The highs and lows of football are what make our game great.
Remember in Round 18 last year when Zac Tuohy kicked the winning goal after the siren? Think back to that feeling in your chest as he was lining up to kick. Whether he kicked it or missed it, the emotions running through Cats supporters would have been high.
The thrill of the unknown is what makes footy exciting.
The past week has featured extreme highs and lows for our team.
The highs came as we ran out onto Ikon Park for our practice match against Carlton last Saturday morning. The two-point win was a great start to the year.
The lows came when one of our own went down. Elise Coventry (or Flynny as she’s known amongst players) ruptured her ACL in the first quarter - a devastating blow to our group.
Many of our team have had ACL injuries and to see Flynny go down was a reminder of their own experience. For those of us lucky enough to have avoided the dreaded injury it was a reminder to never take anything for granted.
Chatting with Flynny I discovered that the 34-year-old had never previously done an ACL. Over her two years at the club she’d never missed a gymnastics session designed to prevent the injury and when the incident occured it was in a ‘non-football’ specific movement. There was no reason why Flynny did her knee and it would have been easy for her to drop her head and say, “it’s not fair”.
I’ve only known Flynny a few months, but I knew that wouldn’t be the case. Flynny is a leader in our backline. She is known for her actions and her dedication to the program. Speaking with our strength and conditioning coach Mon Kelly after the Christmas break she gave a glowing report of Flynny’s efforts during pre-season.
The day Flynny received confirmation of her ruptured ACL I saw her working out in the gym. Her positive attitude at what would have been a heartbreaking time is an absolute credit to the person she is. Even though Flynny won’t be with us on the field this season, I’m sure she will be there in every other way possible.
From the lows of Flynny’s injury, we returned to the highs of training for the first time on GMHBA Stadium and our season launch.
To prepare for our opening match the following weekend we had a practice run on the ground wearing our pioneer guernseys designed especially for the occasion. To make the moment even more special we trained in front of family and friends who were there for the season launch.
Walking out onto the stadium, seeing the goal posts, the thousands of seats, I got butterflies. To think that in just eight days time those seats will be filled with Cats supporters cheering us on gives me even more butterflies.
Post training the group showered and went upstairs for the function. Entering the room we were greeted by friendly faces, all mingling and happy. Player sponsors, family and friends made for a great feeling in the room.
Each player chose someone special to presented their jumper to them. Many of us chose our parents, but it was Becky Webster’s grandma and Julia Crockett-Grills’ grandpa that stole the show.
The highs will continue over the next week as we head into Round 1. The lead up to the game will be one of the most memorable moments of our lives. It’s time to soak it all up and enjoy whatever unfolds. Let’s hope we start the season on a high.
