’It was awful’: Wedding stress trumps A-League grand final for Sydney FC star Natalie Tobin

With four A-League grand finals under her belt, Sydney FC captain Natalie Tobin is no stranger to stress. But she says the pressure of organising a wedding topped them all.

Natalie Tobin says planning a wedding was more stressful than playing in an A-League grand final. Pictures: Getty Images/Instagram

Sydney FC captain Natalie Tobin is no stranger to stressful situations – she has played in four A-League’s Women’s grand finals – but even that didn’t compare to the stress of organising a wedding.

The 28-year-old married her partner Will in August – in the middle of the ALW offseason and her intense rehab from a ruptured ACL.

“Organising a wedding was probably the most stressful thing in my life,” Tobin said.

“Like managing full time work and playing football is a breeze compared to that.

“It was awful, the lead in the stress levels wise but oh my gosh on the day it was so worth it.

“We just had the most amazing day.”

Tobin actually played a back seat role in organising most of the wedding – with Will taking charge.

The couple, engaged last December, hadn’t even spoken about wedding plans due to Tobin being in the midst of a football season and rehab.

Tobin, a stalwart of the Sydney FC side, ruptured her ACL in round 1 of the 2023/24 season – leaving her to watch from the sidelines as the team claimed their fifth championship during her time at the club.

It was Will who suggested the couple get married this year – before the season started.

“He took the lead and organised the whole thing in three months, we had the most amazing day,” Tobin said.

“And now the pressure of organising a wedding is not hanging over me going into the season.”

Will has been by Tobin’s side throughout her difficult rehab journey. He was in the stands to watch as she got her first minutes on the park in almost 12 months last week – in a trial game against the Newcastle Jets.

Tobin played 60 minutes and couldn’t remember ever being so nervous as she ran onto the field.

Natalie Tobin is stretchered from the field during the round one of the 2023 season. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“I was so nervous, I was really in my own head wondering if I was going to be able to or not,” Tobin said.

“But once I was on the pitch I was like ‘oh I remember how to do this’.

“I had the adrenaline to help as well, the next session after the game I felt like a better player and more confident.”

Tobin said the only way to describe the rehab from the injury – which struck down 11 ALW players last season, was “tough”. 

“It wasn’t much fun,” Tobin said.

“When the season finished I had everything programmed for me and I was doing a lot with the men’s coach but a lot of it was self motivated, I’d go in the gym and the girls aren’t there anymore.

“It was really tough, the hardest part of the whole rehab was when the girls finished up.”

Adding to the struggle was the fact Tobin wasn’t being paid. The ALW only offers part-time contracts – with the minimum wage being $25,000.

This meant on top of her rehab program Tobin also had to juggle her full-time job.

“Because the rehab was so intense I felt like I needed to drop down work more than I do during the season,” Tobin said.

Natalie Tobin in action for Sydney FC. Picture:Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“Then there were the little things like the lights not being on because the team wasn’t training – being winter the sun goes down really early.

“The club was very supportive and I ended up training alongside the academy but it was still a lot of solo training and hard to manage full time work and full time rehab.”

All the hard work has paid off though with Tobin expected to be fit for the first round of the ALW starting on November 1.

“I love playing and I wasn’t able to do that for a year, I worked so hard to get back because I love it and once it’s taken away from you you really learn to appreciate it,” she said.

Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners play on November 2 at 2.15pm.

Originally published as ’It was awful’: Wedding stress trumps A-League grand final for Sydney FC star Natalie Tobin