Collingwood is pleased to announce the selection of six Wheelchair Magpies across three teams for the 2026 Toyota AFL Open.
The AFL’s national event for disability inclusion in sport will run from Monday, 12 October to Wednesday, 14 October at the La Trobe University Sports Precinct in Bundoora, Victoria.
It will be the third edition of the AFL Open format, with every state and territory represented.
This year's event marks 10 years of the national wheelchair competition, recognising the long-standing support of Disability Sports Australia and the Australian Defence Force.
A commemorative game will be played in partnership with both organisations and the AFL, giving the nation's best wheelchair footballers a chance to showcase their skills to the broader community.
The 2026 program of the AFL Open will expand opportunities in modified versions of the game, with a dedicated women and girls Inclusion division, a Blind and Low Vision and Deaf and Hard of Hearing exhibition matches.
WHEELCHAIR FOOTBALL | Find out more.
Collingwood's VWFL Captain and 2026 Robert Rose Medallist Ben Jankovski will represent Victoria as Vice-Captain. It will his fifth consecutive season representing the state.
The Victorian team will be led by Head Coach Andrew Harrison, who coached Hawthorn to its premiership in the 2026 Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) Championship Division.
He will be assisted by the reigning Victorian Premiership coach, Collingwood’s Andrew Paddle. Paddle has been at the helm of our Championship VWFL Team for the past four seasons and continues to be selected as a representative coach on the national stage.
Arnold Razon will represent the Western Australia team for the first time.
Magpies Matthew Blunt, Sam Maraldo and Tim O'Connor will represent the RSL team.
All players have previously represented on the national stage, while O'Connor and Blunt provide experience as 2024 VWFL premiership players in the Community Division.
Collingwood Chief Operating Officer Kerrie Brewer expressed the Club's pride in the selections.
“This year's Toyota AFL Open marks ten years of the national wheelchair competition, and it's fantastic to see so many Wheelchair Magpies are a part of that,” Brewer said.
"We're incredibly proud of every Magpie selected to represent their state or team. They embody what our Club stands for, both on and off the court. It's a home Open for many of our players, so if you can, come down to Bundoora and cheer them on."
Collingwood Magpies selected for the 2026 Toyota AFL Open:
Victoria:
Andrew Paddle (Assistant Coach)
Ben Jankovski (Vice-Captain)
Western Australia
Arnold Razon
RSL:
Sam Maraldo
Matthew Blunt
Tim O'Connor
Further details, including team announcements and schedules, will be communicated closer to the event. Fans are welcome to come along and cheer on the Magpies with free entry for all.
Can't make it? Watch the action live on the AFL Play YouTube channel and Kayo Freebies or visit play.afl for the latest updates.
