Emerging West Coast Eagles defender Sasha Goranova was heartbreakingly struck down in round six of the 2023 season, after rupturing her ACL against GWS in Blacktown, ruling her out for the remainder of the season.
The injury required surgery and a long rehabilitation process, and eight months later, Goranova can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Rehab has been going well, it’s a long process but looking back on it, it feels like it’s gone pretty quick, especially over the offseason. I haven’t felt like I’ve missed out on too much,” Goranova said.
“Today I’m eight months post-op, so I’m in most of the drills now but I still need to tick some things off before I get ready for match sim and games.
“At the moment, there’s a lot of ‘pre-hab’ to do to make sure I’m feeling ready, and everything is activated before I train, then we will do some movement work, then go out and train.
“I go in and out of whatever drills I’m cleared to do, and then after training I’ll do a couple of rehab exercises before I join everyone else for gym, but it’s nothing too different, just some top-up stuff.”
The road to recovery from an ACL injury can be a daunting one, but Goranova said the best advice she can give to anyone going through the same process is to just take it one day at a time.
“For someone going through something similar, I would tell them to try and focus on what they can do now, and not look too far in the future,” Goranova said.
“Looking too far ahead, you just never know how your body is going to respond and there is so much you can’t control.
“So just do what you’re told in that time frame and do it the best you can and that will get you the best result.”
The Claremont Tigers product arrived at the Eagles in 2021 as a train-on player and over the summer of 2022 Goranova was signed as a mature-aged recruit.
The 22-year-old played all 10 games in her debut season and has become a key character within the Eagles AFLW program.
“I just love the connection with everyone at the club,” Goranova said.
“Whether its with the staff, the coaches or the players, we all just feel like one big family.
“I feel like everyone can just be themselves without the fear of being judged.
“Everyone is so unique with their likes and dislikes and their personalities, but everyone just gets the opportunity to shine and show who they really are.”
Goranova praised skipper Emma Swanson for her mentorship with the young and developing group.
“I really look to ‘Swanny’ for leadership and guidance,” Goranova said.
“She’s just been in the system for so long and she knows what works for her and what doesn’t.
“I really look up to her and like to see what she’s tried out and get her thoughts on things to help out with my game and my journey.”
The Eagles signed a number of new faces in the off-season, with a mix of both youth and experience to compliment the team.
“All the new recruits have slotted in and are fitting in really well,” Goranova said.
“They bring so much energy and just uplift everyone, and girls like ‘Drenno’ (Ali Drennan) and ‘Hosko’ (Jess Hosking), they just have so much positive energy.
“There’s definitely a lot of positivity around training and around the club in general.”
