Novita SANFL Wheelchair Football League Coaches Report

Round 1 

West Adelaide  35

Central Districts  75

The team headed to The Lights Community and Sports Centre Friday night to take on Central Districts in West Adelaide Inaugural Wheelchair AFL match.

Before the first bounce, we were proud to announce Jake Bilsborow as our inaugural captain, a decision made by the playing group and one that reflects his leadership both on and off the court. We came out the gates fast, scoring our opening goal early and showing some intent. However, nerves crept in during the remainder of the first quarter, resulting in missed opportunities and turnovers that Centrals capitalised on. Despite a promising start, we found ourselves trailing.

The standout for us was the second half. While the scoreboard may not reflect it, the shift in confidence and cohesion was clear. Players began to back themselves, stringing together passages of play that reflected the potential of this group. The ball movement improved dramatically, and we started to take the game on, which is exactly the mindset we’ll continue to build on.

A huge positive from the night was the debut of both Fabio Savoia and Josh Wilson — not just for West Adelaide, but in the sport itself. Their ability to present and create scoring opportunities was outstanding, and they will certainly be key targets in our forward setup this season.

Although the result wasn’t what we hoped for, there are plenty of positives to take into the coming rounds. This group has heart, skill, and a hunger to improve — and that’s exactly what we’ll do.

Best Players:

• Jake Bilsborow
• Darren Mysko
• Giang Danh

Goal Scorers:

• Jake Bilsborow – 3
• Fabio Savoia – 1
• Giang Danh – 1

Giang Danh

Wheelchair League Coach