Hawthorn Football Club is one of five AFL teams to receive a Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) license. Governed by AFL Victoria, the Victorian Wheelchair Football League exists to provide an organised regular competition for the sport of AFL Wheelchair in Victoria, demonstrating what’s possible for people with a disability and that AFL can be everyone’s game.

Overview of Rules:

🟡 The game is played on a basketball court with 5 players on each team.

🟤 Matches consist of four x 10 minute quarters.

🟡 A handball is equivalent to a kick and a single handed underarm throw is equivalent to a handpass. There is no kicking in AFL Wheelchair.

🟤 There are designated zones (forward, centre, defence) which dictate where assigned players can play. Forwards and midfielders can score with a handball through goal posts and behind posts set up similar to the traditional game 

🟡 A player may stay in possession of the ball for a maximum of 3 pushes/changes of direction of the wheelchair, or cover 10 metres before bouncing the ball. 

🟤 Tackling is prohibited. The equivalent to a tackle is a touch with one hand. A player has two seconds or one push of the wheelchair to warrant prior opportunity, before holding the ball can be rewarded.

2026 Victorian Wheelchair Football League fixture

ROUND DETAILS
1 - Sunday 17 May

St Kilda v Hawthorn
Community Division - 1pm
Championship Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

2 - Sunday 24 May

Collingwood v Hawthorn
Community Division - 1pm
Championship Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

3 - Sunday 31 May

Hawthorn v Richmond
Community Division - 1pm
Championship Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

BYE 
5 - Sunday 21 June

Essendon v Hawthorn
Championship Division - 1pm
Community Division - 2pm
Cardinia Life Stadium

6 - Sunday 28 June 

St Kilda v Hawthorn
Community Division - 1pm
Championship Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

7 - Sunday 5 July 

Collingwood v Hawthorn
Community Division - 1pm
Championship Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

8 - Sunday 12 July

Hawthorn v Richmond
Community Division - 1pm
Championship Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

BYE 
10 - Sunday 26 July 

Essendon v Hawthorn
Championship Division - 1pm
Community Division - 2pm
State Netball & Hockey Centre

Week 1 Finals - Sunday 2 August

Championship Division -
TBD v TBD 
TBD v TBD

Community Division -
TBD v TBD
TBD v TBD

Latrobe Sports Stadium

Week 2 Finals - Sunday 9 August

Community Division -
TBD v TBD - 1pm

Championship Division -
TBD v TBD - 2pm

Latrobe Sports Stadium

Grand Final - Sunday 16 August

Community Division -
TBD v TBD - 1pm

Championship Division - 
TBD v TBD - 2pm

Latrobe Sport Stadium

2025 Victorian Wheelchair Football League playing list

Primary Hayden Auber
Primary Finn Broadbent
Primary Yassin Hill
Primary Andria Kauer
Primary Adam Smark
Primary Mitch Bond
Primary Rhys Higgins
Supplementary Andrew Harrison
Supplementary David Ralph
Supplementary Ricky Cox
Supplementary Liam Fitzgerald
Community Gerard McCarthy
Community Aaron Jardim
Community Ben Van Raay
Community Andrew Hutchings
Community Mel Pfitzner
Community Michael Cadd

 

Victorian Wheelchair Football League premiership team

Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Joanna Argaet (Captain)
Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Hayden Auber
Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Finn Broadbent
Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Jontee Brown
Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Yassin Hill
Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Jaylen Brown
Hawthorn VWFL (2023) Brady Cochrane

 

Want to get involved?

Email community@hawthornfc.com.au