Jessica Powell injury: Plates, screws inserted in her ankle after she breaks tibia, tears ligaments

Jessica Powell has been advised not to return to the game she loves after an incident left her with plates and screws in her leg. She talks about the injury here and what the future holds. WARNING: CONFRONTING IMAGES

Rugby league player Jess Powell in action and inset the x-ray showing the plates and screws inserted in her injured ankle.

Jessica Powell is almost resigned to having played her last game of rugby league after a shocking injury late in the 2022 season.

The 29 year old suffered a weber b fracture with a syndesmotic injury which, in effect, means she broke her tibia and tore the ligaments around it.

It happened during a club game with Rockhampton Brothers, just several weeks after she’d enjoyed another standout season with the CQ Capras, who finished runners-up in the BMD Premiership.

Jessica Powell was one of the CQ Capras’ most consistent performers. Photo: Brendan Kirkman

Powell said it was an innocuous tackle in which the incident happened.

“My leg just got caught in the wrong place and I heard the snap sound, as did those in the tackle,” she said.

“Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt as much as you’d think.

“I was carried off the field and just put ice on it, thinking it may have been just a really bad sprain. I was still contemplating even going to hospital but when the swelling got worse, I think I knew something wasn’t right.”

The x-ray showing the plates and screws in Jessica Powell's leg.

Powell said she had done some nerve damage, which explained the mild pain she experienced at the time.

“I’ve got about four inches worth of plates in there now,” she said.

“They had to open it up and had to restitch the ligaments because of how they had to pull the ankle back into place and put plates and bolts into my leg.

“I have been advised by my surgeon not to return to football, which is a bit of a shame.

Jessica Powell's ankle had to be reset and her ligaments restitched after her shocking injury suffered in a club game playing with Rockhampton Brothers.

“It’s a bit disappointing to do it on a Sunday game at Victoria Park, but that’s what happened, that’s part of life and worse things could happen.”

Powell was in a cast for four weeks and then a moon boot for eight weeks, and has just started to slow jog again now.

Despite the devastating injury, she is determined to be part of the game.

“As soon as I knew I wasn’t going to be able to return (as a player), I wanted to still be involved,” she said.

Jessica Powell recovering in hospital after the procedure.

Powell said CQ Capras’ coach Amanda Ohl said there would be a role for her on her coaching staff, and she is also keen to lend a hand at Brothers.

“I didn’t think I could go cold turkey because it’s been my life for the past couple of years,” she said.

“I’m not sure what people do outside of sport but I guess I’m going to find that out.

“I’m still doing physio and going back to the gym so hopefully I can keep myself busy with the Capras and on the local level with Brothers women.”

Young gun Lillian Yarrow.

Powell said it was great to see the pathways opening up in women’s rugby league and there were a number of Central Queensland players who could well be making the most of those opportunities.

“In terms of the younger girls coming through, Lilly Yarrow is the name everyone is talking about. She’s extremely talented,” she said.

“Otherwise, across the board all those local girls who have played for the Capras including Sharni Upton, Gemma Brennan, Mikayla Roe, Bree Spreadborough and Mackenzie Reid - we’ve got some really talented girls here who genuinely enjoy playing good footy.

“They want to learn, they want to get better and they want to see the region get better.”

Originally published as Jessica Powell injury: Plates, screws inserted in her ankle after she breaks tibia, tears ligaments