AFL to include closed captions on club song in win for deaf and disability advocates

The AFL has belatedly installed closed captions on team songs so deaf and hard of hearing barrackers can join in match day singalongs.

All grounds will display words on the big screens.

The improvement has come after years of advocacy.

«Yeah, it should've [happened] maybe 10 years ago,» St Kilda supporter Jaqui Mellington said.

«But better late than never.»

Ms Mellington will get her chance next week when the Saints play Collingwood in round one.

«Sometimes I feel like people sing the song and I don't feel a part of it,» she said.

«I feel like I'm missing out.

»With the captions I can follow along and sign and hear what people are singing and I can sign alongside them.

«It'll make me a part of the crowd and I wouldn't feel like I was missing out.»

Collingwood barracker Calvin Black said it was «really hard» missing out on the team song when everyone else was celebrating.

He's rapt to have a chance to sing Good Old Collingwood Forever with everyone else this year.

«Because I can be more involved with my family, and I can understand more [about] what's happening in the game,» he said.

A women's Australian Rules football team secretly learns to sign the club's song in Auslan to surprise deaf teammate after a win.

AFL Disability Inclusion Manager Tim Nield said this was a step towards providing better coverage of the game for supporters.

«Coming to a game of AFL and being able to engage in the team's club song, whether it's been at the start of the game or at the end of the game, it's sort of been an opportunity starved of the deaf and hard of hearing community,» Mr Nield said.

«We're all about how can we make our game more inclusive and accessible to everyone.»

There will be no change to television coverage.

«We've got some grand plans when