Wheelchair AFL continues to score goals in Wagga following 2024 launch

After losing his leg in a car accident, Toby Popple saw wheelchair sports as a new path forward.

Now, the lifelong sports enthusiast is the driving force behind Wagga’s wheelchair sporting community.

“I had a car crash in 2018, and due to complications in the hospital, I ended up losing my leg. I needed an outlet. I’ve always been involved in sport, so I had to find something to turn to,” Toby told Region.

“My uncle worked alongside Phil Pellow, who ran the program before my dad and me. He told him what had happened, and then Phil said, ‘Tell him to come and jump in a wheelchair’.

“I went down, tried wheelchair basketball, and fell in love with sport again.”

Toby said that after his accident, he was in a dark place without an outlet, but being in a team environment again gave him a sense of camaraderie and purpose.

“We have people from all walks of life in our hub. Some don’t have disabilities but joined because a family member does,” he said.

“Some have learning disabilities and struggle with running sports, so wheelchair sports give them a chance to be involved.

“We have a young guy from Wodonga. There are no wheelchair sports hubs there, so he and his brother drive a three-hour round trip every week to play for an hour and a half.”

Toby said the Wagga community was lucky to have the hub, which had been running for a long time, though many people didn’t realise it existed.

“We’ve tried different ways to promote it, but it’s tough without funding. We rely on Wheelchair Sports New South Wales for support, especially for maintaining chairs,” he said.

“My dad and I also put thousands of dollars into maintenance through our business.

“We currently have 16 wheelchairs, so if more than 16 people show up, we have to rotate. Unfortunately, court time in Wagga is limited, so we can’t run multiple sessions.

“Ideally, we’d have one day for wheelchair rugby league, one for AFL, and one for basketball, but it’s just not possible.”

AFL Wheelchair was launched in January 2024 after local athletes were invited to compete in a national tournament, sparking an innovative approach to making AFL accessible to people with disabilities.

“We didn’t even know Wheelchair AFL existed until we were invited to play for NSW at the national tournament.

“They were looking for people with good wheelchair skills to join the team, and I was asked to play. After the tournament, they suggested starting a team in Wagga.

“Since we already had wheelchair basketball running, we thought it would be a great addition.”

Wheelchair AFL is played between two teams of five, plus interchange players, on a basketball court 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.

While wheelchair basketball has been running in Wagga for 15 years, the addition of AFL has opened new opportunities, welcoming players of all ages and backgrounds — from children as young as two to adults in their 60s.

“It’s been great. A lot of people played AFL as kids or are just big fans but never had the chance to play because of their disability. Now they can,” Toby said.

“Four players from Wagga went to the national AFL wheelchair tryouts in Canberra last year. Two of us got selected, but one was too young to compete.

“National tournaments have age limits because players don’t hold back.”

Johnathon Liapis, the newly appointed head of sport at Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT, said the launch of Wheelchair AFL in Wagga had been a success.

“We’ve had a great group of volunteers running the program, and now we’ve taken it a step further by partnering with the Wagga Tigers AFL Club.

“We’ve got six clubs in total — three in Sydney Metro and three in the southern regions.

“The structure allows our wheelchair basketball community to also participate in AFL, ensuring players have access to multiple sporting opportunities.”

Jonathon said growing participation in wheelchair sports was a key focus.

“We want as many people as possible playing wheelchair sports — whether it’s Wheelchair AFL, basketball, or anything else,” he said.

“We’re especially focused on growing the game in Wagga, and everything aligns well with the AFL NSW/ACT office across from Bolton Park Stadium.

“This isn’t just about competition — it’s also about providing an outlet for people with disabilities, building community connections, and fostering friendships.”

In April the Wagga team will head to Canberra for a cluster event with teams from Canberra and Temora.

The second round will be held in Wagga in May.

Anyone keen to get involved in wheelchair basketball, Wheelchair AFL, or even wheelchair rugby league can join the team each Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 pm at Bolton Park Stadium.