Jillaroos star Kezie Apps named Illawarra Mercury Sportsperson of the Year

However, after months of arduous rehabilitation, she was able to return to the field in time for the Interstate Challenge and ultimately played a key role in the Jillaroos Rugby League World Cup victory.

Today, she has been named 2017 Illawarra Mercury Sportsperson of the Year for her achievements on the field and her commitment to growing the sport of rugby league.

Apps beat out a star-studded list of candidates that included surfing world champion Tyler Wright, swimming star Emma McKeon, Dragons forward Tyson Frizell and emerging golfer Jordan Zunic.

“It’s awesome to be named Sportsperson of the Year,” Apps said when told she had won the award. “Especially in your local community, to be recognised for sporting achievements I’ve done, I’m pretty shocked about it, it’s awesome.”

As someone who had never suffered a serious injury, the broken leg came as a huge shock to the system for Apps. Even more so when you consider she took up the sport of rugby league in 2013 with the goal of representing her country at a World Cup. 

What followed for the hard-running forward was a period of physical and mental struggles, but one in which she never gave up on her dream of playing in a World Cup. 

“It was a roller coaster year, it was pretty tough on me mentally as well as emotionally and physically. At the start of year I had my eyes set on the World Cup and a big season ahead, obviously that was taken away from me.

“When I broke my leg I feared I would miss the World Cup and I just thought this whole year was going to be wrecked because of it. I didn’t know how long it would take to get back to be able to play, I didn’t know if I would ever get back running at all.

With the fear of missing out on the World Cup looming large, Apps eventually realised that she had to maintain a positive attitude if she was to return to the field.  

“I surrounded myself with a lot of positive people and I changed my perspective on how I looked at life.

“I took things for granted for a period there, but with the leg I had to focus on the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives. That was a big part on how I got back so quickly, a lot of my success came down to my determination to be back playing as soon as possible.

“I didn’t want anything to stop me because I really wanted to get back for that Blues jersey. Once I ticked that box, there was nothing stopping me from trying to be well prepared for the World Cup and train my bum off and make that final squad.”

Apps made her return to representative football in NSW’s victory over Queensland in July’s Interstate Challenge at Win Stadium. From there she regained her place in the Jillaroos squad and was selected to play at the World Cup.

After comfortably moving past the pool stage of the tournament, Australia defeated Canada in the semi-final to set up a showdown with New Zealand in the final at Suncorp Stadium. Apps concedes the team struggled at times against the Kiwi Ferns, but they played well enough to record a 23-16 victory. 

For Apps, the hardship she was forced to endure just to reach the World Cup made the eventual triumph all the more satisfying.

“We’ve been preparing for it for 12 months, to get to that point and winning the World Cup, it still hasn’t sunk in. You set your mind to something and to actually achieve it is incredible.

“It was such an emotional time, you work really hard all year and to actually win it, it’s the best experience I’ve actually gone through, I still get goose bumps when I watch the final, watching the final hooter go.”

2017 also saw Apps make a number of big moves off the field. After spending three and a half years driving from Bega every weekend to play for Helensburgh, Apps took up an ambassador role for the Dragons and moved to Wollongong. 

Apps’ schedule is likely to remain booked out in the new year as she helps rugby league enter a new era with the launch of a six-team NRL Women’s Premiership in August.

“I’m still waiting to hear about the NRL competition,” She said. 

“It will be six teams and the Dragons are 100% on board with it. They’ll be putting their application in for a team. Hopefully they’re successful, there’s also State of Origin again, we have a stand-alone game this year, which is exciting.

“There’s so much happening next year, it’s very exciting to be a part of women’s rugby league at the moment.”

 After rules prevented Apps from playing in the local Bega boys team once she turned 11 years old, the 26-year-old is passionate about opening up pathways that weren’t available when she was growing up.

“We thought the competition was not going to be for another two to three years, for it to happen next year, I’m really looking froward to it.

“It will be great exposure for the game and hopefully more girls want to play. That was our goal for the World Cup, to have little girls sitting at home wanting to be Sam [Bremner], Ruan [Sims], or anyone from the Jillaroos or Kiwi Ferns. 

“That was our main focus, for more girls to be able to watch us and come to games and hopefully inspire kids to join, play rugby league, make new friends and get active. We’re doing our job and achieving what we wanted to achieve.”