Breaking Barriers Together: The Success of the APM Partnership at AFL Open 2025
Inclusion in sport doesn’t happen by accident. It takes belief, partnership, and the willingness to create opportunities where they didn’t exist before.
In 2025, the partnership between the WA All Abilities Football Association (WAAAFA) and APM demonstrated exactly what is possible when organisations come together with a shared commitment to inclusion. Through APM’s support of Western Australia’s team at the AFL Open, players with disabilities were able to represent their state, build confidence, and show the country what inclusive football truly looks like.
A National Stage for Inclusive Sport
The AFL Open is the national showcase for inclusion and wheelchair Australian Rules Football, bringing together athletes from across Australia to compete at the highest level of adaptive football.
For Western Australia, the 2025 event was about more than competition. It was about opportunity, giving players the chance to represent their state, connect with teammates from across the country, and be recognised for their ability and determination.
WAAAFA’s role is to create those opportunities by developing pathways from community programs through to elite competition. The AFL Open sits at the pinnacle of that pathway.
The Role of Partnership
The journey to a national carnival requires significant preparation, travel, training, and coordination. Support from partners like APM makes that possible.
Through the partnership, players were able to focus on training and performance, knowing they had a team of supporters behind them. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to improving participation, wellbeing, and independence for people with disability – values that sit at the heart of WAAAFA’s purpose.
For many players, representing Western Australia at the AFL Open was the result of years of participation in inclusive football programs delivered across the state.
These pathways, from school programs and Starkick through to integrated and wheelchair football competitions, help build confidence, identity, and community connection for people with disability.
More Than a Game
For players and families, the experience of travelling interstate to compete is life changing.
It means:
Wearing the WA jumper with pride
Building friendships with teammates from across the country
Demonstrating that ability, not disability, defines a footballer
Moments like these reinforce why inclusive sport matters. Footy becomes a platform for belonging, identity, and personal growth.
As WAAAFA’s programs continue to grow across Western Australia, national events like the AFL Open remain an important part of the journey, celebrating progress while inspiring the next generation of players.
Looking Ahead
The success of the AFL Open campaign highlights the power of collaboration.
Partnerships like the one with APM ensure that inclusive football continues to grow, providing more opportunities for people with disabilities to participate, compete, and be recognised for their achievements.
At WAAAFA, the goal is simple:
Where everyone gets to play Australia’s game.
And with the support of partners who share that vision, the future of inclusive football in Western Australia is stronger than ever.
