Beyond the Boundary #Issue 25

sammonaghan
Jun 12
3 min read

It’s been a big fortnight in football. A huge shout-out to everyone involved in the Junior Interleague Challenge last weekend, hosted by the Rochester Junior Football Club. The Goulburn Murray region was proudly represented by more than 192 participants from both the Goulburn Murray Juniors and the Murray League, who competed against the Bendigo Juniors across the U13, U14, U15, and U16 age groups. Be sure to check out the AFLGM socials for full match details and the match day digital record.

This weekend marks the Spirit of Football Round, and we thank all clubs across the region for supporting the key messaging around positive coaching and creating welcoming match day environments. Special thanks to the clubs from the Southern Goulburn Murray region who attended the Positive Coaching session held at Seymour FNC last week.

It was, however, disappointing to see a lack of registrations for the Echuca and Shepparton sessions, which unfortunately resulted in their cancellation. These sessions are fully funded through AFL Victoria and AFL and are delivered at no cost to coaches in our region. If you have any feedback on how AFLGM can improve the delivery of these opportunities, please contact your relevant league operations manager.

Earlier this week, Head of AFL Victoria Greg Madigan and Growth Manager Jack Henty visited the region. While here, they met with the AFL Goulburn Murray Commission and held separate catch-ups with MFL President Julie Walsh and Chris Drum, concluding with a meeting with GVL Chair Peter Foott. Discussions focused on current challenges and strategic planning priorities for 2026 and building strong

On a regional level, we’ve commenced the Southern Goulburn Murray Junior Football Consultation Project, an extension of post-2024 season club consultations. This project will inform the development of a future strategy to build club capacity and support the delivery of a strong and vibrant junior football program across the southern region of AFL Goulburn Murray. We expect to complete this work by mid to late August. Check out the AFLGM website for more information on the scope of the project.

Senior Clubs will have received their Mid-Season compliance report by the end of this week. An External Compliance Officer completes the reports and contain identified anomalies that need to be remedied within the specified time identified in the Communication. Clubs are encouraged to work with their League Manager or e-mail Regional Head of Operations Jo Spencer or Region Manager for assistance.

Finally, don’t forget to take the opportunity to recognise the outstanding people in your club through the 2025 AFL Merit Awards and 2025 AFL Toyota National Volunteer Awards. All relevant links are available in this newsletter.

Have a great weekend!

What’s Coming Up in the Region?

📅 June 9-15 – Men's Health Week

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

📅 July 6-13 – NAIDOC Week

📅 July 25-27 – TAC Road Safety Round

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)