The Ballarat Football Netball League is pleased to announce the appointed coaches for the 2026 Interleague representative program.
Under 15 Girls – Cam Bennett & Alex Oldaker
Cam Bennett has coached the East Point Dragons U14 program across 2024–2025 and led the 2025 U14 Girls Interleague side. He also served as an assistant with the GWV Rebels U15 V/Line Cup program and in 2026 will step into the East Point U16 Girls head coach role while continuing to assist the GWV Rebels. Cam brings strong pathway and talent development experience.
Alex Oldaker was assistant coach of the 2025 U16 Girls Interleague team and previously coached the Ballarat Swans U12 Girls in 2024. She has also coached school football at Ballarat High and is building further pathway experience through involvement with the GWV Rebels U16 program.
Under 18 Girls – Tim Meaney
Tim Meaney is the Senior Women’s Coach and Female Football Director of Coaching at the Redan Football Club. He has extensive experience across junior and senior programs over two decades, including interleague support roles and a strong history in player development, mentoring and female football pathways.
Women – Danyel Waters
Danyel Waters is the newly appointed Senior Women’s Coach at the Darley FNC in 2026 and an assistant coach with the Calder Cannons U16 Girls. She previously coached in the Coates Talent League U18 Girls program, led the Essendon Pathways Academy, and coached multiple EDFL interleague teams. Danyel brings elite pathway experience and a proven record in developing talented female footballers.
Under 13 Boys – Adam Ridley
Adam Ridley has coached junior football in Ballarat for six years, leading premiership teams in 2024 and 2025 (U13 and U14). He also has three years’ experience as a senior assistant coach and will continue in that role in 2026. Adam is known for building strong team environments and consistent on-field success.
Under 14 Boys – Justin Watkins
Justin Watkins has coached with the Darley Junior Football Club since 2016, working across all age groups from U10 to U16. In 2025 he was head coach of the BFL U13 Boys Interleague team. Justin offers broad junior development experience and a strong understanding of the local talent pool.
Under 15 Boys – Aaron Harnden
Aaron Harnden is the 2026 Bacchus Marsh U14 Senior Coach after leading the U14 Reserves in 2025, and served as assistant coach of the 2025 BFNL U15 Interleague team. He is a player-centred coach focused on adaptability, role education and high-performance standards, with strong experience in both development and representative football environments.
Under 17 Boys – Scott Petrie
Scott Petrie returns as Under 17 Interleague Coach for 2026, continuing his strong involvement in the BFNL representative pathway. He previously served as an Assistant Coach with the AFL Goldfields Academy from 2019–2021 and has coached progressively through the BFNL interleague age groups since starting at Under 13 level in 2021. Scott has led the Under 17 program for the past two seasons and is recognised for his focus on player development, game education and building a strong team-first culture.
The BFNL is excited to deliver the 2026 Interleague program as a key performance pathway for local footballers, providing selected players with the opportunity to represent the league and showcase their talent in a high-performance environment.
Player nominations via their home clubs will open shortly, with invited athletes to attend squad training.
Training is scheduled to commence across March and April for those selected in initial squads.
Successful players will represent the BFNL on the following dates.
Saturday 23 May
Under 17 Boys & Under 18 Girls
Saturday 4 July
Under 13, Under 14 & Under 15 Boys, Under 15 Girls, Under 18 Girls & Women
