AFL Barwon is searching for a new Region General Manager following the resignation of Ed Wilson after nearly three years in the role.
Wilson, who will step down on March 26, has accepted a role as CEO of Motorcycling Victoria.
He joined AFL Barwon in June 2022 after previous RGM Bruce Harwood sensationally resigned less than six months into the role.
“Edward has been a dedicated leader who has significantly contributed to the ongoing success of our region,” AFL Barwon chair Michelle Gerdtz said.
“His vision and commitment to community football and netball have left a lasting impact, and we sincerely thank him for his efforts.”
During his tenure, Wilson helped guide AFL Barwon through some turbulent waters post-Covid, driving the restructure of local football and netball that has resulted in a non-mandatory promotion-relegation between the Geelong and Bellarine leagues and the planned entry of the Surf Coast Suns to the BFNL in 2026.
He also guided the development of the AFL Barwon Strategy 2023-25 and helped bring the GFNL grand final back to Kardinia Park for the first time in five years in 2024.
AFL Barwon will work with AFL Victoria to appoint Wilson’s replacement.
“PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT”
Outgoing AFL Barwon Region General Manager Ed Wilson is confident he is leaving the organisation in better shape than he found it after announcing his departure from the role.
Wilson will finish his almost three years in local football and netball’s top job on the eve of the 2025 season to join Motorcycling Victoria as CEO.
“I sit back and look at not only just a Strategic Plan, (but) what was devised out of the Future of Football and Netball projects, looking at the women and girls space at the moment, and significant changes that have taken two years when it comes to day of play, rejigging of senior divisions,” he said.
“Combine that then with the way that we’ve expanded partnerships, including the strategic partnership with the Geelong Football Club, they are all things I that look back upon internally and go, “I’m really proud to have been part of it.”
Wilson says it will now be up to his replacement and the current AFL Barwon team to continue to take the organisation forward.
He is confident promotion-relegation can work in the region.
“I think what those conversations and those discussions have done, is it’s opened up a lot of our community to thinking about what the future could look like,” he said.
“The project itself was never meant to be a silver bullet to resolve equalisation challenges but what we’ve seen in terms of what was achieved throughout (20)23 into (20)24 was a raft of changes that only just started what the future could look like, and what I mean by that is making sure that all clubs are supported.
“We can have greater equalisation in our competitions, and that across male and female junior and senior football and netball, we really have a positive future.
“We’re fortunate we’re in a growth corridor, but there are parts of our region that are challenged in terms of their socio-economic profile.
“We can’t treat them all the same, and that’s a lot of what the project was about – was the future.”
@krockfootball
