Essendon's recent Wheelchair Football come-and-try session was another milestone for the clubs wheelchair program, with strong numbers and plenty of promising talent on display. Building on a fantastic 2025 season, in which the Community side claimed the Club’s first-ever wheelchair football silverware, this session continues the momentum as we look ahead to an exciting 2026 season.
Our come-and-try session was split into two groups. We had a handful of under 15 participants, who are the next generation of wheelchair footballers, run by Essendon senior coach Chris Henderson.
Many of these young players have shown impressive growth and development, and with several turning 16 soon, they’ll be eligible to be drafted in the Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) next season.
The Club also welcomed five open-age participants, all completely new to the sport, which is another positive indicator of the game’s continued growth and reach. The session revealed many promising signs from the players as they developed their skills.
Three key areas were tested during the session: marking ability (overhead, out-in-front, and chest marks), handball coordination and accuracy, and chair skills, including collecting ground balls, changing angles, and overall chair speed.
The next step for the program will a trial session to finalise the list ahead of the 2026 VWFL season:
- Saturday, 15 November (10:00am – 11:30am)
The session will be held at the NEC Hangar, 32 Watson Drive.
Spots are still open for the upcoming trails, so for more information about Essendon’s Wheelchair Football Program, get in touch at community@essendonfc.com.au
