The inaugural NPLW WA season is only four rounds old, but Abbey Meakins' return to the pitch is already one of the feel-good local football stories. The attacking midfielder was rocked by an ACL injury 16 months ago which threatened to stall her promising career, but through focus and determination she is back stronger than ever and now shapes as a key figure for Perth Soccer Club in 2020.
Meakins starred on Sunday as Perth defeated Subiaco 3-0 at Dorrien Gardens to move level with MUM FC atop the NPLW standings. In her first start of the season, she bagged two second half goals, one a left-footed drive from range to rival her eye-catching 30-yard strike against Balcatta in Round Two. It took her tally to three for the season, but it was the goal a fortnight ago in the Italian derby which validated the efforts of her recovery.
The 20-year-old entered Grindleford Reserve from the bench with 56 minutes on the clock and scored what proved to be the winning goal five minutes after her introduction. A quick touch to get the ball out of her feet, an awareness of Balcatta goalkeeper Gabby Dal Busco's positioning, and a perfectly executed lob which nestled in the back of the net. It led to an emotional moment for Meakins as teammates flocked from everywhere to celebrate with her.
"Trying to put it in words is hard to be honest," she said.
"Having that moment of recognition with the girls was so important after the hard work I've had to put in, because I really didn't think I'd get out there as soon as I would, so it was an amazing feeling to score.
"I was in space and I knew in advance of coming on that I was going to have a shot. Gabby (Dal Busco) was off her line a little and I just wanted to get into the game early.
"Luckily it went in because it was a close game and we really needed the goal as it turned out. It was great for the girls to get another win."
credit - @FootballWest YouTube Channel
It was a rewarding moment for Meakins which brought the recovery process full circle. Last year she finished the 2018/19 season with Perth Glory and the talented teenager was at the fittest she had been in her own words. She was ready to go for the new Women's Premier League season, fresh out of the NTC program after passing the eligibility age, and about to play in her second Night Series game for Balcatta. Confidence was high after making three appearances in the back end of Glory's W-League campaign before the unfortunate injury occurred.
"I went to turn on the ball and someone came straight through my leg with their full body weight," she said.
"I didn't originally think it was an ACL as there wasn't the initial symptoms of that injury, so it was a bit devastating when I received the news.
"Physically it was challenging. In the first few months there is a lot of simple exercises which you cannot do. You don't even think twice about doing them normally. I was also at university and still in semester working on my degree, so balancing that and my rehab was a challenge."
After the initial disappointment of sustaining the serious injury, Meakins was able to assess the situation with a clearer mind following a holiday with friends, which helped put things into perspective and gave her the space to set about her recovery on return.
"I went on a holiday at the right time with the right people, which provided the mental break I probably haven't had for eight years with all the football I've played," she said.
"It allowed me to come back and focus on my rehab and I started setting little goals month by month. Sometimes, if you focus too much on the end goal, you can kick yourself along the way so that worked for me.
"Then in March the coronavirus period happened, but in a way that became beneficial for my confidence, because it gave me the extra time to recover physically and mentally."
Meakins was competitive as a youngster with Australian Rules football and futsal providing the foundations for her love of sport, before her parents nudged her towards the round ball game, and she eventually joined school friends at Wembley Downs Junior Soccer Club.
Perth Soccer Club juniors was next for the goal-scoring midfielder where she played with good friend and eventual fellow Glory teammate Lexie Moreno. The girls were pitting themselves against the lads in the U13's boys Premier League and it set the pathway for her football to go to the next level. Coming home to Dorrien Gardens was always at the forefront of Meakins' mind, given the affection she held for club in that period.
"We went undefeated that season and I fell in love with the club from there," she said.
"I always wanted to come back and play at Perth if they had a senior women's team, but back then they didn't. The plan was always to return though because I love the people, the president, the facilities and the culture they build at the club. It really is a great place and I'm so pleased to be here again now."
credit - @FootballWest YouTube Channel
She rose through the grades quickly from there and involvement with the Football West National Training Centre (NTC) program was inevitable. It provided an opportunity for fast-tracked progression, to be watched by elite coaches and to train with Perth Glory. Meakins was involved with the program for around six years and cited the year-round training as being pivotal to the development of her game.
The opportunities then arrived to pit herself against other up-and-coming W-League calibre players in the NTC challenge, a tournament full of elite young women's players from around the state and country. From there, she was eased into the Glory setup on an initial training program, which eventually led to a scholarship, and culminated in two contracted years at the club. A meteoric rise which saw her meeting some of the biggest stars in women's football upon her first full training session.
"It was a thrill. Some of the top names in Australian football were there in Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Alanna Kennedy, Mackenzie Arnold and Danielle Brogan, who is now my coach at Perth," she said.
"Everyone else is obviously more experienced and stronger than you, and it was a challenge to adapt initially, but as you go on the girls are so lovely and the years at Glory were amazing for me.
"The biggest take for me was the preparation they put themselves through. The training is more intense than in normal club life, so you have to be ready to take it all in, be ready for every session and adjust to the high levels and speeds."
The class is permanent in the case of Meakins who in the present day is part of an exciting young Perth team which has exceeded expectation so far. The Azzurri have won three of their first four games with the most eye-catching result against Night Series champion Fremantle City on the opening weekend.
"I don’t think anyone would have expected us to be where we are with the fixtures we've had, and that’s down to the hard work of the girls and the culture we've set at the club," Meakins said.
"We thought Fremantle City would be the team to beat. It was a huge challenge, but we wanted to prove something as a new team with talented players who had not really played together before.
"Throughout the Night Series we had a lot of injuries so round one was the first time we had our full squad. We knew we had it in us and no-one else had probably seen it, but we started clicking a couple of weeks before the season, so the timing was perfect for that game."
credit- @FotoEnzo
The newly-formed women's NPL WA has started in exciting fashion with excellent viewing figures according to Football West, and a table which sees the top five teams separated by two points. The momentum from the announcement of the Women's World Cup a month ago has seeped into the competition and Meakins said there was a positive vibe among players in the local game.
"The competition wasn't perhaps where it could have been in the past, but this has been a great change up for the league so far," she said.
"I feel the talent has been split across the teams really well and it's never been so close. We are playing good teams every week and it is anyone's game this year. I know the girls are all super excited about the season.
"We now have the coverage on Facebook where we can watch all the games and analyse them when we previously didn't get to. It also creates opportunity and gives exposure to a lot of the local girls."
It is an exciting time for Meakins personally, too, as she edges closer to full fitness and puts the adversity of that injury well and truly behind her. The performance levels in recent weeks make it easy to see why she has shared a pitch with some of the best players Australia has ever produced, and that can only bode well for a Perth team aiming to add a senior women's trophy to their glittering silverware collection of recent years. But despite the growing highlights reel and increasing confidence in her game, a humble Meakins insists she's just enjoying being back on the pitch for now.
"The most important thing is staying injury free! I'm hoping the shorter season will help with that," she said.
"We'd love to win the league of course, but for now it's about continuing our form as a team and hopefully we can get some more wins on the board.
"I'm still busy finishing my degree and we are still waiting to see what happens with the W-League, but I'm really enjoying being back at Perth and playing football again.
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