Adelaide United captain Isabel Hodgson’s painful journey to 100 ALW games

Isabel Hodgson ruptured a ligament in her foot with so much force it snapped her bones, but the Adelaide United captain has made an impressive recovery in time for finals. ERIN SMITH goes inside star’s tough road back to action.

Adelaide United’s Isabel Hodgson is set to play her 100th A-League Women’s match. Picture: Kelly Barnes

After rupturing a ligament in her foot with so much force it snapped bones Isabel Hodgson never imagined she would be playing finals football this season let alone her 100th A-League’s Women’s game.

The Adelaide United captain suffered the incredibly painful injury in her final NPL game of the season last year – just weeks out from ALW pre-season starting.

As soon as she felt the searing pain Hodgson knew she had done something serious.

Scans revealed she had snapped her lisfranc ligament and subsequently fractured bones in her foot.

She had surgery three days later.

“They put a metal plate in my foot with four screws, that was probably the worst pain I’ve been in, the week after the surgery,” Hodgson said.

Hodgson’s foot post-surgery. Picture: Supplied

Hodgson had to have a steel plate put in her foot after she ruptured her lisfranc ligament and broke the bones in her foot. Picture: Supplied

She was on crutches for two weeks and then a moon boot for two more.

“Trying to get weight back through it, get back walking and then eventually running was not a pain free experience that is for sure,” she said.

“I was trying to get some weight through it as quickly as I could because when you’re rehabbing a foot it’s your calf, your quad and your hamstring that get the pressure as well.”

Hodgson was in a moon boot for weeks following her surgery. Picture: Supplied

Once the bones were repaired she had to have a second surgery to remove the metal plate.

During her six month rehab it was watching her team win game after game – going from finishing bottom of the table the year before to being finals contenders, that motivated Hodgson.

Adelaide United celebrating a goal against Canberra United in February. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

“It was the toughest injury that I’ve ever had to recover from,” Hodgson said.

“The team really helped me through, the fact they were playing well created an environment that I really wanted to get back to playing because I didn’t want to miss out on playing with this group of girls.”

All up it took six months for the 28-year-old to be fully recovered.

While confident in her foot and that she had done the rehab right – getting back on the field for her first game was a nerve racking experience.

“I felt like I was back to my first season of the A-League the nerves were very strong,” Hodgson said.

“But as soon as I got on the field I was just so excited to finally be there, through all the rehab you picture that as the goal, getting back on the field. It is what makes it all worthwhile.”

Hodgson's 100th match will be during the A-League women’s finals. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Hodgson now has five games under her boots and is expected to play her 100th ALW game in front of a big crowd at Coopers Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

“When I did my injury I didn’t think I was going to get the 100 games this year just with how serious it was,” Hodgson said.

“So I’m excited to have ticked that box this season given how tough it has been for me personally. But for it to come around at Coopers Stadium and in a home final is not something many players get.”

Adelaide will be up against Western United. Having just beaten them 3-1 two weeks ago they will go into the clash full of confidence.

“The biggest thing for us is we just want to keep playing the football that we have been playing all season,” Hodgson said.

“We need to have the confidence that we are doing enough and not make any drastic changes.”

Hodgson said there was just something special about the team this year and she had no doubt they had the ability to lift the trophy in three weeks’ time.