Sydney Swans AFLW co-captain Maddy Collier takes patient road to recovery

The South Coast talent should be gearing up for the most exciting day of her career as the Sydney Swans create history when they play their inaugural AFLW game against St Kilda on Saturday.

Instead, Collier will be forced to cheer on from the sidelines at North Sydney Oval as she continues a slow recovery from a serious ankle concern.

It's an issue that dates back to when Collier was playing for her previous club, West Coast Eagles, with the 26-year-old breaking a bone in her left ankle during last year's AFLW campaign.

The former Wollongong Saints player had six weeks of non-weight bearing before she began the rehabilitation towards running again.

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In March 2022, Collier announced that she would depart the Eagles to head back to NSW and join the newly-formed Swans. The defender was back running when pre-season training began about 10 weeks ago, however, she picked up a stress in her other ankle bone.

The fresh injury has caused her to have a long, slow pre-season. While her teammates have been busy building up their skills and fitness base, Collier has been forced to stay patient during the rehab process.

"I've still been able to do gym work, like all of the other girls, and I've probably had more time to do some extra upper body stuff. But mostly, I've been doing a bike session, where I'm chasing the RPMs (revolutions per minute) or watts," Collier told the Mercury.

"To be honest, I got sick of the bike, so I asked if I could mix it up. Now I do lots of assault bike, grinder, SkiErg and ropes, as well as boxing and swimming.

''I like the training that keeps you guessing and I was going mad in the early days of rehab because I was on the bike every day. It's been good to get my training a bit more spicy because I haven't been able to do footy skills.

"But I'm starting to get back running, which is good, and last week I did my first skills session for the whole pre-season, which was awesome. We're taking more of a conservative approach this time around. As frustrating as it's been to not be out there training with the girls, I'd rather that than get another bone stress injury."

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However, there has been a silver lining for Collier.

Time spent away from the field has allowed her to develop a greater understanding of Australian Rules football, as well as a chance to grow her leadership skills.

It's a dedication that hasn't gone unnoticed. Collier was last week named in the Swans' inaugural leadership group and, on Wednesday, she was announced as one of three co-captains alongside Brooke Lochland and Lauren Szigeti.

"It's another 'pinch me' moment in my Swans journey so far," Collier said.

"Rehab teaches you a lot of things about yourself and it's a really good self-reflection on how you want to operate and how you can still turn up for your team, even if you're not playing. I've found those equal parts challenging but rewarding, because it gave me a different perspective and time to think about the off-field connections that you want to make in a young group. I don't like to just sit there and twiddle my thumbs. I like to have objectives to achieve.

"I've also been chatting a lot more to our coaches. Not so much with an interest in a coaching role, but just looking at the game through their eyes. And I've been trying to help out the backline as much as I can without being on the field. I feel like when I do start playing again, I will have all of these other strings to my bow."

Sydney is Collier's third club, following stints with the Giants and West Coast - both club which she joined in their debut seasons.

Her AFLW journey began in 2017 when she became the first NSW/ACT player to be selected for the GWS women's team. Collier spent three seasons with the club, representing them in 15 games before heading west to join the Eagles ahead of the 2020 campaign.

Collier showed plenty of promise in her inaugural year. However, her following 2021 season was cut short due to that ankle injury. After playing 19 matches for West Coast, she opted to join the newly-formed Swans ahead of the 2022 competition which kicked off on Thursday night.

Collier said all three clubs had provided her great learning curves.

"There's always things that will be similar, and there's always teething issues that you find at any club. But each club operates a bit differently and they all have their ways of carrying out processes, views and game styles," she said.

"The Swans have been so good at integrating us into the program. I'm not saying that any other club I've been at hasn't, but the Swans are just next level. It's a really exciting time to be at the club. The Swans have high standards and know how to achieve it, and you've just got to get on board. I'm really loving my time here."

As for on-field expectations, Collier isn't sure what to expect this season.

Led by former North Melbourne head coach Scott Gowans, the Swans squad boasts several players with previous AFLW experience, including Lochland (Bulldogs), Alana Woodward (Richmond/St Kilda) and Aliesha Newman (Collingwood).

However, their team in 2022 will feature plenty of youth, with the likes of Woonona's Ruby Sargent-Wilson vying for a spot.

"It's funny, I look at some of the young girls now and think 'you don't know what's around the corner'. Their inexperience is quite obvious to me because I've been in it a long time. But it all works well here. The older girls bring experience and game knowledge, but the youth bring the energy and enthusiasm and passion," Collier said.

"I'd love to win more than we lose, which is an obvious thing to say. But looking at our [recent] practise match against Collingwood, our first half was awesome. I think if we play like that for four quarters, we'll take it up against any team.

"It's going to be a challenge when we've had a short pre-season, these things take time, but finding that consistent four-quarter effort is the main goal."