AS A former No.1 pick with two knee reconstructions under her belt, Fremantle's Tiah Haynes has a point to prove in next year’s NAB AFL Women’s competition.
The midfielder/defender was the first selection in the 2014 mini-draft for the exhibition series matches between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, but tore her ACL just four days later in a club match.
"It was a pretty up-and-down week to say the least. I was on such a high and then to have that happen – on my birthday as well, which was a bit of a downer – was disappointing. (But) you just have to take the positives out of it," Haynes said.
The second tear occurred a year later when Haynes was representing Western Australia in their first ever win over Victoria.
"They (the injuries) definitely made me stronger as a person. You learn to cope with a lot of things when you have injuries like that," she said.
Despite not having played a match since undergoing her second knee reconstruction, Fremantle coach Michelle Cowan had seen enough of Haynes' footy to draft her with the Dockers' fifth pick (No.36 overall) in October’s draft.
"I worked with Michelle in our state games. She's an outstanding coach, and I can't wait to work with her again,” she said.
"I'm now in full training. We're just taking it easy at the moment to get my confidence back up. (But) there are no physical limitations to what I'm doing."
The 23-year-old from WAWFL team Coastal Titans has good footy bloodlines, with her dad John having played for Perth in the WAFL.
"I grew up watching and being around footy," Haynes said.
"I had an older brother who played footy, and I used to go to just about every single game of my dad's as well. So I grew up not really knowing anything better than to have a real passion for football."
The depth of women’s football in Western Australia is underlined by the fact eight of the 16 marquee players in the competition are from the state, as are all 28 members of Fremantle's squad.
The team started training a few weeks ago, and the first session will remain a cherished memory for Haynes.
"We had the team song playing when we ran out, there were a lot of people there and we had so much support," she said.
“It's a great memory to have … we were the first ones to do it."
In an interview in 2012, Haynes had said she hoped she was still young enough to play in a national competition.
She remains well aware of the importance of next year in the history of women's football.
"Definitely the cup's the main focus for our club, but working together as a team and helping build a national women's competition is the main focus for everyone," Haynes said.
"We want to work together to create history."
