National Para Football Championships 2023 Day 1 Wrap | Football Australia

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! 

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. 

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