By Ken Anthony, Perth SC Blind Football Team Head Coach
Still Undefeated and Full Steam Ahead in Our 2025 Season!
Firstly, a huge thank you and congratulations to both our NPL Men’s U18 and U23 squads who came down to participate in our Blind Futsal WA training session this weekend.
They were thrown straight into the deep end with only a brief induction to the rules and conditions of blind futsal. Yet, they rose to the challenge—quickly learning to attune their senses, communicate on and off the ball, and coach each other through positional play using sound, teamwork, and intuition.
We escalated the difficulty by adjusting their vision to simulate full B1-level blindness. Despite the overwhelming conditions—including disorienting sound reverberation in the indoor court environment—their commitment and willingness to immerse themselves fully was commendable.
The U18s had the support of their families and friends from the sideline, helping boost morale through what was a physically and mentally demanding environment. Meanwhile, our PSC Blind team also had to adapt quickly to the echo-heavy space, which challenges balance, orientation, and spatial awareness.
Despite this, our squad pulled together and played exceptional futsal—stringing together multiple passes and scoring some stunning goals across both matches, including a cutback and volley that left the goalkeeper frozen in place!
It’s vital to remember: all our on-field players are blind or have vision loss. Our only fully sighted player is the goalkeeper, who plays a crucial anchor role—guiding, coaching, and communicating instructions throughout the match. Both visiting goalkeepers conceded several goals, which saw our blind team secure back-to-back victories once again.
But beyond the scoreline, the true victory was the shared experience of challenging, fast-paced, and inclusive football. One takeaway for all players was the need to improve communication—both individually and as a squad—especially in tight situations. There’s also room to increase physical intensity when pressing and contesting the loose ball.
We deeply appreciate the time and energy these young men brought to our session and hope they carry some part of this experience back into their own training and match play on the full-size pitch.
We’d also love to extend an open invitation to the wider PSC family and community: if you haven’t visited our home ground, we’ve got a few fixtures left this season and would love to see your support! Come and cheer on our 18s and 23s who proudly wear the Azzurri jersey, and experience the incredible inclusive atmosphere of blind futsal.
📅 We generally play every Sunday
🕘 9:00–11:00am
📍 Dorrien Gardens