The Australian wheelchair rugby team named a 12-player squad in Melbourne on Wednesday this week for the Paralympics next month in Paris and picked to make his Paralympic debut is Phillip Island’s Beau Vernon.
His selection comes at the end of a massive campaign to gain Australian selection at a Paralympics, including 16 appearances with the ‘Steelers’, after a stellar career in football, especially as a premiership coach at Leongatha and Phillip Island.
The news that Beau has gained selection has been warmly welcomed by his many friends throughout the Australian sporting scene and will no doubt bring with it additional support for the Steelers to return to their gold medal winning best.
Beau announced the news on his LinkedIn page.
"Proud to be making my Paralympic debut and to be apart of this great Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team." he said.
The response included:
- Awesome stuff Beau. absolutely phenomenal effort and inspiration in spades. Good luck for Paris mate!
- Congratulations Beau to you and the team. Look forward to watching the games.
- Inspirational as always! Congrats Beau!
- Congratulations Beau! We’ll be cheering you on.
The squad is led by experienced superstars Ryley Batt and Chris Bond, who were both members of the gold medal-winning Steelers teams at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games and have played of combined total of 594 matches for Australia.
The five debutants joining the team are Brayden Foxley-Conolly, Beau Vernon, Emilie Miller, James McQuillan and Josh Nicholson and with a record three female athletes, Emilie Miller, Shae Graham and Ella Sabljak, who competed at Tokyo 2020 in wheelchair basketball.
Bond, when asked if he had the team he wanted for the task ahead, said: “Absolutely”.
“This team is not too dissimilar from the team at our last major tournament win, the World Championships two years ago. There are a couple of additions and adjustments. I think this is the strongest Australian squad I believe we’ve ever had in wheelchair rugby.”
The team’s overhaul came in the wake of the Covid-affected Tokyo 2020 campaign where the Steelers finished fourth. Their comeback was emphatic, winning the World Championship in Denmark in 2022.
“Tokyo just wasn’t our Games, for a few reasons,” Bond said.
“We’ve addressed that, we’ve reflected on it, and we’ve worked hard to rectify it. We’ve worked on our team values and culture and it’s shown successful results.”
Part of the change is a heightened sense of teamwork. Accordingly, Bond didn’t want to single out any players, but praised the debutants for their application.
“A third of our team will be making their first appearance at the Paralympic Games, which is pretty special and I want to say congratulations to them and the work they’ve done to be part of our team.
“The Paralympics is an amazing experience. Everyone’s there to compete in their own sports but we’re part of a bigger team, the Australian team, and any chance we have to contribute to the overall medal tally, it lifts everyone in the team and back home.
“It’s just a nice feeling that we’re all in this together. Everyone embraces what it is to be Australian, that core value of mateship.”
One of the debutants, Emilie Miller, said she had long dreamt of competing at the Paralympics.
“I’m not sure what to expect but I’m really grateful to be able to lean on our experienced players, which is helping with our preparation and keeping me on track for what I need to do,” she said.
“For me, competing in wheelchair rugby is a really great equaliser of disability. Being involved in wheelchair rugby, it really focuses on the things you can do and it flips that notion of disability on its head where it’s all focused on the things that you can’t do and the challenges you face in your life. When we’re playing rugby it’s about your strengths, what can you do for the team, what role can you play? It’s empowering to have that focus on what I can do and what I can achieve.”
The Steelers’ Official Partner, Allianz, has played a pivotal role in supporting Paralympics Australia to deliver the Australian wheelchair rugby high performance program in preparation for the Paris Games.
Allianz’s Chief General Manager Consumer, Shez Ford said: “The Steelers are incredible role models for all Australians. As an official supporter of the team since 2018 we couldn’t be prouder of the team’s huge accomplishment of making it to Paris 2024.
“We know along with each and every Australian, their Allianz family will be glued to TV screens across the country cheering them on and sending them the best of luck.”
Australian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin welcomed the Steelers to the wider Australian team.
“The Steelers are much loved members of the Australian Paralympic Team and we can’t wait to see them in action in Paris,” McLoughlin said.
“I want to congratulate each member of the squad we’ve announced today, including coach Brad Dubberley, who has given so much to this sport in Australia and to the Australian team over more than 20 years.
“We’re so proud of the way the Steelers have prepared for Paris. They’ve shown immense character, great skill and determination and done everything they believe necessary to get back to the top of the Paralympic podium.
“We have great confidence they’ll be able to achieve the goals they’ve set and we’ll be doing everything we can to support them.”
Bond added that the value of wheelchair rugby lay beyond winning medals.
“Our sport changes people’s perceptions of people with a disability. It’s a fast, skillful, full contact sport,” he said.
“The perception is that people in wheelchairs are fragile and weak and need to be wrapped in cotton wool. Our sport challenges that. Once you’re on the court, you’re free game.
“We play with a lot of passion and pride for our country and our teammates. I encourage everyone to watch us in action and hopefully they can draw some inspiration to get out there and be active themselves.”
Members of the Australian Paralympics rugby squad include: Chris Bond (c), Ryley Batt, Brayden Foxley-Conolly, Shae Graham, Ella Sabljak, Andrew Edmondson Josh Nicholson, Jake Howe, Ben Fawcett, James McQuillan, Emilie Miller, and Beau Vernon.
