The Bendigo Football Netball League (BFNL) is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruby Barkmeyer as the Head Coach of the BFNL 17 & Under Representative Netball team for 2027.
Fresh off a 2026 A-Grade Premiership and her maiden Betty Thompson Medal, Barkmeyer brings an impressive playing pedigree and wealth of high-level experience to the role, having been a member of the Melbourne Vixens squad from 2020 to 2024.
Since returning to Bendigo in 2025, Ruby has quickly re-established herself as one of the region’s leading netballers playing a significant role in Kangaroo Flats back-to-back A-Grade premierships in 2025 & 2026 and was a key player in the Bendigo Strikers 2026 Finals campaign. Ruby is also the current coach of the Kangaroo Flat 17 & Under team.
Less than a fortnight ago, Ruby claimed her first Betty Thompson Medal as A-Grade League Best & Fairest, after a stellar season for Kangaroo Flat’s formidable A-Grade team.
BFNL Manager Tom King said Ruby’s appointment was an exciting opportunity for the League’s emerging netballers.
“Ruby brings an outstanding level of experience to this role. Her time within the Melbourne Vixens environment has given her exposure to elite standards of netball and player development.
“Since returning to Bendigo, she has made an immediate impact, both at Kangaroo Flat and the Bendigo Strikers. To have someone of Ruby’s calibre now working with our 17 & Under players is a fantastic opportunity for the young athletes coming through our League.
“We are really looking forward to seeing Ruby put her experience into coaching and helping our next generation of representative players develop both on and off the court.”
The BFNL extends its sincere thanks to Sharni McPherson and Nikki Donnellon, who will step away from the 17 & Under program following five seasons as co-coaches.
Sharni and Nikki have made a significant contribution to the development of the BFNL’s 17 & Under representative program during their five-year tenure, providing countless hours of their time and helping create valuable representative opportunities for young netballers across the League.
“Sharni and Nikki deserve enormous credit for the contribution they have made over the past five seasons,” King said.
“They have been incredibly committed to our 17 & Under program and have played an important role in providing our young players with a quality representative experience.
“On behalf of the BFNL, I want to thank them both for their dedication and wish them all the very best for their coaching future.”
The appointment of Barkmeyer fills the final available Head Coach role for the five BFNL representative teams with Lauren Bowles & Jayden Cowling (Open Netball), Simon Rosa (Senior Football), Jason Stevens (Under 18’s Football) and Steph Freemantle (15 & Under Netball) all appointed in the latter stages of the 2026 season.
All five appointments are a key part of the BFNL's continued commitment to providing strong representative pathways and development opportunities for young netballers and footballers across its member clubs.
Further announcements regarding trial dates and tournament and training schedules will be communicated in later in 2026.
