The 2023 National Para Football Championships kicked off yesterday in Perth, with our CommBank Pararoos and CommBank ParaMatildas in the thick of the action.
Read the full wrap of day one action!
CommBank ParaMatildas
NEW SOUTH WALES 11 - 0 FA SELECT
CommBank ParaMatildas capped Tahlia Blanshard and Georgia Beikoff started for the FA Select side in their game against NSW, while Tamsin Colley, who has been called up to a ParaMatildas camp this year also started.
Another CommBank ParaMatilda was also involved in the game with Katelyn Smith taking the centre referee duties for the game in front of her hometown crowd.
Beikoff played the whole game for the FA Select while Blanshard was substituted in the 40th minute. FA Select has two games today, taking on Queensland from 11:15am AWST/2:15pm AEDT and then finishing the day against home side Western Australia from 3:15pm AWST/6:15pm AEDT.
CommBank Pararoos
WESTERN AUSTRALIA 10 - 0 QUEENSLAND
On a perfect sunny day in Perth, Football West hosted Football Queensland in the opening game of the 2023 National Para Football Championships. There were CommBank Pararoos on both sides of the action, with Alessandro La Verghetta captaining the home side while veteran and the Pararoos' highest-capped player, David Barber led the side from Queensland.
The home side was on the scoresheet early, with Pararoo Connor Bunce opening the scoring for WA in the 3rd minute, pouncing on an underweighted pass from the Queensland keeper to find the back of the net.
A brace to Iain Carmichael, a goal to Chris Minutillo and an unfortunate own goal from Queensland gave WA a 5-0 advantage heading into the break. Bunce doubled his tally for the day after the break with a brilliant solo run that he finished into the bottom corner to make it six.
Noah Bremmer-Bell made it seven goals for WA with a strike from outside the box into an open net. Allan Sarago Ah-Kee made it eight not long after, squeezing his shot past the keeper at the near post. Giacomo Izzo made it 9-0 in the 52nd minute. Bunce completed his hat-trick for the afternoon to finish the game 10-0 to the home side.
NEW SOUTH WALES 11 - 0 FA SELECT
Moving on to the next game, the defending champions New South Wales took on the FA Select side, with CommBank Pararoos featured on both sides. New South Wales saw Pararoos Daniel Campbell, Augustine Murphy, Benjamin Sutton, Jeremy Boyce, Ben Atkins, Timothy Blowes and Connor Marsh start for the defending champions. The FA select team saw Luc Launder and Riley Stubing named in the side.
Augustine Murphy opened the scoring from close range, firing his shot in to give NSW the lead. Daniel Campbell doubled the tally on the 10-minute mark, a cross from Connor Marsh finding Campbell unmarked at the back post to finish into the bottom corner. A Quick-fire goal to Benjamin Sutton and Daniel Campbell taking his tally to four for the game gave NSW a 6-0 lead going into the break.
Murphy scored three quick goals after the break to take his tally to the game to four and make it 9-0 to the defending champions. Goki Saito made it 10-0, scoring his first of the Championships. Harry Dowdell made it 11-0 to give NSW a resounding victory to begin their title defence.
VICTORIA 5 - 2 QUEENSLAND
The third game of the day saw Victoria play their first game of the Championship, taking on Queensland. CommBank Pararoos youngster Kaylan Van Heer started alongside his fellow Australian representatives, Joshua Beekes, Christian Bitsikas, Christian Tsangas and Pararoos cap #44 Angus MacGregor.
Victoria had the chance to open the scoring from the spot after a handball in the box, with Christian Bitsikas making no mistake to put Victoria up 1-0. Bitsikas doubled his advantage and Victoria's lead in the 20th minute, minutes later 16-year-old Jackson Scott added his name to the scoresheet to give Victoria a 3-0 lead heading into the break.
Joshua Beekes added his name to Victoria's list of goalscorers, out-muscling Queensland's captain David Barber and finishing his chance. Sahal Omar clawed a goal back for Queensland to make it 4-1, getting on the end of Barber's long throw into the box.
Kaylan Van Heer quickly restored Victoria's four-goal advantage with his first of the afternoon to make it 5-1. Omar doubled his tally for Queensland to make it 5-2, finishing a brilliant solo run into the far corner. Victoria had the chance to once again restore their four-goal lead after a penalty, however, Christian Bitsikas' attempt from the spot was saved by Queensland's keeper Jared Eiby to ensure the match finished at 5-2.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1 - 1 NEW SOUTH WALES
The last game of the day saw the home side Western Australia host the defending champions New South Wales, with both sides recording dominant victories in their opening game of the day.
Daniel Campbell opened the scoring for NSW before the 10-minute mark, squeezing his shot in from close range to put NSW up 1-0 heading into the break.
Western Australia levelled the score less than a minute into the second half through Allan Sarago Ah-Kee. No side could find the matchwinner and would have to settle for a point a piece.
Day Two - Thursday 5th October:
Game #5 Western Australia v Victoria - 9:30am AWST/12:30pm AEDT: Watch Here
Game #6 Queensland v FA Select - 11:15am AWST/2:15pm AEDT: Watch Here
Game #7 New South Wales v Victoria - 1:30pm AWST/4:30pm AEDT: Watch Here
Game #8 Western Australia v FA Select - 3:15pm AWST/6:15pm AEDT: Watch Here
