Vale Lawrie Barnett OAM

The YJFL is saddened to learn of the recent passing of YJFL Life Member and Umpire Lawrie Barnett OAM.

Lawrie has had a long association with junior football. From 1980-1982 he coordinated the Doncaster Primary School Saturday morning football skills clinics now known as Auskick.

From1981-1996 he was Match Manager for Fitzroy Lions Little League at VFL/AFL venues. From 1997-2019 he was Match Manager/Coordinator for Adelaide Crows and other AFL Clubs, from 1982-1987 he was manager for East Doncaster Junior teams and from 1988-1993 coached East Doncaster and Beverley Hills Junior Football Club teams.

1990 - 2004 Lawrie coached several Interleague and Victorian Metropolitan teams including taking 3 teams to play in Nauru in 1995, 1998 and 2000, and 1 team to Alice Springs in 2001. He coached the VFA under 12 representative teams from 1990 – 1995 and was Assistant coach for the Under 14 Schoolboys Teams at Oakleigh Chargers, Eastern Ranges and Dandenong Stingrays from 1996 – 2000. He has also been an organiser of the YJFL Under 8 and Under 9 days for 24 years.

Lawrie also umpired in the Doncaster Junior Football League and then the Yarra Junior Football League for nearly 40 years. Lawrie was still umpiring junior games for the Yarra Junior Football League in 2025, having umpired over 1500 games during a 37 year period beginning in 1989. Through his printing business he has also been a long term sponsor of the YJFL.

The remarkable service Lawrie has provided to junior football resulted in Lawrie being granted Life Membership of the Yarra Junior Football League and the Yarra Junior Umpires Association.