INCLUSION
– AFL NSW/ACT is committed to supporting the rights of people with disabilities to actively engage in all aspects of Australian Football. We are committed to ensuring that opportunities to play the game are accessible to all.
– Australian football has a strong history of leading and advocating positive and proactive change in community attitudes and social policy.
– Accordingly, the AFL is dedicated to making it easy for people of all abilities to participate in Australian football including playing, coaching, officiating and administrating the game.
Four key pillars:
– Increase accessibility for people living with disabilities.
– Embed disability inclusion across all areas of the business.
– Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
– Enhance education, training and awareness.
PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES
AFL Kickability Program
What to expect at the AFL Kickability program?
With a focus on fun and skills development, the Kickability Program will look to provide junior participants with an opportunity to play Australian Football with their peers in a safe and inclusive environment.
The Program will begin with participants joining a club and becoming part of a team in their local area with a focus to play games at the end of the year.
As the AFL NSW/ACT Rams Inclusion side is going from strength to strength in the National AFL Inclusion Carnival, the program will also look to provide a talent pathway for the younger generation of Australian Football players living with an intellectual disability.
AFL Wheelchair
AFL Wheelchair is an adapted version of the great game, that gives people with and without disability the opportunity to play.
– The sport is run locally in partnership with Wheelchair Sports NSW.
– The sport is supported on a national level in a partnership between the AFL and Disability Sport Australia
– The game is played between two teams of five, plus interchange players, on a rectangular indoor court divided into thirds with portable goal posts at either end of the field. Scoring is identical to traditional AFL: six points for a goal, one point for a behind.
– There is no kicking of the ball. A handball is equivalent to a kick (for example if marked, play stops) and an underarm throw is equivalent to a handball (for example the ball is ‘in play’ and the player who receives an underarm throw can be ‘tackled’). Many strategies in the traditional game apply to the wheelchair version.
In 2024, and in partnership with Wheelchair Sports NSW we will be bringing AFL Wheelchair to locations in Sydney, Canberra, Wagga and Wollongong through our local training hubs. There will also be opportunities to take part in Club Challenge competitions where players from these local hubs attend and play competitive AFL Wheelchair against the other hubs.
To express an interest CLICK HERE.
AFL Inclusion Carnival
The AFL National Inclusion Carnival is an annual representative carnival for athletes aged 16 and older living with an intellectual disability.
The carnival not only gives some of Australia’s most talented footballers the chance to represent their State/Territory but is also an opportunity to showcase the significant abilities of footballers with an Intellectual Disability to the broader community.
– To register your interest for the 2024 AFL NSW/ACT Inclusion Rams, please click here.
– Check out the video filmed at the 2018 AFL National Inclusion Carnival here.
Inclusive In-school Programs
– The AFL is looking to become more inclusive and create new opportunities for everyone to be involved with the game. We are now running specialised programs in schools for students with disabilities allowing them to learn the skills of AFL in a fun and safe environment.
– The programs are delivered in special schools and support units by qualified staff who have had extensive training in this space. Partnering with some excellent disability service providers has ensured our staff are experts in the field and understand the needs of the kids to ensure that each participant can have the best possible experience of sport and exercise.
– The program can be delivered flexibly, based on the school’s needs (times, days, duration, staff, etc).
If you are interested in having an inclusive AFL program at your school please CLICK HERE.
AFL NSW/ACT Disability Action Plan
Australian Football has the capacity to bring people and communities together like few others. Our game is inclusive, safe and fun – it can and should be enjoyed by everyone and AFL NSW/ACT is committed to making it accessible at every level.
AFL NSW/ACT Disability Action Plan has been created to ensure that we are providing genuine opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy all aspects of Australian Rules Football and share in its possibilities across NSW and ACT.
You can view the AFL NSW/ACT Disability Action Plan here.
Contact AFL NSW/ACT
Simon Wilson – Diversity and Inclusion Program Manager
