FORMER Lake Boga and North Magpies footballer Wayne Hale has played a strong part in the 2024 premiership-winning team in South Australia’s Wheelchair Football league.
The premiership was a family occasion for Hale, who played alongside his wife Danielle, while their son Luke cheered them on from the sidelines.
After losing last year’s grand final by just five points, the Hales and their Woodville-West Torrens teammates went one better this year, claiming a 48-point win over Norwood.
The family, who now live in South Australia, have a strong connection to Lake Boga, having spent most of their lives in the town.
Both Wayne and Danielle served in the Royal Australian Navy for more than 20 years, Mr Hale finding himself with several impairments that limited his abilities.
It was then the Hales took on wheelchair sports as a form of getting back into physical activity.
“My wife and I found wheelchair football, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby as a way to rehabilitate,” he said.
“It’s a great way for people who may not be able to get out and play football to get back out there.
“It gives you a focus and a goal, being around that team environment are all things specialists speak about in rehabilitation.”
While players don’t kick and run, and the game is played on a basketball court, wheelchair football contains a number of recognisable Australian Rules features.
“A major difference is that a handball is the equivalent of a kick, and an underarm throw is the equivalent of a handball,” Wayne Hale said.
“Being accurate by hand is the key thing in the sport, knowing how much weight to put on a pass for a leading or stationary teammate.
“It’s like touch football in the sense (we) don’t tackle, but we still bash and crash every now and then – there’s still a fair level of physicality.
“It can be pretty difficult when you’ve got someone pressuring you, then you have to throw in the movement of the wheelchair as well.
“I’m not the biggest person, so I think that lean players get the advantage that they’re not pushing around as much weight.”
Wayne Hale would love to follow in the footsteps of his wife, who represented Australia in numerous sports at the 2023 Dusseldorf Invictus games.
“Being ex-military, the Invictus games is something that I’ve been trying to break into for the past couple of years,” he said.
“That’s something that I’d love to do in the future if the opportunity ever became available, but its popularity has grown too.
“The Paralympics contains some amazing wheelchair sports, as well as the swimming and athletic events for those with impairments.
“Wheelchair rugby is something I can’t wait to watch in the Paralympics this year.”
He said wheelchair football and other wheelchair sports were becoming more popular for people of all abilities.
“Wheelchair football involves a classification system, so able-bodied people can get out there and play the game too,” he said.
“There would absolutely be people around the Swan Hill region who would benefit from the sport, and its profile is just growing bigger every year.
“It’s perfect for those who want something a bit different, or who want to be involved in a sport.
“Teams across the state all have come-and-try days and are happy to have new people who are interested.
“You never know what will happen. It’s a bit like able-bodied football – you might travel down to Melbourne and get scouted by a club.”
