The Northern Territory will take its biggest Toyota AFL Open campaign yet to Melbourne this weekend, with Territory footballers set to compete across Men’s Inclusion, Women’s Inclusion and Wheelchair football on the national stage.
The 2026 Toyota AFL Open will be held at La Trobe University Sports Precinct in Bundoora from Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 October, bringing together players from every state and territory.
The Territory heads south with plenty to play for, with the Men’s Inclusion side returning as reigning Division 2 premiers, three NT players selected in the combined NT/Queensland/Tasmania Women’s Inclusion team, and the NT Wheelchair team fielding an entirely Territory-based playing squad for the first time.
Men’s Inclusion
The Northern Territory Men’s Inclusion team returns after a memorable 2025 campaign, when the side claimed the Division 2 premiership with a thrilling one-point Grand Final victory over Western Australia.
The 2026 squad features a mix of experienced representatives and emerging players, with footballers connected to clubs across Darwin and Central Australia.
Among the returning players are 2025 NT MVP Dion Hunt-Bond, 2025 All Australians Jovanni Hunt, Hartlay Rowe and Brandon Redpath, and experienced representatives Isiah Keegan, Romone Lewin, Aaron Knight-Nilsson and Joseph Gibia.
Central Australia is represented by Pioneer’s Declan Anderson and Federals’ Hartlay Rowe, while Southern Districts’ Kei Leine is the youngest player in the team and will compete in the program for the first time.
2026 Northern Territory Men’s Inclusion team
Isiah Keegan – Darwin Buffaloes
Dion Hunt-Bond – Wanderers
Romone Lewin – Darwin Buffaloes
Kei Leine – Southern Districts
Jovanni Hunt – Palmerston Magpies
Declan Anderson – Pioneer
Ethan Knight
Hartlay Rowe – Federals
Aaron Knight-Nilsson – Nightcliff Tigers
Brandon Redpath – Darwin Buffaloes
Mitchell Hardman – Ballarat
Andrew Tserkezidis – Williamstown
Alex Cochrane – Geelong West
Joseph Gibia – Wanderers
Zachary Ireland – Williamstown/East Burwood
Michael Scholz – Kananook
Women’s Inclusion
Three Northern Territory players will be part of the combined NT, Queensland and Tasmania team competing in the Women’s Inclusion division.
Kiara Charlie of Nightcliff Tigers, Billie Boencke of Waratah and Azaria Bretherton of Darwin Buffaloes will represent the Territory as part of the combined side.
Charlie and Boencke enter their first year in the Inclusion program after previously playing mainstream football, while Bretherton was part of the inaugural women’s Allies exhibition match in 2025.
The introduction of a dedicated Women’s Inclusion division to the official competition follows women and girls exhibition matches at the previous two AFL Open events.
Wheelchair
The Northern Territory will also reach an important milestone in its Wheelchair program, taking an entirely Territory-based playing squad to the national tournament for the first time.
The side will be captained by 2023 NT MVP Zarra Chapman and includes 2025 All Australian Al McGowan and back-to-back 2024 and 2025 NT MVP James Chapman.
2026 Northern Territory Wheelchair team
Thomas Owens – Darwin Buffaloes
Lyle Markham – Southern Districts
Luke Olofsson – Southern Districts
Al McGowan – Southern Districts
Zarra Chapman (captain) – Fumbles
Erin Bormann – Fumbles
James Chapman – Darwin Buffaloes
Daniel Forssman – Darwin Buffaloes
AFLNT Participation, Schools & Diversity Manager Simon Lavers, said the 2026 campaign reflected the continued growth of opportunities for Territory footballers with disability.
“This is our biggest Toyota AFL Open campaign yet and there is plenty for the Territory to be proud of across all three competitions.
“Our Men’s Inclusion side heads back as reigning Division 2 premiers, we have three Territory women competing as part of the new Women’s Inclusion division, and for the first time our Wheelchair playing squad is made up entirely of Territory players.
“What we’re particularly proud of is the opportunity for players from across the Territory to represent the NT on the national stage.
“There’s a great mix of experienced representatives and players getting their first opportunity, and we look forward to seeing them represent the Territory with pride.”
The Toyota AFL Open is the AFL’s flagship national tournament for footballers with an intellectual impairment and wheelchair players, bringing the former Toyota AFL National Inclusion Carnival and Toyota Wheelchair AFL National Championships together in one national event.
Competition begins on Monday 12 October, with the opening lightning rounds continuing into Tuesday before finals conclude on Wednesday 14 October. Fixtures and results can be found via PlayHQ.
Selected matches on Tuesday and Wednesday will be streamed live on AFL Play YouTube and Kayo.