Now we are past the halfway mark of the season for all three local leagues in our region, and for most clubs, even those in finals contention, planning for 2027 is well underway.
Several already have their respective coaches on deals covering 2027 and beyond, while others are yet to settle on what next year looks like.
We’ve asked the questions of those in the know, and this is what we’ve come up with.
Anakie
Jayke Mawson was announced as re-signing for 2027 last week. The first coach to take the Roos to finals since the turn of the century last year, he has been in charge at DeMotts Road since the start of the 2024 season. However, last year’s heroics are unlikely to be repeated. Anakie sits four games and a large chunk of percentage behind fifth place with seven rounds to play.
Anglesea
Reigning Bellarine premiership coach Jordan Keras is currently in talks with the Roos’ hierarchy about a contract extension. The one-time NEAFL MVP and former Werribee, Footscray and Geelong VFL player is closing in on 100 matches in charge after taking the role in 2022. A first grand final in 25 years in 2024 was followed by a drought-breaking flag last season.
Bannockburn
Club great Ron Pilgrim has told K rock Football that he is undecided about whether he will seek another year in the role. Pilgrim is five years into his third stint in charge at Victoria Park, having previously held the position in 2007 with Dan Gibbs and in 2010-11 with Ross Dillon.
Barwon Heads
Early indications are that the Sam Schaller and Damian McMahon partnership will continue into 2027. Schaller has been in charge either in a duo or solo since 2023, with former St Mary’s star McMahon stepping up to share the role after being an assistant last year in his first season since crossing from Anthony Costa Oval.
Bell Park
In charge since 2023, James Saker has one year remaining on a three-year contract announced during the 2024 season. The Dragons, who sit fifth on the ladder, but only a win behind second-placed Newtown & Chilwell, have been knocked out of the premiership race at the elimination final stage the past two years.
Bell Post Hill
TBC
Belmont Lions
Brent Vermeulen and Andy Walsgott re-signed late in the 2025 season for a further two years. The duo has been in charge since 2023, leading the Lions to the decider in their second year in charge before falling to a rampaging Thomson. Sitting 3rd on the GDFNL ladder with an 8-3 win-loss record, the Lions are chasing a third consecutive finals appearance for the first time since the competition returned to a single division in 1996.
Colac
The second-year partnership of Jason Armistead and former St Kilda star Seb Ross is uncontracted for 2027, with discussions about a third season in charge to be held in the coming weeks. The Tigers sit sixth on the GFNL ladder, four points behind Bell Park. Narrow losses to Leopold, St Joseph’s, and, most recently, Newtown & Chilwell have cost Colac a loftier position on the ladder as it marks 25 years in the GFNL.
Corio
Corio co-coaches Adam Bell and Ross Gemmill signed only a one-year deal when they were announced as Joel Bennett’s replacements late last year. It is understood they will discuss their futures with the club in the coming weeks. The Devils have only recorded one victory in 2026, over the winless Geelong West. However, they have shown glimpses of competitiveness against the top half of the ladder.
Drysdale
The long-serving Ben Carmichael is contracted until the end of next year. The two-time premiership Hawk started in the role in 2022 alongside Tom Ruggles before going it alone from 2024. Drysdale has battled injury and unavailability so far this year, with only three wins on the board. Its five-year finals streak will likely come to an end.
East Geelong
Now a non-playing coach, who is in his third year of charge at Richmond Crescent, Ned Aulsebrook is expected to start discussions with East’s powerbrokers later this month about what 2027 looks like. After a grand final loss to North Geelong last year, the Eagles are in a battle to play finals in 2026. They sit fourth on the ladder, one of four clubs with a 7-4 win-loss record.
Geelong Amateur
No word yet on whether Riley Kershaw and Sam Lloyd will continue their partnership into a third season in 2027. The Pegs sit second on the Bellarine ladder as they chase their first premiership since 2016 in what is the club’s 100th anniversary year.
Geelong West (GDFNL)
The winless Giants have officially started the hunt for a replacement for Scott Frangos after parting company with the defender in early May. Former coach Andrew Clark is in the position on a caretaker basis.
Geelong West (GFNL)
Former Leopold assistant coach Chris Browne is in the first season of a three-year deal at Scaada Stadium after replacing the long-serving Greg Mellor. The Giants have shown some promising signs, including pushing finals contenders Colac and South Barwon, but they only have two wins to show for their efforts.
Grovedale
Jacob Spolding was announced to have signed a three-year contract extension early in June. The former Newtown & Chilwell coach and Werribee VFL assistant arrived at Burdoo Reserve ahead of the 2024 season after stints as an assistant with the Tigers and South Barwon post-COVID.
Inverleigh
2023 premiership coach Chris Moore is contracted for 2027. The Hawks haven’t played finals since winning the flag, but remain an outside chance heading into the final third of the GDFNL season.
Leopold
Premiership player Sam Hughes is in the first season of a two-year contract. After an inconsistent first half of the season, the Lions returned from their Round 11 bye with a stunning upset of the previously unbeaten St Mary’s last weekend to remain two wins outside the top five.
Modewarre
In his second stint in charge, this time as a non-playing coach, club great Josh Finch – who, alongside good mate John Meesen, guided the Warriors to their lone Bellarine flag in 2018 – will continue in the role in 2027 at Mt Moriac after signing a two-year deal when he replaced Mark Hovey.
Newcomb
Tony Mirabella told K rock Football following the Power’s loss he was unsure whether he would continue in the role that he’s held since the middle of the 2023 season. “We haven’t even had a conversation about it, Matt (Farrow, president) and I,” Mirabella said. Newcomb sits just outside the top five with a 6-5 win-loss record, the best they have been placed at this stage of the season since last playing finals in 2007, when they won their most recent premiership.
Newtown & Chilwell
A new deal is on the cards for Steve Johnson, who is out of contract at the end of this year. Initial talks have been held, with the finer details, including the length of the deal, to be confirmed in the coming weeks. The Towners appear set for another finals berth after jumping out of the pack in 2025, storming home to beat Colac by two points on Saturday.
North Geelong
North duo Peter Riccardi and Keegan Carr signed a two-year deal when Carr joined the Geelong great in sharing the role at the end of last year. The reigning premier sits on the edge of the top five after last week’s loss to Winchelsea, with injuries – including to star Osca Riccardi – impacting their title defence.
North Shore
It is understood North Shore will revisit its position for 2027 when coach Mark Hounslow’s nine-match suspension concludes in August. Mitch Bone is understood to be the caretaker for the remainder of the season. The Seagulls are winless through the opening 12 rounds, with a 25-point loss to Leopold in Round 10 their best effort.
Ocean Grove
Dave Farrell and Nick Bourke are out of contract at Ray Menzies Oval. Farrell said following the Battle of the Bridge loss to Barwon Heads on June 13 that he and Bourke would be comfortable with whatever decision the Grubbers made. “If we’re the right guys to go forward with, then absolutely (we’ll go on),” Farrell said. “And if we’re not, then we’ll be the biggest supporters and hopefully still be able to play a role around the place.”
Portarlington
Former Leopold star Sam Scott is in the first year of a three-year contract at Sproat Street. The Demons have won five matches and remain an outside chance of playing finals for the first time since 1994. However, narrow losses to Surf Coast and Ocean Grove might come back to bite them on the backside.
Queenscliff
In his second stint at the Couta Bowl after delivering the club’s first premiership in 36 years in 2011, Heath Jamieson is contracted until the end of 2028. Queenscliff is well-positioned to end a 13-year flag drought, sitting atop the Bellarine ladder entering the league-wide bye.
South Barwon
Mark Neeld was announced late last month as re-signing a three-year contract. Linked to a return to Ocean Grove, who he led to four premierships from 2000-03, Neeld will remain in the job he’s held since 2023 until at least the end of 2029, which will make him South’s longest-serving coach. After missing the finals in 2025, the Swans sit third on the GFNL ladder, equal with second-placed Newtown & Chilwell, who have played one less match, and St Joseph’s, who have played one more.
St Albans
Rick Munn signed a three-year deal when appointed, which runs out at the end of next year. Despite only two wins so far in 2026, down from six last year, it is understood the Supersaints are keen to extend his tenure into 2028.
St Joseph’s
The Ron Watt and James Gow partnership has defied external expectations of a slide by Joeys, leaving it well-placed for another finals berth after losing nearly half of its 2025 grand final team. Watt, the second-most experienced coach in GFNL history, has been at Plan Group Oval since 2023, with star midfielder Gow stepping up this year to share the role. Discussions about what 2027 will look like will commence in the next fortnight.
St Mary’s
After masterminding the Saints’ run to a premiership from an elimination final in their first year together in 2025, the Ben Boseley and Luke Rayner combination is yet to commit beyond 2026. It is understood discussions will ramp up when Rayner returns from a mid-season trio to Europe.
Surf Coast Suns
Appointed as the Suns’ inaugural senior coach in late 2024, Trent Rogers is contracted until the end of 2028. As expected, Surf Coast has struggled in its first season in the Bellarine, with its Round 2 win over Portarlington its lone victory. However, there is reason for optimism, with several junior products getting a chance at senior level.
Thomson
In his fourth season in charge, 2024 premiership-winning mentor Paul Lynch is out of contract at the end of this year. 2026 has been a struggle for the Tigers following the departure of several key players and injuries to those stars that remained in the first half of the season.
Torquay
The only man to coach 200 Bellarine league matches, Dom Gleeson, is out of contract for 2027. The three-time premiership mentor is expected to begin talks with the Tigers’ executive in the coming weeks. Torquay has only missed the finals once since Gleeson took the role in 2015 and will feature in the flag race again this year.
Werribee Centrals
Uncontracted for 2027, Rhyce Prismall has the Centurions unbeaten, three games clear on top of the GDFNL ladder, as they chase their first premiership since 2004. Prismall, who retired as a player at the end of last year, has been at Galvin Park since 2020, initially sharing the role with Nick Smith before going solo in 2022.
Winchelsea
After signing an initial one-season deal ahead of the 2025 season, former VFL, St Joseph’s and St Mary’s star Ben Moloney inked a two-year extension during last year. The Blues are well-placed for their first finals berth since 2014, sitting second on the ladder with an 8-3 record in the club’s 150th anniversary year.
X: @krockfootball
