Draft Diaries will follow Vic Country's Lila Keck and South Australia's Lauren Young in their final year of junior footy, with a number of check-ins across 2023. The star duo – both members of the AFLW Academy – are expected to be drafted to AFLW lists ahead of the 2024 season. This is the second piece with Keck, following an introduction in April.
LILA Keck's final year of junior football has been considerably more frustrating than first anticipated.
The Bendigo Pioneers captain was looking forward to leading her side in the Coates Talent League and sharpening her forward craft ahead of the NAB AFLW Draft, but successive ankle injuries halted her progress.
Just one week after her first interview with womens.afl, Keck tore ligaments in her ankle.
"Things have been a bit different this time (since the last check-in), I endured something I didn't think was going to happen," Keck said.
"I did my ankle about eight weeks ago, which had me sitting out for six. Perfect time to do it, mind you, before national champs.
"I was debuting for Essendon VFLW, and I played three minutes into the third. Injuries aside, great experience. Even though I was only in there for a short amount of time, the girls were unbelievable.
"I came back, then 'niggled' the other, which set me back for another two weeks, and now I'm back. I've played three games, and I'm feeling good."
Stuck on the sidelines for around two months, the ever-energetic Keck shifted focus, using the injuries to both joints as an opportunity to hone the other side of football.
"It's been the mental side of things as well, just the strength in not being able to do what you love, but finding other ways to enjoy football," she said.
"I tapped into the education side of things, did a bit of coaching at Bendigo Pioneers on the sidelines on the weekend, and learned heaps more doing that.
"We talk about it's a physical [game], we're always training and doing extras or in the gym or whatever, but with the injury, I did a bit of journaling, putting my emotions down.
"I tried to find things aside from football that made me happy. I probably improved my running, having that bit of a break, [now I've got] some fresh legs to take to the next level."
Despite the setback, Keck's overall goals for 2023 have not changed, and she's relished her leadership position.
"The end goal for anyone who's going to be sitting in this chair is to get drafted, but (I want to) just to play my best footy. I think my goals were to be a really good teammate, and to lead the girls really well this year.
"[Captaincy has] been lots of fun. I think my leadership comes naturally, so I didn't find it any more difficult or a stress or anything, being given the role. If I wasn't given the role, I probably would have still been the leader I am.
"Nothing's changed for me, probably just the fact I'm being watched a little bit more by my teammates and they ask questions and that sort of thing. I'm really enjoying that side of it."
Keck played for the AFLW Academy in its match against the under-23 state league All-Stars, and is set to be a senior leader for Vic Country in its three games, starting with a battle against Queensland on July 30.
She'll also be fuelled by an old reliable source of carbohydrates, her pre-game go-to dinner.
"It's what you wait all year for. I'm just going to go out there and do what I do, I'm not going to try and think about it too much, because I know going into national champs is your time to shine and people get caught up in that whole, 'I have to perform'," Keck said.
"If you just do what you do, and play to your strengths – I can hopefully play the way I want to play.
"Pasta the night before, pasta makes you run faster. Before the game, three weetbix with a bit of banana and honey, which is good, and a red bull. I don't really feel like I need it, it's just for the taste."
