Gearing up for 2021

When we got told we were allowed to train in small groups, I was over the moon – to be honest, I was so happy just to get out of the house. For me, I love being outside and I'm very social as well, so I was itching to get back.

Obviously it was quite hard during lockdown, but as a team we did everything we could to maintain those connections and relationships with one another, coaches included. We had multiple Zoom calls with some solely focusing on team education and others being fun activities in-between. 

I felt strong during pre-season, I thought I trained pretty well and had definitely prepared a lot more so I could hit the ground running.

Kate Shierlaw in particular was pretty confident that I was going to have an impact this season, and our Strength & Conditioning coach, Ben Frith, was in the same boat. I've since been told he was actually chatting to Olivia Vesely at our final training session before Round 1 about it and how I was shaping for the new season.

About five or ten minutes after he said that, I did my knee.

Holding onto hope

So the funny thing... I didn’t actually know straight away that I’d done my knee. I didn’t hear anything, and I knew that was a dead giveaway when people hear a pop.  

I had never had any knee injuries before so I didn’t really know what to expect. No one was 100% sure of what I’d actually done either. When I first came into the rooms after it all happened, the physios were slightly inclined to think it might be an ACL, but nothing was certain at that stage. Because of that, I had my hopes up - probably more than I should have.

When I got the scan the day after, the doctors weren’t certain either. They said they couldn’t see anything obvious, so was feeling a little more optimistic. I thought ‘maybe I’ve done my meniscus or something like that that wasn't as bad as an ACL…'.

But then I got the call.

A friend while on the mend

I think because I had some little bit of hope it kind of hurt a bit more. It was tough.

Currently I’m just taking it day by day. I certainly don’t want to rush anything in the rehab phase, but right now there’s not a whole lot I can do up until the five-week mark.

At the moment I have basic exercises that I complete every day and I come into the club a few times a week to see the physios and discuss how I'm progressing. Keeping myself busy with university and getting out of the house has been just as important to me so I'm not constantly thinking about my injury. The only positive I can take out of it is that I have age on my side and enough time to best prepare myself for next season and the ones to come. 

My brother did his ACL a few years back – playing footy as well – so I've had him to lean on. He was able to offer some good advice and goals I can make during my rehab.

Having both Tarni and Nadia as well – who have been in the same position – gives me hope and I know they're willing to help me with anything I encounter along the way, both physically and mentally.

She knows first-hand how tough it’s been as she’s gone through it twice now, so it’s really reassuring to have her as not only a friend, but as someone I can go to specifically for that and feel comfortable talking to.

Two weeks post-op is probably the hardest time of the whole recovery, so Tarni and Nadia were talking me through it and helping me prepare for what I’d experience.  

They didn’t have to wait long before their surgery, whereas I had to wait about three weeks for the swelling to go down. They couldn’t help me a lot during that weird bit in limbo, but I definitely spoke to them afterwards about the road back.

How long until you’re on the bike? How long do I have to wait until I can do certain exercises? When can I run?

I reckon I’ll be asking a lot more questions moving forward, because that’s when I can start doing a bit more and they’ll understand how I’m feeling.

An eerie feeling

As weeks pass, it has sunken in a bit more and has gotten much easier to talk about it. 

Strangely, you do your ACL and you go back to normal… it’s weird to say. By the end of the three weeks, just before surgery, you probably couldn’t tell I’d done it. I was starting to get out there and do some skills, and I could do quite a bit except change direction.

It’s a weird feeling that I was able to feel normal after something so big as a season-ending injury. It’s probably more frustrating than anything, just because you feel almost right from a physical sense, but it is what is.

Coming off the crutches a few weeks back was a small win, and now I’m walking without a limp as well, so it’s little things like that which are getting me through.

It was hard when I initially came back for our Round 1 match against the Western Bulldogs... it was quite overwhelming. I think there was part of me that couldn’t even believe I’d done it myself. I had to put things into perspective quite quickly and just worry about what I could do moving forward to help out the term in the weeks to come. 

It’s only going to get better from now on, so that gives me a little hope and perspective.

With the Comets

My two brothers played at our local club, Kew Comets. Austin and Dylan are the reason I got into footy in the first place… them and my dad. Ever since I can remember, I’ve gone for Collingwood. It's safe to say I got bribed very early!

I loved footy and always went to Pies games from a young age with family and friends, but obviously had never played. I always wanted to play with the boys when I was younger, but dad wouldn’t let me so I had to wait until there was a girls' competition for my age group. 

When I was 11 years old, that’s when both my friends from other sports and siblings of my brothers' friends were able to come together to form a team. 

We just had enough to fill the side – no subs, no bench or anything, just enough to get out on the field each week. Bringing my friends along to play really encouraged other people they knew and it grew from there. The talk went around Kew and then before we knew it, we had somehow pulled a team together.

The side was a mix of ages; some younger, some older, but it was really whoever we could get together to get up and running and play. In simple terms, that’s how it all started.

Ever since then, it’s grown and grown. I was fortunate enough to be there the other week helping out at a training session. The Comets have now got eight girls’ teams in different age groups and I couldn’t believe it. It’s so good to see how far it’s come and how many girls are getting into it at such a young age as well.

X and the Doc

We knew each other a little bit before coming to the Saints. I knew of her and knew how talented she was, but we hadn't really spoken before.

We went to Nationals together in Queensland a few years ago, but because we played for different NAB League sides we didn’t really come together. The Oakleigh girls stood together and the Calder Cannons girls did their thing, so there wasn’t a ton of overlap there whilst we were away.

On draft day though, that's when it all changed. I was the only one drafted to St Kilda that was kind of her age – Tarni was in that crop too, but she was in Queensland at the time– so GP was rapt.

We’ve become really close over the past two years. We were quick to realise how similar we both were... we sort of think the same which is weird, and at the same time, we kind of balance each other out. I know that she’s a friend I will have in many years to come. It really helps that we both come from a strong Greek heritage as well. 

Coming from a Greek family background, we are all very close and supportive of one another. Whenever I play there’s a lot of my family that will come to watch, and it’s the same with Georgia’s family. Both our parents have become friends as a result of our friendship and Greek connection. 

They’re just so supportive of whatever we do and I'm so happy we can make them and other Greeks in the community proud. Both Georgia and I want to continue to encourage Greek women in the community to play footy and aspire to play AFL at a professional level.