Wheelchair
Diversity
Inclusion
Hawks claim first wheelchair premiership
19 SEP 2023 BY: AFL VICTORIA
Hawthorn celebrates after winning its first ever Victorian Wheelchair Football League premiership on Sunday 17 September, 2023 at MSAC
Hawthorn have claimed the club's first Robert Rose Foundation Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) presented by the TAC premiership with a commanding 65-point win over Richmond at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Sunday.
The 2023 Hawthorn VWFL premiership team:
The Hawks got off to a fast start and led by 21-points at quarter time before the Tigers fought back to close the margin to three points at the main break. Hawthorn regrouped and created a 24-point buffer by three-quarter time then finished with a big eight-goal final term to secure the title, 19.9 (123) to 9.4 (58).
Hawthorn superstar Yassin Hill was named best-on-ground with his 12-goal performance. The Hawks finished on top of the five-team ladder with nine wins and three losses and earned a spot in their first ever VWFL Grand Final with a big Qualifying Final victory over second-placed Collingwood. Full season results and ladder on PlayHQ here.
The Tigers won the premiership in 2022, the club's second VWFL flag and progressed to another Grand Final after defeating Essendon in the Elimination Final, before they overcame the Magpies by just four points in a thrilling Preliminary Final.
Earlier in the day, St Kilda won the inaugural Community Wheelchair Football League Grand Final when they defeated Richmond 9.6 (60) to 5.5 (35) in the curtain-raiser to the big one.
The first ever season of Wheelchair NAB AFL Auskick concluded with a match involving participants to open the day in what was a big celebration of wheelchair football, a sport growing in popularity.
Robert Rose Foundation Victorian Wheelchair Football League, presented by the TAC - 2023 Grand Final
Hawthorn 19.9 (123) def. Richmond 9.4 (58)
Goals - Hawthorn: Yassin Hill 12, Finn Broadbent 7
Richmond: Chris Kotsanas 4, Chris Henderson 3, Angelo Mavroudis 2
Community Wheelchair Football League - 2023 Grand Final
The 2023 Hawthorn VWFL premiership team: