Renee Saulitis didn’t know exactly what it was at the time, but she knew something wasn’t right.

It was late last August a fortnight after St Kilda’s practice match with Brisbane and a few weeks out from the start of Season 7 when the young forward’s body was sending her signals she knew were outside of the norm. 

“One session I had to do some running because I didn’t play the game. I ended up breaking down in tears three times. I didn’t know why. It must’ve been my body saying something’s not right,” Saulitis told saints.com.au.

“I trained for two weeks, was a little bit hesitant. Even during those two weeks I felt really off. I remember thinking I should stop drinking coffee, as I felt really on edge and irritable.”

In bizarre circumstances three weeks after the fact, scans later confirmed Saulitis she had ruptured her ACL during that practice game.

At the time of injury, she had passed her change of direction test, went back out onto the field for a couple of minutes and even got a disposal before coming back off. A season-ending setback was the furthest thing from her mind.

But then came the prospect of a slow and onerous recovery clocking in at over a year, a whole season wiped from the slate and a gruelling physical and mental task ahead.

“Rehab is a lot of extra hours the main group don’t see. You’re in here later, finishing off your gym and your extra legs and conditioning,” Saulitis said.

“Initially, the girls were still training, so that was good while I had them around me. Then once it came to the off-season it became a little more isolating when I was in there by myself.

“Girls like Nicola Xenos were great to lean on, especially in the early stages when you’re bedridden. There were a few I didn’t even know had done one before, like Stevie (Nicola Stevens) and BJ (Bianca Jakobsson) which is quite interesting to see where they’re at now.

What guided the young Saint – dubbed ‘Arnie’ by her teammates in homage to Arnold Schwarzengger for the way she attacks her gym work –  most through the often lonely, gruelling rehab period was an innate sense of drive, focus, and determination.

Studying a degree in Exercise and Sports Science, Saulitis was savvy enough to find opportunity in adversity, fusing her grit, and prowess in the gym to expand her work beyond football.

Taking to Instagram and TikTok, Saulitis documented her whole road to back, with videos covering off from specific exercises, progress updates and strength work in the gym to educate herself and others, as well as help her stay the course.

“I think I just have (that drive) within me, to be honest. Maybe its family, or a genetic trait, I’ve just always had that. It’s instinctive to me,” Saulitis said.

“Most coaches have an Instagram page and post educational things and what they’re doing. I thought here’s a good opportunity to include stuff about my rehab, because a lot of people don’t really understand what you actually go through.

“Having the people around us all the time – physios, rehab coaches, S&C staff, teammates – you realise I was so lucky. To have my surgery paid for, whereas some people in local football have to wait so long to get theirs done, and they don’t have the support, and they don’t come back as well. I’m very grateful for that.”

Saulitis has since come out the other side after completing the major legwork, with eyes firmly on a return when the 2023 AFLW season commences in September.

Recently, the No. 13 re-joined skills training and struggled to wipe the smile from her face when recalling the time she was finally able to put boot to ball again. 

“There was a lot of pressure on my three kicks!” she said with a laugh.

“They didn’t go as I would prefer, but it’s just nice to slowly, slowly merge back into some more drills, and the girls are really excited to have me back as well.

“I think I’ll really understand how much I’ve missed it when I get back.”