The 2026 Read The Play Round has been cast as a success by all twelve of our member clubs. Our league was proud to champion Read the Play Round. Read the Play Round is an annual initiative across, Geelong and District Football Netball League and AFL Barwon clubs, dedicated to shining a light on youth mental health in local sport.
Why does it matter?
The young people playing in our competitions every weekend are part of a generation under significant pressure.
● Nearly 1 in 2 young Australians (49%) currently report high or very high psychological distress.
● Around 2 in 5 young people aged 16 to 24 experience a mental disorder in any 12 month period.
● Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people worldwide.
These are not abstract statistics. These are the young people on your team, on your sideline and in your club.
What is Read the Play?
Read the Play delivers free mental health education to young people aged 12 to 18 through their local sporting club. For 20 years, Read the Play has supported more than 30,000 young people across the Barwon region, teaching mental health literacy, reducing stigma and helping young people know where to turn when they need support.
Read the Play programs are always completely free for clubs, but keeping them free takes community support.
