Players should plan to arrive between 2:50pm and 3pm. Players will meet at 3pm at the main entrance to the Hangar facility and will be escorted into the playing area.

The session commences at 3pm and runs for 2 hours until 5pm

The dates for 2024 are as follows:

• Sunday 16 June
• Sunday 14 July
• Sunday 4 August
• Saturday 1 September
• Sun 13 October

We welcome all ages, all genders and all abilities to join us.

We encourage anyone interested in knowing more to come along to any of training sessions to understand what its all about. This is free and you are under no obligation to participate or join in. All of our players and volunteers are happy to have a chat and share their experiences.

If you have any questions or would like to be kept informed about the program please email us at allabilities@smfc.com.au

Our training and playing venue is The Hangar in Tullamarine.

This is the home of the Essendon FC AFL club and the Melbourne home of Paralympics Australia.

The address is 275 Melrose Drive, Tullamarine.

There is free parking in main car park and meet outside main entrance at 3pm.

Blind Football (B1) is an internationally recognised sport played at the Paralympics. It is played outdoors by athletes who are totally blind (B1) on a 40m x 20m pitch with side kickboards and an audible ball. There are two teams of five; four outfield players and a goalkeeper. The outfield players wear eye-shades to equal their sight and the goalkeeper can be fully or partially sighted.

There is no special equipment required to participate in All Abilities Football. We train and play on a synthetic grass surface so there is no need to wear football boots. Participants only need to wear runners or sports shoes and wear clothing they are comfortable in to try a sport.

In competition, outfield players wear eye-shades to ensure equality across all players. Where required these will be provided by Australian Blind Football.

South Melbourne FC will provide registered players with a training jersey or a full playing kit depending on their level of participation.

Football Victoria

There is an annual player registration fee levied by Football Victoria. This player registration fee provides insurance cover for players. South Melbourne FC incorporates this fee as part of the players club registration fee, and makes the payment to Football Victoria on the players behalf.

South Melbourne FC

South Melbourne FC subsidises the playing costs for Blind Football players to reduce barriers to them participating in the sport. There is no cost to club players for participating in the program.

The South Melbourne FC Blind Football Team trains on a regular basis to prepare players for National Team Training Camps and for the future introduction of a competitive league. The squad trains under a
qualified Blind Football coach on a fortnightly basis between April and September. All training is overseen by Australian Blind Football to ensure our players can reach the highest standard they can.

Whilst we actively support our players to reach the standard to join the national squad, we place a greater emphasis on welcoming new players to the sport. Not everyone wants to play competitively so we provide an environment for social football and those who want to learn the game.

We have a number of participants, including children, who are trying the sport for the first time or join us for some casual activities. To achieve this we run free come-and-try sessions at least monthly in Albert Park.

Melbourne, Victoria

There is currently no opportunities for competitive Blind Football in Victoria. As the sport continues to grow and participation numbers increase the potential for competitive games may eventuate. South Melbourne FC runs regular Blind Football sessions to enable participants to try the sport first time and then to continue training and developing their skills if it interests them.

Australia

The team at Australian Blind Football are establishing a National Blind Football Series that would allow teams from various states to be able to play competitively. The first two teams in the National Blind Football Series are South Melbourne FC and Brisbane Olympics FC. Perth SC and Adelaide Comets are existing football clubs who have invested in the Australian Blind Football program and may join the league. The National Blind Football Series matches are held during National Team Training Camps in Melbourne.

South Melbourne FC is the inaugural National Blind Football Champions.

International

Australian Blind Football in conjunction with the Australian Paralympic Committee conducts multiple National Training Camps throughout the year. Based in Melbourne, these camps provide the opportunity for players to train at an advanced level and push for selection as part of the national squad.

The Australian National team has the opportunity to compete at the following events:

• 2022 IBSA Blind Football Asian Championships
• 2023 IBSA Blind Football World Championships
• 2023 IBSA Partially Sighted Football World Championships
• Paris 2024 Paralympic Games