Following my 2019 wheelch football debut, I’m on the Richmond squad.
The Tigers will be defending their premiership win in the Robert Rose Foundation Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL). Coach Matt Morris, Miranda Charlton, Adam Georgelin, Chris Henderson, Yasmina McGlone, Ben Milton and Vincent Naidu of last year’s winning squad are joined by former Saints Christy Arulnesathasan and me; Essendon transfer Angelo Mavroudis; and a new VWFL player in Mitchell Stretton.
This year, the league is introducing a player classification system, similar to that used in wheelchair basketball. It aims to keep teams well-matched and equalise opportunities for players with different degrees of impairment.
The framework is based on range of function as observed during pre-draft training and games. It’s a bit steeped in old-fashioned, stereotypic conceptualisations of disability, for my tastes, but still makes a great start. Even as is, I am really excited to see it benefit some undervalued athletes. Initiatives like this should forge more well-rounded, versatile teams. I hope it helps include more people who would like to try wheelchair sport. Everyone is welcome to play this one, irrespective of identity and what other people say your body is (or isn’t)!
If you’re curious, come along! Exchange handballs with players after a match, take a loan chair for a spin at an excellent mob’s like Disability Sport & Recreation, or rock up to the next public try-out event… and go from there…
Meanwhile, Chief Classifier Lisa Chaffey and her fellow recruit from the world of basketball, Don Perriman, will continue optimising classifications for the sport of AFL Wheelchair as the season progresses. You can find out how it plays out at the games and in coverage of the competition.
The season has been postponed, to limit cases of COVID-19. We can expect some form of update in the second half of 2020.
Keep safe, and look after everyone!