The Victorian Football League will celebrate Inclusion Round across this weekend’s round of Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW matches.

A range of activities will be held at select venues promoting several of the AFL Inclusion team's program offerings, which provide opportunities for footballers of all ages, genders and ability to be active in a safe and inclusive environment with the aim to build a life-long connection to our game.

Program activations will be hosted at Avalon Airport Oval, Box Hill City Oval, Kinetic Stadium and Windy Hill involving FIDA, Wheelchair, Deaf and Blind football.

The activations will include exhibition matches and football clinics for program participants, along with come and try activities for spectators which will provide the opportunity to experience football in a different way.

A wheelchair junior footballer will also toss the coin at select VFL and VFLW matches in Victoria across the weekend.

There are 4.3 million Australians living with a disability. 25 per cent of Australians with disability play sport, compared to 75 per cent of people without a disability.

More than 12,000 Australians with disability play Australian rules football.

AFL Head of State League Competitions, Jennie Loughnan, said: “The Victorian Football League is proud to be supporting Inclusion Round this weekend. Football is a game for everyone and this weekend’s activities are aimed at promoting inclusivity and accessibility for individuals of all abilities in our community.”

This weekend’s Inclusion Round activations will include:

FIDA and Access All Abilities Auskick

Venue: Avalon Airport Oval – Werribee vs Sandringham (VFL)
Date: Saturday, July 1

FIDA participants will participate in a longest kick competition and an Access All Abilities Auskick grid game will be held during half time of the Smithy’s VFL match between Werribee and Sandringham.

Football Integration Development Association (FIDA) provides people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to play Australian Rules football. FIDA helps develop, manage and promote a football competition relevant to the skill level of persons with an intellectual disability, creating skills and confidence in the participants so that integration processes can develop. FIDA provides the opportunity for approximately 800 participants at over 30 clubs to be involved in our sport. Please click here for more information on FIDA.

Access All Abilities Auskick centres are for players with disability and their families who may prefer a centre that has taken steps to provide additional support for young people with disability.

Wheelchair

Venue: Windy Hill – Essendon vs Western Bulldogs (VFLW) and Essendon vs Gold Coast Suns (VFL)
Date: Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2

A wheelchair football ‘come and try’ activation will be held at this weekend’s matches at Windy Hill. Spectators attending both matches are invited to participate in the activation and experience what it takes to play wheelchair football.

The Victorian Wheelchair Football League is one of the fastest growing inclusion competitions across the country. Since its inception in 2018 the sport has grown from 35 participants to over 100 in 2023. The game is played on a basketball court with modified rules, including a handball being a kick and an underarm throw being a handball. Five AFL clubs (Hawthorn, St Kilda, Essendon, Collingwood, Richmond) are part of the competition. Click here to follow all the action.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Venue: Box Hill City Oval – Box Hill Hawks vs Southern Saints (VFLW) and Box Hill Hawks vs Port Melbourne (VFLW)
Venue: Saturday, July 1

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Auskick drills and match simulation will be held during half time of the Smithy’s VFL game between Sandringham and Port Melbourne. Participants will also be involved in an inner-sanctum experience throughout the day.

Last year AFL Victoria delivered its primary play program in seven schools with deaf and hard of hearing facilities. The team also ran its inaugural deaf Footy4Fun program. With the use of interpreters these participants were given the chance to develop their skills and learn the skills of the game, with the aim to get the participants into a position to join their community football club.

Blind

Venue: Kinetic Stadium – Frankston vs Collingwood (VFL)
Date: Sunday, July 2

A blind football ‘come and try’ activation will be held during Sunday’s match between Frankston and Collingwood at Kinetic Stadium. Spectators are invited to get involved in the activation by trying on vision-impaired glassed and taking on a range of football activities. AFL Blind club captains Shannon Jones (St Kilda) and Ned Brewer Maiga (Hawthorn) will be in attendance.

The Victorian Blind Football League gives participants with a vision impairment the chance to play our great game. The sport looks like the traditional game with slight modifications to equipment and rules to support players with a vision impairment. This includes a specifically modified football that features a continuous beeping device to assist players tracking the ball. Signage and flickering lights are centrally placed behind the goals to assist players with accuracy when kicking for goal. There are currently 45 players involved with the sport, with two AFL clubs (Hawthorn and St Kilda) having teams. Click here to follow all the action.

To learn more about each of the programs, please visit www.play.afl/play/disability-inclusion and www.aflvic.com.au/inclusion.