WEST Australian talent Olivia Crane found out the hard way the importance of resilience when it comes to football, when the top-age AFLW Draft prospect tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a practice match just under 12 months ago.

The Subiaco prospect spent the year learning more about what goes on behind the scenes and in the coaches box of a football club, and admitted despite the fact the year had been a “mentally tough journey” she was pleased with the “pretty cool experience” on the sidelines.

“I think I’ve come off stronger, I feel stronger than I’ve ever been before, and my coach Baker (Denneman) at Subi let me go on the headset on the ground, so being able to learn the off-side of footy and how behind the scenes works, it was a pretty cool experience even though doing your ACL is not an ideal thing you want to do,” she said.

Crane recalls the moment it happened and said it was one of those surreal instances what she “didn’t think was true”.

“It took a while for it to settle in,” she said. “Once I had surgery and got through that, it was definitely a mentally tough journey, but the amount of areas I’ve learnt in footy, myself, off the game, it’s crazy. “I’ve learnt that resilience is such a key part in footy, you need that. To be able to learn it in a young age, it’s quite a good thing I’d say for myself.”

Despite missing her entire bottom-age year, Crane – who loomed as one of the top prospects from her cohort coming into 2024 – earned a call-up from National Academy coach Tarkyn Lockyer to join the best top-agers from around the country in the prestigious AFLW Academy.

“When Tarkyn told me, I literally cried out of happiness,” Crane said. “I was so shocked. “Because I did miss a year of footy, I was grateful for the opportunity, grateful to be selected from only not playing last year, it was just a crazy opportunity, I was super grateful to this day.”

As for how her training is coming along, splitting her time between the National Academy camps and West Australian state program, Crane said she was on the “modified list” now and cleared to complete some drills.

“Doing heavy change of direction and slowly getting back into contact now, so hopefully not too much longer now and I’ll be back in full training,” she said.

Fortunately for Crane, she was not alone in the rehab group for the National Academy, working alongside pick one contender Ava Usher. The Queenslander also tore her ACL last year and sat out the entire season, with the pair sharing their experiences and working with the physios from the Academy.

“Being able to work with her and physios over there, it was like an insane experience,” Crane said. “She’s crazy with how well she knows her body as well, so to learn off someone off who has done her ACL, and to be able to put both our perspectives together was an insane experience, and we got to do quite a bit compared to what I thought I’d be able to do.”

As for what her 2025 season looks like, Crane said she was just taking it one step at a time and make a successful return to the sport she loves.

“I want to enjoy footy, I want to come back and have fun, and be able to have confidence in myself to be able to play and not have to worry about my knee, just be back to my normal self,” she said. “I want to keep trying to be a leader with the girls in Subi and at state.

“In the long-term I do want to try and get drafted, but I’m going to try and take it day-by-day, week-by-week and game-by-game to try and get there.”