The Shepparton Sports Stadium will welcome four AFL-affiliated wheelchair football clubs on Saturday, July 19, as Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon and St Kilda battle it out across four matches in a rare regional showcase of the fast-growing sport.
For Elliott, the day carries special significance. Her son, Jack, will take to the court for Collingwood, continuing a journey that has seen him develop into captain of the Magpies’ reserve side after joining the club four years ago.
Elliott said bringing a Victorian Wheelchair Football League round to Shepparton had been more than a year in the making.
“We started talking to the league early last year about the possibility of bringing a regional round to Shepparton,” she said.
“The chairman of the league, Steve, has been fantastic in helping make it happen and now we just want as many people as possible to come along and see what wheelchair football is all about.”
As program manager for the local area coordination team at Intereach, Elliott works closely with people accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and is passionate about creating greater opportunities for community participation.
While her role involves helping people access and use NDIS funding, she said an equally important focus was building stronger, more inclusive communities.
“We’re always looking at projects that help people with disabilities become more involved in community life,” she said.
“One of my colleagues recently helped establish a successful wheelchair basketball program in Mildura through grant funding, and I’d love to do something similar here with wheelchair AFL.”
Elliott hopes the success of the upcoming event could pave the way for a junior wheelchair Auskick-style program in Shepparton, giving children the chance to experience the sport from a young age.
“It would be great to get younger kids into wheelchairs, let them have a go and see if they enjoy it,” she said.
“Hopefully that could become an ongoing pathway for local kids with disabilities.”
Jack’s own story is one Elliott hopes will inspire others.
Having previously played wheelchair basketball in Shepparton, he joined Collingwood after attending a come-and-try session and has flourished ever since.
She said the confidence, leadership and skills he had developed through the game had been remarkable.
“When he first started he was fairly new to wheelchair football, but now he’s captain of the reserve team,” she said.
“His confidence has grown enormously and it’s been incredible watching him develop as both a player and a leader.”
Elliott also acknowledged the role the NDIS had played in helping Jack pursue the sport, supporting travel to Melbourne for training and matches as well as providing equipment and assistance.
She said the support had opened doors that otherwise may not have been possible.
Beyond the on-court action, Elliott hopes the event will challenge perceptions around disability sport.
“You don’t have to be a wheelchair user to play,” she said.
“There are all kinds of disabilities represented in the competition, and there are clubs across Victoria holding come-and-try days where people can experience the sport for themselves.”
For the Elliott family, hosting the competition in Shepparton also means friends, relatives and members of the local community will have the chance to watch Jack play in person for the first time.
“We’ve got a lot of family and people who have known Jack throughout his life who haven’t been able to get to Melbourne to see him play,” she said.
“Watching online is one thing, but seeing it live is completely different. It’s fast, physical, incredibly competitive and a great spectacle.
“We just want people to come along, see what’s possible and maybe inspire the next generation to get involved.”
