Eighteen-year-old Brodie Taylor from Albury-Wodonga has made history—becoming the first known badged wheelchair netball umpire in New South Wales, and possibly Australia, to receive his C Badge accreditation.
Brodie’s journey into umpiring is remarkable not just for the milestone it represents, but for the determination and collaboration that made it possible.
“I honestly wasn’t planning on getting badged this year,” Brodie said. “I was just umpiring at a local Schools Cup event when Amanda [McLachlan] came up to me and said, ‘Look, we’ve all been watching you—we’re very impressed. Would you consider going for your badge?’ I thought, why not? My mum’s badged, and this felt like a good achievement—something I never thought I’d do.”
Brodie lives with acute transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition that caused a spinal cord injury when he was just seven months old. He has spent his life in and out of power wheelchairs and undergoing surgeries. Despite the challenges, netball became a constant—thanks to his mum.
“I was always around the courts with Mum on Saturdays. My sister was off dancing with Nan, my brother was with Dad at rugby, and I just sat with Mum. I started out doing stats as her team manager. I love my stats—that’s what got me hooked.”