Hannah Ewings, Lily Johnson, Yaz Duursma, Gemma Houghton and Sachi Syme at the IPP Wheelchair Football event. Image: Ruby McHaffie.

PORT ADELAIDE and Power Community Limited (PCL) have thrown support behind Invictus Pathways Program (IPP) Wheelchair Football event in the lead up to the clubs Anzac Appeal Round this Saturday at Adelaide Oval.

AFLW stars Gemma Houghton, Hannah Ewings, Yasmin Duursma, Sachi Syme, and Lily Johnson participated in the event, alongside six past PCL ADF Veterans program participants, and members from the Australian Defence Force All-Stars and Australian Combined Emergency Services (ACES) teams.

PCL’s ADF Veterans Program is designed to provide the necessary support for recently discharged Veterans transitions back into civilian life and help them find their purpose and identity away from the ADF.

The IPP is a wellbeing program for current and former serving veterans and first responders and uses the message from the Invictus Games to harness the power of sport, exercise and community as a wellbeing and rehabilitation tool for the physical and mental wounds our service men and women face.

The synergy between PCL’s program and the IPP provides the perfect platform for ADF Veterans to extend their involvement in various other support networks across the state that work to provide the necessary support required when navigating through the next chapters of their life.

The Invictus Pathways Program is a wellbeing program for current and former serving veterans and first responders. Image: Ruby McHaffie.

PCL’s ADF Veterans program manager, Will Northeast, credits both programs and the wheelchair football event as creating a safe and inclusive space which is critical in the transition phase for Veterans.

“The ADF Veterans program is designed to draw on similar experiences that AFL athletes experience when they depart the AFL system, with the feeling of needing to find a purpose and identity away from the game similar to Veterans when they leave the Defence Force,” Mr. Northeast said.

“The program has seen over 80 Veterans join in the last two years purely via positive word of mouth, demonstrating the genuine need and high demand for programs of this nature and is something we’re looking to grow

“To support the IPP in their programs that share the same values as ours is incredibly rewarding. To see PCL’s program participants connect with other current or former serving members of the Defence Force was amazing, particularly in the lead up to ANZAC Day.

“The success of the ADF Veterans program demonstrates the importance of community and support networks for Veterans, so initiatives like wheelchair football is a really critical part of their transition”.

Before the bounce at Port Adelaide’s Anzac Appeal Round clash against West Coast on Saturday, the club will play host to the ADF All Stars v ACES curtain raiser match at Adelaide Oval at 10.30am.