Tim O'Connor (pictured) of the Magpies in action during the Round 6 VWFL match between Collingwood and Essendon.
Round 6
Collingwood v Essendon
Sunday 28 June, State Netball & Hockey Centre
The Wheelchair Magpies delivered mixed results across both divisions in Round 6 of VWFL action.
Championship Division
The rematch of Round 1’s match-winning thriller between Collingwood and Essendon didn’t swing in the Pies’ favour.
Despite patches of strong ball movement, Essendon held a comfortable buffer for most of the match. They had a defensive structure that forced several inaccurate shots on goal, preventing Collingwood from closing the gap any time momentum swung their way.
The Pies continued to fight until the final siren, showing resilience in one-on-one contests and refusing to let the margin dictate their effort on the court.
A sharper connection as a group will be crucial going forward as they prepare for their Round 7 clash against Hawthorn.
VWFL - Championship Division
COLLINGWOOD 2.12 (24)
ESSENDON 14.10 (94)
Essendon (Championship) won by 70 points.
GOALS:
COLLINGWOOD: Anthony Perito (1), Sam Maraldo (1)
ESSENDON: Mitchell Stretton (7), Caleb Logan (5), Christopher Henderson (2)
Michael Telban (pictured) of the Magpies fends off during the Collingwood v Essendon clash in Round 6 of the 2026 Victorian Wheelchair Football Season.
Community Division
With only five players available and no rotations, the Community Division squad were coming up against the odds in their match against Essendon.
Despite a complete performance from forward Tim O’Connor, who scored an incredible 12 of the team's 13 goals. The overall connection and comradery between the five teammates was a real highlight for spectators.
O’Connor constantly found ways to create opportunities and bring teammates into the game and the team connected seamlessly from siren to siren.
Another turning point came when Kylie Prestwich produced a brilliant individual moment in the goal square.
Presetwich took a strong contested mark, immediately played on, and calmly slotted the goal - a crucial spark that lifted the entire team’s spirit.
Arnold Razon and Jack Elliott produced impressive displays of effort.
Razon worked tirelessly up and down the court, providing essential link-up play, and giving the forwards the best possible chance to score. Meanwhile, Elliott locked down his opponent in defence all day and was instrumental in driving the ball under pressure.
Community Division
VWFL - Community Division
COLLINGWOOD 13.4 (82)
ESSENDON 8.6 (54)
Collingwood (Community) won by 28 points.
GOALS:
COLLINGWOOD: Tim O’Connor (12), Kylie Prestwich (1)
ESSENDON: Kaleb Powell (3), Ben Milton (2), Unknown (3)
The Victorian Wheelchair Football League (VWFL) provides Victorians with a physical disability the opportunity to play in a competitive and adaptive version of Australian Rules football.
WHEELCHAIR FOOTBALL Find out more on the team here.
