It’ll be a full circle moment for Collingwood wheelchair player and coach Sam Maraldo when he takes part in the motorcade lap of honour on Anzac Day.
Long before he wore the black and white, Maraldo worked at the MCG as a chef during the global financial crisis, a job that unexpectedly set him on the path to the Royal Australian Navy.
“My first football game working at the MCG was Anzac Day 2006, so coming back in this way as a veteran feels pretty surreal,” Maraldo said.
Serving more than seven years as an Electronics Technician in the Royal Australian Navy, Maraldo was responsible for maintaining the “eyes and ears” of the ship; repairing weapons, communications, sonar and radar systems to ensure it remains operational, and its crew safe.
The HMAS vessels are essentially a floating city, layered with steel.
His workshop duties were split between the middle and upper levels of the ship, with sleeping quarters located on the levels below deck. The steep nine flights of stairs were part of his daily routine, which he climbed dozens of times per day.
“You can be in the middle of the Pacific to Hawaii for 21 days and the only people you see are the ones on the ship with you,” Maraldo said.
Bound together by a shared purpose and the long silence from home, it’s an environment that creates a closeness that only those who have lived it can truly understand.
When deployed at sea, the days can blur into nights, routines become ritual, and the crew on board become like family.
A meniscus knee injury during service changed everything.
“My knee gave way during a training exercise early on, and even after surgery I pushed through for years until the pain became too much,” Maraldo said.
Like many small injuries in Defence, it was brushed aside as something to push through, but over time, the damage compounded.
He began walking out of alignment, sliding down the stairs on board the vessel instead of stepping, and the strain spread from one knee to both, then to his hips, back and shoulders.
“I spent about two and a half years on crutches and that caused issues with my other knee, hips, back, shoulders… It was a ripple effect,” Maraldo said.
The realignment surgeries were attempts to salvage his career, but they couldn’t make him deployable again, and in the Navy, deployability is everything.
“They broke my femur just above my knee, took bone out of my hips, put it into my leg… then 12 months later they took the shin off just below the knee and put my hip in behind it,” Maraldo said.
“I had to admit that I couldn’t do it anymore.
“You feel a bit abandoned, for lack of a better word, just totally out of place. A lot of negative feelings and thoughts come up.”
The transition out of service can be a challenging period for many veterans and accessing the right support networks can play a key role in navigating that period.
The sudden loss of structure, routine and community can leave people feeling lost or disconnected, which is why early support and connection can make a meaningful difference.
“Only veterans truly understand what it’s like to go from that environment back to civilian life,” Maraldo said.
That lived experience is what led Maraldo to become a registered psychologist, specialising in supporting those who’ve served, people living with disabilities and other underrepresented communities.
His goal is simple - to make sure others don’t feel as alone as he once did and to encourage people to seek support early rather than navigating those challenges on their own.
“The biggest thing is social connection. Finding people who understand what you’ve been through,” Maraldo said.
“If this helps one person, that’s part of my job done.”
The adjustment period took Sam about three years, before he found a turning point through adaptive sports.
He represented Australia at two Invictus Games, including the inaugural event in London. Two months after receiving his discharge date, he was competing on the world stage.
That experience opened the door to other wheelchair sports like archery, volleyball, basketball and eventually, wheelchair football.
Sam currently plays and coaches within Collingwood’s wheelchair football program, working alongside teammate Anthony Perito.
The team competes in the Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL), a competition that allows those currently living with a disability to play in a competitive and adaptive version of AFL.
Having played wheelchair football for both Essendon and Collingwood, he’s also one of the few athletes to have experienced both sides of the Anzac Day rivalry.
“I stopped looking at it as two clubs against each other. I see two clubs supporting a really important cause,” Maraldo said.
Today, Maraldo returns to the MCG not as a former chef, but as a veteran, Collingwood athlete and advocate for mental health and wellbeing.
As meaningful as the moment is for him personally, Sam hopes it also broadens how people think about the veteran community.
“Veterans can range from teenagers to people in their 90s,” Maraldo said.
“I hope people see that veterans come from all walks of life, not just those who’ve been to conflict zones. Injuries can happen regardless of whether you deploy.
“The sacrifices are real and everyone’s story deserves respect.”
Support is available and reaching out can make a real difference for those navigating life during or after service. If your local RSL branch is unavailable, the following services can offer support 24/7:
Open Arms - 1800 011 046
StandBy National – 1300 727 247
Lifeline – Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14
Department of Veterans’ Affairs - 1800 628 036
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
