Albury to host Deaf Football Carnival for first time at Bunton Park

North Albury's Bunton Park will stage the 2019 Deaf Football Carnival on June 8 - the first time the event has been staged outside the capital cities.

Six from the region will feature in the carnival for the Rebels - consisting of players from outside of Victoria to face the Devils, a solely Victorian side.

Joel Hartley will coach and play in the Rebels men's side alongside Declan Campion, Ben Lee and Luke Lancaster, while Natasha Ruskin and Lisa King will line up for the Rebels women.

Event organiser Tanya Campion led the charge to have it played in Albury.

"Two years ago it was in Adelaide and we were driving back and I got a message from Tanya Morgan, who generally runs it, and she asked for my thoughts on having their home game in Albury," Campion said.

"It seemed like it was never going to come around and all of a sudden it hits you.

"Between Joel and Declan's involvement we got it here and because we're involved with North Albury, it was easy to organise it at Bunton Park.

"Having the football ground right beside where you can have the function is practical as well.

"That's why the O an M draw was rearranged to have the season opener.

"North Albury played that first round so they could have the long weekend in June for this.

"The league was very accommodating, which was really good."

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Campion describes the event as an "old-style state of origin".

"It's Victoria against the rest of the country," she said.

"There's some coming from Perth, a lot from Adelaide, the Northern Territory and Canberra.

"That's where the Vics always have an advantage because they train together all the time."

Hearing impairments vary from player to player, but the game is played in complete silence to ensure a level playing field for all.

"Declan doesn't sign very much, he has a cochlear impairment and speaks as well as you and I, whereas Ben (Lee) doesn't speak at all, he purely signs," Campion said.

"The first year Declan played I was in tears.

"He's come from the O and M where it's all pretty civilised to getting hit from behind (laughs).

"At one stage they carried him off the ground and five minutes later he was straight back out there.

"The next year was better because he knew what was going on.

"Because they can't hear the whistle, the umpires have flags (to signal decisions)."

Deaf Sport Australia, in conjunction with the AFL, has been in contact with Campion to float the idea of turning it into a bigger, week-long carnival.

"Trying to fund it is the biggest killer, especially when you've got people that have got to come from all over the country and they've got flights and accommodation," she added.