Talitha Kramer never gave up hope of returning to Australia's top women's league, but her second chance certainly arrived earlier than expected.
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After recovering from a serious knee injury, the defender was plying her trade with the Illawarra Stingrays this year in the NSW National Premier League in a bid to impress a Sydney-based A-League Women's club.
The former Wanderers talent wasn't picked up, and Kramer instead planned on working hard at another shot in 12 months time.
And then she got a call from Wellington women's head coach Gemma Lewis.
Lewis, based in Wollongong and in charge of the young Phoenix in their inaugural A-League Women's campaign, was desperate to add much-needed experience to her squad, and the 30-year-old fitted the bill.
Kramer was the final player to sign with the club in December for the 2021/22 season, and is four years older than the next eldest squad member. She made her debut off the bench a week later and has since become a fixture in Wellington's defence.
"Obviously I came in late so I missed pre-season and had a lot of catching up to do in that respect. But given my experience, I've just tried to guide them the best I can and stay positive, and influence them the best way I can," Kramer said.
"The girls had a tough challenge coming into this competition, it's their first professional contract for a lot of them. But the girls are training hard, and we're trying to put in consistent performances each week.
"I'm honoured to be part of this club, it's an amazing experience that I wouldn't have had if I'd played for another team. We've got a big support network back in New Zealand, so it's nice to be part of that."
Kramer had her first shot in the A-League Women's when she signed with Western Sydney in 2017. She played 11 games in her inaugural season and had another 10 appearances the following season, before parting ways with the club.
Kramer then returned to the Stingrays. She was doing pre-season with the NSW NPL club in early 2020 when she suffered a mishap at training, cracking the articular cartilage in her left knee.
The recovery process took close to 12 months, but she never gave up on her A-League Women's dream.
"I knew that if I put the work in and did my rehab right, and took the time to do it correctly, I knew I would possibly get back into it. So I had that as an end goal basically," Kramer said.
"In rehab, you're doing a lot of it on your own, so it can test you mentally. But I had a really good support network and I was working with BaiMed Performance Centre, so I had the right strength program and things in place. So that definitely helped me get back to where I was."
The reward proved worth the hard work, with Kramer making history by becoming the first Illawarra player to represent the Phoenix women. It's an honour that she doesn't take lightly.
"I think when we're playing at WIN Stadium, it's sort of like I am representing Wollongong and the Stingrays in a way," she said.
"I've played with the Stingrays for 11 years so we're tight-knit and it's a family feel at the club, it has been that way since day one. They've always been really supportive and helpful in any way that I've needed, so I've got to give them a lot of thanks for that."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
