The AFLW’s best player, Erin Phillips, is preparing to conquer any mental demons in her long-awaited comeback match.
The Adelaide star returns to action against Carlton on Sunday confident her reconstructed left knee is fully recovered.
And the dual AFLW best-and-fairest expects she’ll overcome any mental doubts that might plague her comeback.
“You do start dealing with that mental aspect,” Phillips said on Friday.
“It has been 327 days since the surgery so I’ve had that many days to not be nervous and stay confident.”
Phillips expects any mental jitters to ease during the on-field warm-up before Sunday’s fixture.
“It’s just a matter of getting the warm-up (done), getting amongst it and feeling good,” she said.
Adelaide’s co-captain ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in the third quarter of the Crows’ grand-final win last season.
Phillips had eyed a round-one comeback three weeks ago before suffering minor setbacks in her rehabilitation
“There were definitely days it did seem really hard,” she said.
“Somedays I feel like my leg was 100 per cent, feel like I could play the next day. The very next day, I feel like I was two weeks back.
“It’s definitely a mental challenge and days where I felt ‘God, this is really tough’.
“But I love footy. I have always loved footy … whether I play one game or 20 more games, I’ll just be glad that all the rehab to this point was worth it.”
Phillips planned to play the entire game on Sunday in her customary dual role as a midfield and forward.
“I definitely think there will be a few rusty weeks,” she said.
“I haven’t put any standards on my own personal performance other than just playing my guts out and leaving it all out on the field – playing every single game like it could be your last.”