Erin Phillips and Chloe Scheer have undergone successful knee reconstructions, and are now considering their playing futures

As the AFLW’s sign and trade week gets underway in Melbourne, Chloe Scheer and Erin Phillips are recovering from knee reconstructions and giving thought to their playing futures.

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Crows players Erin Phillips and Chloe Scheer are both recovering well after successful knee reconstruction surgeries over the weekend.

And while the club is confident Scheer will make a return to AFLW level, the 2019 premiership co-captain — who underwent surgery on Sunday, just over 24 hours after being crowned club champion — has less than a fortnight to make some kind of a decision on her football future.

As the AFLW’s sign and trade period got underway in Melbourne on Monday, Crows head of football operations Phil Harper said Phillips had to give an indication to the club of her intentions for next season by the end of the period on April 18.

Crows co-captain Erin Phillips is driven off the ground after sustaining an injury during the AFLW Grand Final between Adelaide and Carlton. PHOTO: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Under AFL rules, by that date, the Crows must have trimmed their list from the current 30 players to 22 (or 24, if they retain their two rookies Gaelic footballer Ailish Considine and netballer Maisie Nankivell).

Phillips, who turns 34 on May 19, ruptured her ACL in the third quarter of the AFLW grand final and is no certainty to return to football following her surgery.

Harper said the club needed “some sort of decision” from Phillips on her playing future by the end of the trade period.

“We’ve been in constant contact with her manager,” Harper said.

“But also, it’s a massive decision for her and her family, so we’ll give her at least until the end of that period to see what’s in her mind and if we have to do something to put her in a holding pattern well, we’re happy to do that as well.

“But we don’t want to rush what will be such an important decision for her and her family.”

2x AFLW Premiership (best on ground in both games)
2x AFLPA Player of the Year
Gold Medallist at the 2006 FIBA World Championships
Silver Medallist at the 2008 Olympics
2x @WNBA Champion

Tonight, Erin Phillips collected her second NAB AFL Women's Best and Fairest award. pic.twitter.com/5KKReYYhmE

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) April 2, 2019

Rising star, and big marking forward, Chloe Scheer, 19, also tore her ACL in the Crows 45-point grand final win over Carlton on March 31, and Harper said she had recovered well from her knee surgery, which also occurred over the weekend.

Harper said Scheer and Phillips’s injuries were similar, they meant vastly different things to the Crows.

“Chloe is young and (following her knee surgery) … we’ll back her in and see how she goes,” Harper said.

“If she’s not right for when the season starts (in 2020), that’s fine, she’s got a lot of talent and a long career ahead of her and we’ll back her and support her and get her going (again).

“Erin’s a little bit different.

Crows forward Chloe Scheer is helped off the ground by team medics during the AFLW Grand Final. PHOTO: AAP Image/David Mariuz

“We all know what a superstar player she’s been and how great she’s been for our footy club, but she’s got a choice to make and probably the No. 1 thing for her will be what’s best for her and what’s best for her family and as a club we’ll support whatever decision she makes.

“If that’s to stop and never play again, we’ll support it wholeheartedly.

“If it’s to miss next year and try and play the year after, we’ll support that.

“If it’s to try and get up and play next year, we’ll support that as well.

“But in the end, whatever Erin thinks is best for her family our club will fully support it.

“We couldn’t have found a person or a marquee player who could have been any better for our club that Erin has been and whatever she wants to do, she’ll have our full support going through her injury repair and rehabilitation.”

Chloe Scheer takes a hanger and Danielle Ponter finishes off the job 👌 Their joint effort earns our #SpecialKStrongPlay. @SpecialKAus pic.twitter.com/XlEBKHcRx9

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) March 31, 2019

Harper said the two women would be given the exact same treatment from the Crows as any male player who hurt his knee.

“They hurt themselves playing for our football club and they put their bodies on the line for our football club and we, as a football club, see that it’s our role to fix that injury and get them back to where they were,” he said.

“They know that they have our full support, whether that be with the best surgeons, the best physios, the best rehab people, they will get all of that through our club and we will support them through it and get them back to brand new.

“But unfortunately with those ACLs it takes a bit of time.”