification and Discrimination, Safeguarding Children, Social Media, Gambling, Antidoping, Injury Management (trainers), Protective Equipment, Extreme Weather, Sun Protection, Concussion, Pregnant Players, Active Bleeding, Reportable Offences, Policy Breaches, Disciplinary Officer, Tribunal and Appeals
An area of these changes that had an impact on clubs, were the disciplinary areas of tribunal More expansive insight into this can be viewed in the Tribunal report for 2024 In an administration sense these changes created a significant shift in how the Umpires processed reports and they were communicated to clubs, as well as the processes used when a case went to a tribunal hearing
I would like to thank Maddy Gough and Aaron Gillard for all their work on processing, educating and assisting the clubs, umpires and tribunal members on these changes as well as the work from our whole operations team in aligning our competition by laws to these policies
The addition of Steph Barkas to our staff as the Media & Communications coordinator has seen some wonderful additions to our media presence with more exciting items planned The matchday media team was headed up by Aiden Miller for the 2024 season with the commentary assistance from Trent D’Alton
Bethany Hutchison continued to provide us with great action photos each week and thankyou to Kylie Rowe, Adam Sykes and Alex Woods for assisting us in ensuring we covered each grand final well on those busy days
Thank you to Brett Connell for his support and guidance this year and all my fellow staff members and numerous clubs for their efforts and support throughout season 2024
My final thankyou is always a special one and again extends to Tegan, Marshall and Charlotte for the extraordinary love and support they provide year on year
M A T T B L A N C H A R D
2024 Season:
Another great season for netball in Outer East FN with some great, competitive netball played right throughout our competition.
Thank you to our Board for their continued strong support of netball in our competition and to my colleagues, Aaron, Andy, Brett, Cam, Maddy, Sheryn and Steph for the great jobs you do and the support you provide.
Competition Analysis:
On the recommendation made by our Clubs from the 2023 Competition review, we saw a return to a two-division model, reducing our Netball competitions from nineteen grades in 2023 to 14 grades in 2024.
All participation numbers remained very similar to 2023 numbers as the table below demonstrates Woori Yallock are to be commended on an amazing recovery of having no netball program in 2023 to having 76 registered players for the 2024 season
This included a return to 17&U netball and fielding a 15&U team for the very first time Monbulk too fielded a 15&U team for the very first time and the girls made a Grand Final in their debut season, which was an amazing result for the club
Coaching:
In August we hosted a Netball Victoria Level Three – Intermediate Coaching Course at Kilsyth which saw eight coaches within our competition sucessful in advancing to the next level of their coaching accreditation within the Netball Australia Coaching Framework
We have applied to Netball Victoria to now host a Level Two – Development Coaching Course in the last part of this year, and intend to host another prior to the 2025 season commencing,
Congratulations to three of our Representative Coaches who have been appointed Coaches with Victorian Netball League clubs for the 2025 season
Matt Cooke (Pakenham Lions) has been appointed Championship Coach at Peninsula Waves Leesa Gallard (R O C) will be a Co-Coach for Championship at Booroondara Express and Karen Meredith (Pakenham Lions) who will take up a coaching role at Gippsland Stars
Umpiring:
Umpiring numbers were consistent this year and I thank all of our Panel Umpires and Club Umpires for the amazing job they do, week in-week out throughout the season
Also, a huge thank you to our Netball Umpire Coordinator, Jo Owen, for the tireless work she does in filling umpiring appointments each week.
Netball is one of the most difficult games in the world to adjudicate and our umpires do a great job
In 2025 we will commit to greater development opportunities for both our Panel Umpires and Club Umpires
Congratulations to Panel Umpires Kayla Pratt and Brad Keats who were both invited by Netball Victoria to officiate at the Finals Day of NV Association Championships at the State Netball Centre
Community Partnership:
2024 saw us undertake a Community Partnership with Victorian Netball League club North- East Blaze. We saw this as an opportunity for our Club coaches and athletes to have access and exposure to a high-performance environment, not dissimilar to what Eastern Ranges provides in football
Premiers & Award winners for 2024:
Congratulations to all fourteen Premiership winning teams and Best on Court Medallists for the 2024 Season Also, a huge congratulations to our competition Best and Fairest winners for 2024. Premiers and Best & Fairest Winners are highlighted later in this document, but below are our Best on Court Medallists for 2024: Competition Best on Court Medal 13 West Kythea Neilo (ROC) 15 West Olive Henry (ROC) 17 West Isabella Foreman (ROC)
Div One D Grade Annie Dietrich (Yarra Glen)
Div One C Grade Sophie Morgan (Seville)
Div One B Grade Alanna Lennie (Seville)
Div One A Grade Cleo Minney (Seville) 13 East Amelia Pryor (ROC) 15 East Audrey Raja (ROC)
Premier 17&U Declan Gallard (ROC)
Premier D Grade Rachel Ward (ROC)
Premier C Grade Dorothy Maepu (Narre W)
Premier B Grade Sidney Kneebone (ROC)
Premier A Grade
Gabrielle Dwyer (Narre W)
Finals Series:
We have just come off one of the most exciting finals series in netball Huge crowds, amazing atmosphere and some stellar netball played by everyone involved.
With the netball courts at Don Road Sporting Complex not up to standard, we had a situation where Week One of Division One finals in Open Grades, Elimination and Qualifying Finals, were all played at Woori Yallock 8 finals in all
In Premier Division, a similar situation with Week One all Elimination and Qualifying Finals being played at Woori Yallock, 14 finals matches Week Two saw all First and Second Semi finals matches played at Yarra Glen, again 14 matches in all
Whilst not by design, what it created was an incredible atmosphere, with all clubs being at the one venue and a real celebration of netball.
The Grand Final days for both Divisions were played in front of bumper crowds and the netball did not disappoint In all, seven of the fourteen grades, were decided by a margin of two goals or less, with three grand finals going in to overtime to break a deadlock at the end of regular time.
Division One and Premier Division A Grade Grand Finals were both decided by a one goal margin You could not script closer finishes
Representative Netball:
In 2024, we fielded three teams in the Netball Victoria Association Championships, a key plank in the Talent Identification process for young athletes Congratulations and thank you to all the players selected that represented Outer East FN
Also, a huge thank you to our Coaches, Support Staff and most importantly the parents who dedicated their time and supported their children through the campaign. It is always greatly appreciated
Results:
13 & UNDER - CENTRAL EAST QUALIFYING DAY (WON 1 - LOST 6)
15 & UNDER - CENTRAL EAST QUALIFYING DAY (WON 3 - LOST 6)
17 & UNDER - CENTRAL EAST QUALIFYING DAY (WON 5 - LOST 2)
Representative Netball Teams:
Stephanie Bowes R.O.C
Charli Maher R.O.C
Kiele Mataika Berwick
Nesia Mataika Berwick
Jasmine Overdyk R.O.C
Madeline Overdyk R.O.C
Amelia Pryor R.O.C
Emily Sleeth Berwick
Mia Thomas Berwick
Zach Van Der Nest Berwick
Hannah Wilson Pakenham Lions
Chelsea Maher (Coach) R.O.C
Bec Pryor (Assistant) R.O.C
Talulah Ah-Tune Cocker Pakenham Lions
Molly Allen R.O.C
Addison Cripps Narre Warren
Jasleen Garcha Narre Warren
Keeley Hardy R.O.C
Omoyeme Ikhalia Pakenham Lions
Ava McGuire R.O.C
Tegan Platt Narre Warren
Laila Robbins R.O.C
Ashlyn Sleeth Berwick
Allara-Jane Warena Hampton Park
Sienna Wilson Hampton Park
Karen Meredith (Coach) Pakenham Lions
Mandy Hopkins (Assistant)
Zoe Platt (Team Manager) Narre Warren
Abby Akers Wandin
Caitlyn Bell R.O.C
Delaney Breeden R.O.C
Annie Brown Wandin
Ashlin Cattanach R.O.C
Chloe Cripps Narre Warren
Eryn Doyle Pakenham Lions
Ella James Pakenham Lions
Charli Lambert Narre Warren
Jade McGuire R.O.C
Kaelah O’Shanassy R.O.C
Jorja Wragg Monbulk
Kyana Gordon (Training Partner) Narre Warren
Meka Simmons (Training Partner) Narre Warren
Matt Cooke (Co Coach) Pakenham Lions
Leesa Gallard (Co Coach) R.O.C
Katrina Wragg (Team Manager) Monbulk
A N D Y G I B B O N S
Our increase in participants this season grew from 2349 in 2023 to 2404 (55) this year
2023 – Male 1698 Female – 651
2024 –Male 1654 Female - 750 .
Being able to offer the new Under 10 Girls competition gave more girls the opportunity to play football Our Female competition now has a distinct pathway from Auskick to Senior football
This year our non-competitive age groups Under 9 Wayalaks & Under 10 Mixed & Girls was once again well supported by all clubs, with the Under 9 Wayalaks having 22 teams and our Under 10 Mixed 14 teams and Under 10 Girls consisting of 4 teams.
Our junior carnivals were once again a huge success.
Back in June we held the Under 10 carnival, thanks to Wesburn, this was a wonderful day Congratulations to Yarra Glen, Seville & Olinda Ferny Creek who won the carnival.
The Under 9 Wayalaks carnival was held on the 14th July, well done to Woori Yallock who hosted this event Congratulations to Emerald Black, Mt Evelyn Rovers & Olinda Ferny Creek who won the carnival, though I feel football was the real winner.
Our Under 12 Girls flourished again this year with 11 teams and including the Under 10 Girls we had nearly 100 girls starting their all-girls football journey The Under 14 & Under 16 girls continued their growth with a slight increase in overall participants.
Season 2024 produced some very competitive games, with us only grading the Under 16 Boys age groups. We had an increase of affiliated teams from 2023 of 7 teams, with our younger age groups leading the way, which bodes well for the future of our competition
Our final series was a huge success, thank you to the following clubs for hosting, Olinda Ferny Creek, Belgrave, Monbulk and especially Seville, who helped out one week at the last moment..
To our Grand Final hosting clubs Wandin & Yarra Junction thank you, you can be so proud of your effort
With the weather fine and sunny our Grand Finals were a spectacle for all who attended or watched live via our Facebook page To the OEFN staff and Board members who helped out over our final series “Thank you” working together produced a quality experience for all.
Congratulations to all our teams this year, our Premiers were:
Our junior competition does not only offer our participants an enjoyable place to play, but also offers a chance for a lot of children to become umpires
Without umpires we would not be able to play, so I would like to congratulate all our junior umpires, who officiated throughout the season.
To our Junior umpire mentor/coach Warwick Marsh, thank you for your effort in leading such a fine group of young boys and girls. Each week during the season we need to fill at least 60 games of junior football. I would like to thank Emily Jose who performs this task magnificently
To all our OEFN staff, OEFN board members and Club Presidents, Thank you for your support during this season.
Our Junior Interleague program which encompasses our Under 12 Development squad was once again well supported by our players, parents and supporters
The Under 12 Hills v Valley game was a good contest which showcased our emerging talent. The skill displayed by our Under 12 Girls playing Upwey Tecoma was amazing Thank you to the Upwey Tecoma Under 12 Girls for helping out The growth and development of our junior female participants has been incredible
Once again this year Brad Bates took up the role of Interleague High-Performance Lead Brads effort, knowledge, and determination to ensure our players had the best and most professional program possible, was a privilege to witness “Thank you” Brad.
To our numerous Interleague coaches and support staff thank you for your commitment to our program
Under 12 Boys Development Valley: Timm Wragg & Hunter Ryan Hills: Tim Francis & Aden Bates
Under 12 Girls Development – Grant Newing & Charlotte Newsome
M A D D Y G O U G H
F O O T B A L L
O P E R A T I O N S A N D
C L U B D E V E L O P M E N T
C O O R D I N A T O R
February 2024 saw my appointment as Football Operations and Club Development Coordinator at OEFN The 2024 season has been an amazing introduction to the Outer East community. The major highlight of my season being meeting and building relationships with all Men’s, Women’s, senior, junior, football, and netball clubs in our region
Thanks to the guidance of CEO Brett Connell, AFL Victoria including Paul Milo, Georgia Case and Beth Cook, and the Club Development Leads across Victoria, OEFN undertook several initiatives throughout 2024 with the aim of increasing the level of support our clubs had access to. Among the initiatives OEFN offered; fortnightly newsletters, junior to senior transition workshops, Club Health Checks, and grant support when required The initiatives listed are just some steps OEFN took to achieve key objectives set out at the beginning of 2024 to support clubs in governance, finance, culture, and planning
OEFN also engaged in two major projects throughout the year; Child Safety and the Women of the Outer East Advisory Committee.
Women of the Outer East Advisory Committee (WOTOE)
2024 saw the addition of eight Women from within the Outer East Community to WOTOE This took the total number of members to 14 Thank you to Lauren Bourke for being the committees chair for 2024 and the rest of the WOTOE committee for their contributions to making OEFN a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment for Women and Girls, Men and Boys, and Non-Binary people
The WOTOE Advisory committee focussed on various initiatives in 2024 including:
Raising the profile of both Netball and Football to ensure OEFN social presence is equitable across all competitions 2024 review of the Leading the Change Gender Equity and Inclusion Plan
Alongside six meetings with the committee, OEFN continued to lead the way in gender equity, hosting the WOTOE committee Networking Lunch with the aim to connect leading women within OEFN and associated communities. With over 130 attendees, the lunch grew significantly compared to 2023 with positive feedback from those who attended. Special thanks to Yarra Valley Water (Bron Morphett) and Eastern Health (Jean Gilespie, Indah Johannes & Casey Dykes) for their continued support of the WOTOE Networking Lunch.
The WOTOE committee look forward to continuing their contributions to gender equity through the rest of 2024, into 2025 and beyond.
2 0 2 4 K E Y I N I T I A T I V E C A L L O U T S
Volunteer Registrations
Senior Football
419 volunteers registered Junior Football
732 Volunteers registered Netball
241 volunteers registered Telstra Football Country Grants
18
Total applications in 2024 $21,966.00
AFL funded OEFN club projects
Club Development Newsletters
14
Newsletters sent to clubs to date.
Toyota Good For Footy Raffle
21 Clubs Registered (+4 from 2023)
Safeguarding Children
100%
Clubs nominated CSO’s
Fair Access Support
4 Fair Access Policies
$30,680.00
Total raised by OEFN clubs
Clubs with a policy 2 Information Sessions
Across 5 LGA’s Working closely with LGA’s to understand what clubs would be required to complete 1st
AFL Women & Girls Community Football Charter
Metro competition in Victoria to complete the Action Plan and become signatories
T
R I B U N A L R E P O R T
2024 saw Outer East Football Netball fully adopt the AFL’s National Community Football Policy Handbook A key section of this adoption related to all disciplinary matters and involved several alterations to the processes relating to match day reports and early guilty plea offers.
As an introductory year to these altered processes, additional time was spent on education for staff, tribunal members, umpires, and club advocates alike and will continue into the 2025 season as these processes evolve.
A key change to the policy being the addition of the early guilty plea offerings contributed to a decrease number of tribunal cases from 36 in 2023 to 25 in 2024. Additionally the number of reports which required a tribunal hearing decreased from 52% in 2023 to 8% in 2024. *add early guilty plea number accepted* “of that number” *number of reprimands accepted*
Reporting systems used prior to 2024, low level offences such as wrestling, melees, attempting to strike, or disputing an umpires decision, etc would have led to a minimum sanction of one week, the club disputing the report at the tribunal, or no sanction at all for poor behaviour that constitutes a reportable offence
Despite the increases in Notices of Charge for low level offences, OEFN believe the increase in reporting and disciplinary action will ensure our competition remains a safe environment for all to participate in
OEFN would like to thank and acknowledge the efforts of Mrs Kelly Christie, Mr. Greg Black and Mr. Craig West in their roles as Chair of the tribunal and also thank the efforts of tribunal members, Mr. Fury Di Petro, Mr. Harold Bromley, Mr. Mark Seamer, Mr. Peter Molloy, Mr. Mick Huistnveld, Mr. Bruce Caldwell, Mr. Tony Robertson & Mr. Dean Stuhldreier for giving up their time volunteering when required Thank you also to our acting disciplinary officers for 2024 Mr Joel Gibbons & Mr Paul Chaproniere, and the Appeals panel of Mr Matt Tippett and Mr Russell Church Finally, we would like to acknowledge our investigators Mr Mark Fitt and Mr John Bergin
S T E P H
A R K A S
A A N D
This season has passed by very quickly, but I’ve really enjoyed my first season with OEFN A new role to the OEFN team for season 2024, it’s been lovely to get out and meet our clubs, volunteers and community, to test the waters with new ideas and innovations across our social media platforms, and to get to know our competition and the landscape
A key focus for our media was storytelling - making sure we highlight the people who keep our competition running and flourishing, as well as our players and their achievements
Further to this, I also worked closely with our Football Operations & Club Development Coordinator Maddy Gough to ensure opportunities for our clubs such as funding and grants, admin support and events were highly publicised to give our community the best chance to participate in, and benefit from these initiatives
I’ve been very privileged to meet and lead a great team this season made up of our media volunteers in Aidan & Trent (commentators) and Beth (photography), as well as working closely with our great partners Game Face (Glenn, Josh, Al & Luke) in elevating our live streams, match footage & the OEFN Show, and I thank them immensely for their work and support this season I would also like to thank everyone who embraced the media arm this year and was a special guest on the OEFN Show or participated in a pre or post match interview! To our CEO Brett Connell and Operations Manager Cam Hutchison, thank you for allowing me to try new ideas and push the boundaries creatively, and thank you to the OEFN board for their ongoing support
It has also been a pleasure working with all our partners and sponsors in 2024 and navigating how their brand could become more ingrained in our competition in future to support our competition and clubs. I would like to thank all our partners and suppliers for their support of our competition this year and look forward to our continued relationships
In the off season, I will be working on another facet of my role in supporting our competition through commercial partnerships. It’s an exciting time to be pitching to sponsors with the growth in our competition, particularly in the women & girls space and media space As I began at OEFN right on the precipice of Round 1, I am also looking forward to having my first off season to plan, prepare and ideate for Season 2025 - it will be great to have that time to explore new opportunities for the media and sponsorships space and head into a season with a well thought out plan
Last but not least, I would like to thank the entire OEFN team - Brett, Cam, Andy, Matt, Sheryn, Maddy & Aaron. I was so warmly welcomed when I joined the team, and it has been an absolute pleasure working alongside a team who so strongly support each other and are passionate about what they do - it makes coming into work exciting, inspiring and enjoyable
I am nothing but excited for Season 2025 and all the possibilities it brings, and I am looking forward to continuing to evolve the media and partnerships landscapes into 2025 and beyond
O E F N S H O W
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U M P I R I N G
Season 2024 was one full of positives on the umpiring scene We had an overall increase in our numbers from 171 in 2023 to 216 in 2024 and also increased our participation within the Female umpiring space from 21 in 2023 to 30 in 2024.
The introduction of two Women & Girls liaison officer, namely Taylah and Georgia Priestley, who did an outstanding job at making our new Female members feel welcome and inclusive to our environment This role was partly funded by AFL Vic and we appreciate their support in assisting with recruitment and retention within this space. We look forward to Taylah and Georgia continuing in this role in 2025
AFL Field Umpire, Matthew Young, volunteered his time to be our Umpiring Ambassador for the 2024 season Matthew assisted with training and coaching sessions during the season whilst providing feedback to some of our younger and developing umpires. Matthew became one of us, and every umpire appreciated the effort and time that he put into the role We look forward to Matthew continuing in the role next season and thank him and the AFL umpiring department for permitting Matthew to perform this role for our group.
We had five of our young and talented umpires be part of the V/line Umpiring Academy where they received coaching and feedback from VFL state league coaches during the season. They also attended the V/line Carnival held at Ballarat in September with the opportunity to advance to VFL panels in 2025
Congratulations to the following umpires for being part of the V/line Umpiring Academy - Francis Nickell (Field), Samantha Price (Field), Lucas McIntosh (Boundary), Nathaniel De Lorenzo (Boundary) and Kaitlyn Malcolm-May (Goal) We look forward to seeing them develop their skills further and progress to the VFL and beyond into the future
Congratulations to all umpires who participated in finals this season and in particular umpires who were appointed to officiate our Senior Grand Finals in Premier and Division One
There are a number of parties who need to be thanked for their continued support of umpiring and our umpiring group.
To the board of Outer East FN led by chairman Tony Mitchell, thank you for your continued support of umpiring and our umpires To CEO and staff of Outer East FN led by Brett Connell, thank you for your support and assistance to all umpires throughout the season
To YRUA and President Peter Dixon – your passion and commitment in supporting our umpires both on and off field is greatly appreciated by all umpires. The AFL Victoria Umpiring team led by David Harris and Leigh Buwalda, we thank you for your assistance in providing programs and support to all umpiring groups We look forward to your continued support going forward into 2025
To our coaching staff of Ken Taylor, Mark Mounsey, Bob Allen, Brendan Small, Daniel Molino, Scott Rainey and Nelson Tucker – thank you for your commitment and dedication in mentoring our umpiring group this season and I look forward to working with you all again in 2025 and beyond
To our Junior coaching staff led by Warwick Marsh, thank you for all your efforts in mentoring our Junior umpiring this season We look forward to seeing more juniors come through our junior programs in the coming years.
And finally, to all our umpires and their families, we thank you for your commitment to umpiring within the Outer East FN The commitment you have made to ensure that all games are played in a safe and fair manner is fantastic We hope you have had an enjoyable season and return next season and beyond
In closing and on behalf of all the umpiring group, I would like to thank all the clubs for their support of umpiring and for assisting in creating the right environment for all participants to enjoy our great game of Australian Rules football
I wish all a great off season and look forward to seeing you all in 2025
216 Total Running Umpires in 2025
4x School-Based Umpire Academies Completed
6,558 Senior & Junior Football Umpire B&F Votes 1x Umpire Handbook Developed
U M P I R E O P E R A T I O N S
& C O M P E T I T I O N S
C O O R D I N A T O R
And just like that - here we are reviewing 2024! This season was the first full year I was involved with on a full-time basis, and I’ve enjoyed every moment Experiencing all the Outer East Football Netball has to offer across all the events, functions, finals, workshops and information sessions on top of delivering a successful season of Football and Netball was awesome It highlighted to me what a great community we have within the OEFN, and showcased all the best the OEFN has to offer
A big focus across umpiring this year was recruitment. Increasing umpire numbers from 2023 was imperative Working closely with AFL Vic’s Umpiring and Women & Girls departments, plus increased advertisement, was crucial in seeing strong growth in our numbers The school academies were big wins, with lots of new umpires coming on board, so targeting more schools will be a focal point leading into next season to ensure we see similar outcomes
Leaning on AFL Vic and involving ourselves in multiple initiatives and programs was the catalyst for major growth of our umpire numbers, resulting in 216 running umpires for season 2024, which was awesome.
We saw benefits as a result of this recruiting, with more games getting filled each week, new faces coming into the group, and a major highlight being our Women & Girls umpire numbers increasing greatly Trialling a clubbased academy at Healesville FNC to allow more umpires to attend training produced mixed results, but I thank Healesville FNC for their support with this and lending their facilities. A massive thank you to Emerald FNC for again providing their facilities for us to use as our umpire base - we really value and appreciate it
Successful school-based academies were run at Billanook College, Upper Yarra Secondary College, Beaconhills College and Mount Evelyn Christian School. These academies saw us gain new umpires to our group, and we look forward to targeting more schools in the future to further this growth. Thank you to Maddy Lum for running these sessions, and thank you to each of the before-mentioned schools for their involvement
Working alongside Matt and Andy in the Netball and Junior Football space this year has been great Being involved with them across Association Championships, Junior Interleague and other administrative tasks has, and will, allow me to develop myself within the OEFN. Most importantly, I’m on hand to give them both assistance to grow and enhance their respective competitions for 2025 and beyond
I want to thank the Board for their support and their commitment to umpiring A big thank you to Director of Umpiring Jason McNiece for his support to myself throughout the year. A further thanks to Jason and his coaches and their management of the umpire group throughout the year. Thanks also to our Female Umpire Liaison Officers Georgia and Taylah for their support and guidance work with all the Women + Girls Your presence has been a massive reason for the recruitment and retention of Women + Girls in our group
A big thank you to our Junior Umpire Coach Warwick Marsh and his assistants for another great Junior umpire season. A massive thank you also to Emily Jose who seamlessly does all the Junior appointments each week - this is greatly appreciated and your effort and commitment to this task doesn't go unnoticed.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I want to thank my fellow OEFN admin team, lead expertly by Brett and Cam It is a joy to work with you all and I’m very lucky to be part of a fun, tight-knit, knowledgeable, dedicated and hardworking team and I’m looking forward to what 2025 brings.
The OEFN had five (5) umpires get selected for the V-Line cup in late September Umpires are nominated by our group, then invited to monthly state league training sessions, before then transitioning to the V-Line Cup where match day coaching and intensive development take place, with feedback provided on performance. A big congratulations to Sam Price (Field), Francis Nickell (Field), Lucas McIntosh (Boundary), Nathaniel De Lorenzo (Boundary) and Kaitlyn Malcolm-May (Goal) on getting selected to this program It’s a massive achievement and a great reward for an exceptional season Let’s hope one or more progress to the VFL program.
Congratulations to all umpires who umpired Junior and Senior finals
A further congratulations to all the Grand Final umpires across all disciplines in both Juniors and Seniors - this is something you should be very proud of All the cold training nights and match days in the winter months paid off. Special Congratulations to Tom Hill and Ollie Jessop, who were our youngest ever Senior GF Field umpires in Division One and Premier respectively Amazing achievement
This year saw our umpire group be lucky enough to have AFL umpires Matt Young (Field) and Simon Plumridge (Goal) attend our training sessions at Emerald Simon attended multiple times, and shared lots of valuable information with our goalies, who I’m sure learnt lots. Matt was present at majority of our trainings, and provided a valuable expereince for all the field umpires in attendance each week I’d like to thank both Simon and Matt for their time, commitment and effort in teaching and educating our umpires with training throughout the year
Goal Umpire of the Year: Andrew Marshall
Boundary Umpire of the Year: Lucas McIntosh
Field Umpire of the Year: Francis Nickell
John Edwards Medal: Francis Nickell
We had great growth in our umpire numbers this year Total umpire numbers were up 42% on 2023, while Women & Girls increased a massive 43% We are proud of these numbers, and the work we are doing hopefully sees this trend continue for 2025 and beyond.
To the YRUA and Peter Dixon, thanks for another season The OEFN & YRUA have a strong relationship, and we are looking forward to continuing this
The Outside the Locker Room mental health session this year was valuable for our group to be involved in and showed the commitment to the group in an important space I’m looking forward to more events and sessions in 2025 that enhance and make our umpire group an awesome place to be part of
Congratulations to all of the umpire award winners for 2024 Selected by the coaching staff, the above umpires demonstrated commitment, desire to improve their game and effort all year in there respective discipline
2024 saw the introduction of an umpire handbook. This handbook was developed to be an information tool for all our umpires, housing details of everything that umpires need to know, and it will continue prove to be a valuable resource for our group
