Throughout All Abilities April, we are excited to share the stories of clubs and the experiences of participants in various programs.
Manningham United has been running an All Abilities program every Saturday at Templestowe's Petty’s Reserve for the past six years. What started with just two participants has grown to over 20 players, and in 2025, the club will compete for the first time in Football Victoria's (FV) All Abilities League.
Paul Wood, the Program Coordinator, explained how the initiative began and the club’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.
"We noticed family members of players were not participating in football, so we developed a program tailored to people with an intellectual disability, physical disability and neurodiverse individuals, and it has grown over time to what it is today."
"It has been social training to date, and now we have enough numbers and interest from parents and kids to join the league. This year will be our first in the league, although in the past, we’ve participated in the gala day and other All-Abilities community events."
Manningham United’s approach to inclusivity extends beyond just the players. Wood emphasised the importance of supporting families as a whole.
"We have an approach at Manningham that is a 'whole of family' approach, where we try to have something for everyone in the household, irrespective of their limitations, gender, age, or ability."
"That means we can support more people, have more families and siblings playing at the club, and everyone can go to the same place, enjoy the same game. It really cements the club and builds a strong culture, helping us serve the community better."
In addition to the All-Abilities program, Manningham United also runs other social initiatives like GO Soccer Mums/ Veteran Men's, which help foster a sense of community. Wood noted how important it is for everyone—players and parents alike—to feel welcomed and supported.
"We’ve got other social programs like Go Soccer Mums, and just being able to welcome more people from the community is something that means a lot to the committee."
Looking ahead, Wood encouraged other clubs to join the growing All Abilities community and begin offering inclusive opportunities for families.
"There’s a good network of clubs now that offer friendship and support to help each other’s programs grow, and kudos to FV for facilitating that through seminars and gala days."
"You end up interacting with other programs, and it’s a network of people who are all trying to help each other grow. There’s no competition; we’re all trying to make each other better and get more people playing football."
Wood also highlighted the positive impact on parents, who benefit from the opportunity just as much as the participants.
"It’s also a valuable program for the parents, who can engage with other parents and have a bit of a break from their responsibilities. I didn’t expect to get so much pleasure from that side of it as well as the kids’ development."
For more information | All-Abilities program: Manningham United
Or email: allabiltiies@footballvictoria.com.au