By Disability Sports Australia Media Team
Disability Sports Australia marks a decade of national competition and the growth of AFL Wheelchair.
Disability Sports Australia (DSA) is recognising 10 years since the first Wheelchair Australian Rules National Championship, marking a significant milestone in the development of the sport in Australia.
Delivered in Melbourne in 2016, the inaugural championship brought together teams from Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia, alongside Australian Defence Force teams and RSL veterans. It established wheelchair Australian rules as a national competition.
The sport was originally conceived and developed by Kevin Faulkner in Tasmania, with early development supported through ParaQuad Tasmania.
Disability Sports Australia initiated and developed both the sport and the Championships, laying the foundation for national expansion.
From the outset, the sport has been shaped through a partnership between Disability Sports Australia and the Australian Defence Force, creating opportunities for people with disability to take part in the game while supporting current and former service personnel through rehabilitation, recovery and community connection.
Disability Sports Australia’s state and territory members worked alongside AFL state bodies to grow the sport on the ground.
The AFL – Australian Football League joined as a formal partner in 2016 and has been the driving force behind the sport’s growth and cultural change ever since.
South Australia won the inaugural Championship, defeating Victoria in the final, and went on to win the first four editions prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the disruption of COVID-19, the sport returned in 2022 as the Toyota Wheelchair AFL National Championships.
This marked the first fully national competition, with representation from every state and territory. Since then, Victoria has won every Division 1 Championship.
Delivered in partnership with the AFL and supported by Toyota, the event was broadcast on Kayo, a significant step forward in the visibility of the sport.
The Australian Defence Force and RSL have remained part of the competition structure throughout its evolution.
In 2023, the Championships were co-delivered with the AFL. In 2024, the event was brought together with the AFL National Inclusion Carnival to form the Toyota AFL Open, with Disability Sports Australia continuing as an Event Partner.
Wheelchair Australian rules, now widely known as AFL Wheelchair, is delivered through competitions nationwide. This includes the Victorian Wheelchair Football League, aligned with AFL clubs including Richmond, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn and St Kilda, connecting local participation with national competition.
Ten years on, it is important to recognise how this sport has developed. Early carnivals and national championships created the structure for the sport seen today, with the ongoing partnership between Disability Sports Australia, the Australian Defence Force and the AFL continuing to underpin its growth.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Disability Sports Australia, Ayden Shaw said:
“Ten years on, it is important to recognise how far AFL Wheelchair has come and how it was built. Disability Sports Australia initiated the sport, working with the Australian Defence Force and the AFL to grow it nationally. We are proud to be custodians of that history. The focus now is clear: strengthen participation, increase visibility, and ensure more people with disability can see their place in the game.”
To mark the 10-year milestone, Disability Sports Australia is inviting people who have been part of the journey to share photos, videos and reflections to help document the history of wheelchair Australian rules.
Media contact:
CEO
Disability Sports Australia
About Disability Sports Australia:
Disability Sports Australia (DSA) is a national non-profit, registered charity, and National Sporting Organisation for people with disability, dedicated to increasing participation in grassroots sport.
For over 60 years, DSA has been at the forefront of disability sport in Australia, starting with wheelchair sports and continually expanding opportunities for people with disability across the country. Today, DSA is disability-agnostic, focusing on building the capability of sports organisations to ensure inclusive and accessible opportunities for people with disability.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the positive impact sport can have, remove barriers to participation, and build a future where sport is inclusive for all Australians.
