Recently, ADG held its annual general meeting which saw the election of two new Board members, Mark Donnelly and Mathew Wallis. Today we would like to take some time to introduce ADG’s new Secretary for 2026, Mark Donnelly, who has kindly shared a little about himself and his background.

My name is Mark Donnelly, and it’s a privilege to step into the role of Secretary for the Australian Disc Golf Association. My journey with flying disc sports began back in 2008, when I stumbled into the Brisbane Mixed Ultimate League by pure chance. That moment changed everything for me. A special shout-out to Scott from Denver (now Adelaide)—mate, if you’re reading this, thank you for opening the door to this incredible sport all those years ago.

Over the years, I’ve had the joy of playing in several national tournaments (ultimate) and contributing to the growth of disc golf in a variety of settings. Most recently, I’ve been involved in helping establish disc golf within the Queensland Police Service Police and Emergency Services Games, a project I’m extremely proud of. Before that, during my time living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, I played an active role in growing disc golf and flying disc sports in Mongolia.

With experience serving in secretariat roles across multiple associations, I’m excited to bring that background into this position and support the continued development, governance, and professionalism of our national community.

Outside of disc golf, I’m a proud father of seven, living in Brisbane, Queensland. Above all else, what keeps me inspired in this sport is simple: our people. The spirit, inclusiveness, and passion within the disc golf community are its greatest assets, and I’m honoured to contribute to its future.

I look forward to serving our members and supporting the growth of disc golf across Australia.

I’m sure you’ll join ADG in welcoming Mark as we look forward to the year ahead in disc golf in Australia. Watch this space to welcome Mat Wallis next, who has volunteered as the ADG State Representative Liaison on the Board for 2026.

The ADGTour 2026 is just around the corner.

The ADG Tournament Committee has now finalised the ADG Tournament Directors Guide for the 2026 tour year with several important changes.

By far the most significant change is the inclusion of the MP50 and FP50 divisions as ADGTour divisions for the first time.

ADG receives many requests to add additional divisions to the tour each year. After reviewing the number of qualifying players, ratings distributions of players and likely effects on other divisions we have concluded that MP50 and FP50 have the greatest potential for participation in 2026.

We also believe offering these divisions will improve the competitiveness of the existing MA50 and FA50 divisions by providing a pathway for higher rated players currently in those divisions to level up.

As part of our review we additionally modelled the inclusion of MA60 and FA60 as this has been another division we have seen demand for. While we understand there are many players who would like to see this division included as well, the number of qualifying players and likely level of participation were not as strong as what we saw for MP50 and FP50.

Of course as always if a division, which is not considered an underserved division, has less than four registered players it may not run and players will be relocated to the next divisions they qualify to play in with the ability to keep their tour points in the division they originally registered in.

To assist event organisers with managing potential extra costs associated with offering two additional divisions, ADG has also updated the trophy requirement for ADGTour Major events to require trophies for all division winners rather than 1st – 3rd place. We believe overall this will result in lower event costs and allow organisers to use their available funds where it will make the most difference to players.

We will be continuing to review participation levels and feedback during the 2026 tour year to plan out any further changes for 2027.

There are quite a few other smaller changes for the 2026 tour. The updated ADG Tournament Directors Guide for 2026 is available here:

Tournament Directors Guide

Appendix A at the end of the page lists all of the changes which have been made for 2026 and we encourage both players and organisers to review them before the start of the tour year.

Happy ADGTouring!

The Australian Disc Golf community has wrapped up another outstanding year, and ADG is thrilled to announce the 2025 Tour and Community Award winners who have made this season truly memorable.

Female Division Champions

Clare (Huss) Hussey dominated the FPO Division with a series of impressive performances throughout the season. Her consistency and skill earned her the top honour in women’s professional disc golf.

Speaking about her victory, Huss shared: “I really enjoyed playing in the events that contributed to the tour win. It’s a bonus getting recognition for performance too.”

Female Division Winners:

• FA1: Claire Bruton
• FA40: Carol Hartley
• FA50: Janet Cartwright
• FP40: Sue Summers
• FA2: Jasmin Barr
• FA3: Krystal Goscombe
• FJ15: Miley Nicholson

Mixed Division Champions

Blake Houston claimed the prestigious MPO Division title with exceptional performances throughout the year. His podium finishes at major events including ADGC, Eruption, the Queensland Open, and the ACT Championships demonstrated consistent excellence at the highest level. Blake’s year was made even more remarkable by his selection to co-represent Australia at the 2025 IWGA World Games.

Reflecting on his achievements, Blake said: “This year has been incredible for me, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around Australia for some bigger events and even got to participate in the world games, representing my country has been a life goal for me since I first started playing sports. I’m very happy with my performances this year however it all wouldn’t be possible without the support of many people. I’d like to thank my family, Mum, Dad, my competitors for pushing me to be better every tournament, and my sponsors; Discraft, Hyzerflight, and Flying Fox Disc Golf. Looking forward to 2026!”

Mixed Division Winners:

• MA40: Justin Clarke
• MA1: Pen Liu
• MA50: Lotus Kingston
• MP40: Patrick Willson
• MA2: Alex Young-Jackway
• MA3: Leah Manning
• MJ15: Marcus Davies

Community Awards: Honoring Our Volunteers

ADG proudly recognises Joel Rub (Tournament Director of the Year) and Matt Tulip (Volunteer of the Year) as the 2025 Community Award winners. Their incredible dedication and unwavering commitment have made a significant impact on their local disc golf communities and beyond.

Disc golf in Australia thrives because of volunteers who step up and give their time and energy. Every event, program, and achievement exists thanks to these dedicated individuals who contribute to the present, shape the future, and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Special recognition goes to Jason McCormick and Sue Summers for their exceptional effort and dedication in hosting the 2025 Australian Disc Golf Championships in Mundaring, Western Australia.

To all our volunteers, tournament directors, and mentors: thank you for building the future of disc golf in Australia. We see you, and your contributions make all the difference.

Congratulations to all our 2025 winners, and we look forward to seeing everyone back on the 2026 ADG Tour!