Blind AFL Competition Breaks Down Barriers

The inaugural WA Blind AFL season begins this weekend with vision-impaired players representing their favourite local AFL club.

The West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers will play each other four times over the next month at the Cockburn Arc, culminating in a Super Saturday Finals Day on Saturday March 26.

Blind AFL is like a traditional game of football, with a slight adaptation to rules and modifications to equipment.

Matches are played indoors to provide a controlled environment where players can best use their hearing, and tackling is not permitted.

Footballs used during matches have a USB charging port and an electronic beeper inserted to produce sound to help with ball tracking.

To assist with scoring, flashing lights are positioned behind the goals, sharp contrast backdrops are hung behind the goals and goal umpires rattle shakers when the ball is in the scoring zone.

Hayden Marchetto, Executive Officer WA All Abilities Football Association, is excited about the potential of the program.

“We’ve found the footy experience for the vision-impaired is extremely positive.

Being part of a team environment provides social, emotional and personal benefits to the players,” Marchetto said.

The program has received support from Blind Sports WA, WA Football, AFL Inclusion, West Coast Eagles Football Club, Fremantle Football Club, Northern Star Resources, and the Purple Hands Foundation.

To participate, players must have a Vision Impairment or be Legally Blind and 13 years or older.

If you would like to play or know someone who would, email hmarchetto@waaafa.org.au for further information.