Jayden Sigg, pictured with his aide Emily White, can barely see on the football but it doesn’t stop him
By LIAM TWOMEY
WHEN it comes to football Jayden Sigg has two favourite things. Naturally, one of them is playing in the
mud.
“You get to get out there and kick the football and you get to get dirty,” the nine-year-old said.
Every Sunday morning Jayden puts on his Albion jumper and runs out with his teammates in the Western
Region Football League under 10’s.
The only difference for Jayden is that he can barely see.
The St Albans resident plays with impaired vision. He is completely blind in one eye and has no central
vision in the other.
But that doesn’t stop him from getting a kick.
The young sports nut just can’t get enough of it, according to his mother Missi Brown.
“Whether it’s football or cricket or just whatever is on TV he is always watching sport, she said.
“He started with Auskick and has just kept going from there.”
Of course life on the football field with impaired vision is no walk in the park. But apart from a slight rule
change he is just one of the gang when he crosses the white line.
“At first it took some getting used to for the other kids because I don’t think they realised,” Ms Brown said.
“They were getting a bit upset that they were losing and that Jayden wasn’t seeing the ball coming.
“Now that they realise they know to call his name out and they really work with him.
“The only rule they have for him separately is that he can’t be tackled.
Everything else is exactly the same as all the other boys.”
Ms Brown praised the Albion coaches, off-field staff and Jayden’s visual aide Emily White for making it
all possible.
“Emily has been absolutely magnificent with Jayden. She sees quite a few kids in the western suburbs
with visual issues and she is just fantastic.”
With his 10th birthday just a few months away, this will be Jayden’s last season of football unless he
can get a special clearance from the league.
“We have explained to him that is it because of his vision and the football gets a bit more serious at the
next age group,” Ms Brown said.
Western Region Football League CEO Bob Tregear said the league had made allowances in the past for
cases like Jayden’s.
“We do like to encourage all kids to stay involved,” he said.
If Jayden isn’t allowed to play on next season, that won’t stop him from joining his mates at the football.
He has already been offered a role as assistant coach in the Albion under 12’s.
