Beyond the Boundary #Issue 23

sammonaghan
May 13
2 min read

Celebrating Regional Women in Sport + Community Updates

Last Friday, the first-ever Regional Women in Sport Luncheon was held at the beautiful Fowles Wine in Avenel — and what a day it was!

The luncheon is part of the Regional Women’s and Girls Action Plan, which aims to celebrate and empower women and girls in our football and netball communities. A huge thank you to Sarah Burt for doing a fantastic job hosting and guiding us through the stories shared by our guest speakers:

Debbie Lee (AFL trailblazer)
Andrea Pearman (CEO, Netball Victoria)
Olivia Ross (GM, Rossiter Constructions)
Amelia Glazebrook (Owner & Director, MBCM Strata Specialists)

The event was well-supported by attendees from affiliated clubs, leagues, corporate partners, AFL, and local government. Special thanks to New Balance, Greater Shepparton City Council, AFL Victoria, and AFL Goulburn Murray for helping make it all possible.

Massive shout out to Sammi Monaghan, Josephine Spencer, Sam Heron, and Jo Backway — your work behind the scenes made the day a huge success!

Last night, AFL Goulburn Murray held its Annual General Meeting for the 2024 financial year.

Commission Chair Quentin thanked clubs and leagues for their ongoing support and engagement with regional initiatives. He also highlighted the Commission continues to build strong relationships with all regional stakeholder, and also noted the relationship with AFL Victoria and the AFL has never been stronger ensuring continued advocacy for our region.

Three Commissioners who had been filling casual vacancies were formally appointed:

Geraldine Christou
David Roff
Kristin Favaloro

We also said a heartfelt thank you to outgoing Commissioner Chris Thomas, whose incredible service spans over 25 years. Chris has been a driving force behind the growth of junior and female football across the Goulburn Murray and has contributed at club, league, and regional levels.

Among many honours, Chris holds Life Memberships with the Shepparton & District Junior Football League and Echuca Junior Football Club, and was awarded the AFL Victoria Merit Award in 2006 for his outstanding service to football.

Chris, thank you for your unwavering dedication to the game. You’ve left a lasting legacy, enjoy your retirement Chris.

What’s Coming Up in the Region?

📅 May 17 – Love the Game Round

📅 May 19–23 – National Volunteer Week

📅 May 26 - June 1 – Big Freeze 11 Community Round

📅 May 31 – WorkSafe Country Club Game (Kyabram v Shepparton)

📅 June 13-15 – Spirit of Footy Round (Juniors)

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly to me.

Shaun Connell

AFL Victoria Regional Manager - Goulburn Murray

We’re Here to Help!

Our team is on hand to support you across all areas:

Governance, Strategy, Facilities, Partnerships & Governance – Shaun Connell

Participation Team – Kevin Monaghan & Mel Saunders

Club Development & Experience – Sam Monaghan

Operational Support – Jo Spencer, Brad Noonan (GVL), Michael Houston (KDL), Connor Noakes (GMJ), Sam Heron (GMW&G), Jo Backway, Michelle Adams and Dale Norman (MFL)