It’s her third season on the GIANTS’ list but on Saturday Isadora McLeay will make her long-awaited AFLW debut.
Some follow an easy path while others lead a path less clear – and for 20-year-old McLeay it’s been the latter.
Selected as a replacement player ahead of season six, the fresh, promising and long-legged 17-year-old suffered an ACL injury in her first-ever training session at the club.
Given the sequence of seasons, McLeay was one of a handful of players – including teammate and good friend Isabel Huntington – that missed both season six and seven that played out in the same calendar year.
But at the end of training on Wednesday afternoon cheers erupted inside the gym at the VAILO Community Centre as the popular team member found out she’d be making her AFLW debut.
“Being in the middle of the circle for once was a bit overstimulating,” McLeay joked.
“But yeah, it doesn’t feel quite real, it’s all very surreal.
“It feels like a dream and something I've been thinking about for years.”
Whilst dealt a delayed start to her promising career, the former North Shore Bomber and inaugural member of the ‘The GIANTS Rehab Union’ said it makes Saturday’s debut all that more rewarding.
“It feels more humbling,” confessed McLeay.
“It means so much more then I think it would if I didn’t do my knee. So much work and effort has gone into getting me here – physios, strength and conditioning staff and everyone else.
“It’s very rewarding and I'm very happy to finally take to the field.”
It wasn’t an easy road to recovery for the now 20-year-old, with her recovery surpassing 24 months.
Cleared and available for selection at round two this year, the young defender still had one more hurdle to clear before running out in the orange and charcoal … selection.
“Yeah, once you get cleared you still need to prove yourself,” she said.
“It’s kind of mixed emotions and another stage of the rollercoaster.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to be playing some scrimmage games most weeks which has been great to build my confidence up and remember how to play footy again.
“Each week [waiting for selection] it’s been a bit nail-biting; you don’t know what’s going to happen and then to find out this week I really wasn’t expecting it.”
The roar of her teammates upon finding out the news was a representation of what she means to them but likewise, McLeay couldn’t speak more highly of the girls she has the pleasure to be surrounded with at the club.
“Some of them are my bestest friends and from the get-go they have just all been great,” she said.
“When I first came to the club and I did my knee not long after, I didn’t really know any of them, but they were all so supportive.
“Nic Barr was driving me to training every session. And the girls in rehab, particularly Izzy [Huntington] she’s been so supportive and certainly helped me through the ups and downs.
“To finally be able to run out on the field with them all and represent the GIANTS is a dream come true and something I won’t take for granted.”
It was a textbook response from the round seven debutant when asked what she would bring to Saturday’s game with the Saints:
“Competitive. Love to tackle. Fight until the end. Never Surrender,” she said with a cheeky laugh.
McLeay will make her debut this Saturday when the GIANTS take on St Kilda at RSEA Park at 1:05pm.
