AFLW finals: Pre-season knee scare gave new perspective to Kangaroos star Libby Birch

A key cog in North Melbourne’s AFLW flag tilt is grateful just to be out on the field after a near disaster in pre-season training.

Libby Birch is in the midst of a substantial tilt at a third AFLW flag, but says it will feel like a “bonus” just to be out there when an undefeated North Melbourne begins its finals campaign on Friday night.

When the star defender felt something go in her left knee and collapsed to the deck during a pre-season session at Arden Street in July, she feared she might never play a game at her third club.

Birch, 26, has in nine seasons never missed an AFLW game, and was thrown into a tailspin when she was told she had likely ruptured her ACL.

She said her first thought was that she had “let down” the Kangaroos after agreeing to come across on a two-year deal from Melbourne, with a bid for the Roos’ maiden premiership on both parties’ minds.

“It was devastating in those couple of hours, just because the club had signed me on for a couple of years, and it was an important year for the club this year,” Birch said.

Libby Birch will play her 89th consecutive AFLW game on Friday night after carrying the remarkable streak through time at Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and now North Melbourne. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

“I felt like in that moment I’d let everyone down. I hadn’t thought about myself at all in any of it, it was more just like, ‘shit, I’ve come to the club, and now I’m kind of useless’.

“I felt like I had a big responsibility coming across from another side to really try and impact for the team.”

Scans came back and to the relief of Birch and the Roos, she had ruptured her medial ligament but avoided damage to the ACL.

The qualified physiotherapist threw herself into the rehabilitation process, and managed to prove her fitness within six weeks to play in round 1.

“I would’ve found a way to be useful off the field, but it was an amazing result to avoid the ACL and only be out for six weeks and come back for the season opener,” she said.

“I was just thrilled, and in a way, every game this year has been a massive bonus for me, because at the time it wasn’t looking like I was going to play any this year.

“And I actually got to learn the game plan from being out of the drills, which helped me, coming from a different team.

“I had four to six weeks of doing that, which I think really helped me jell with the side and come in and have an impact.”

After Melbourne’s 2023 campaign came to a disappointing end with a straight-sets exit, Birch watched the Kangaroos storm to the grand final before they were brought undone by Brisbane in the decider.

Birch met with North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker less than 48 hours after the Roos had suffered a grand final loss to Brisbane last year. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

She met with coach Darren Crocker, list manager Flynn Loft and then-women’s football boss Nathan Hrovat less than 48 hours after the devastating loss.

“It was funny, I brought a little notebook and had some questions to ask ‘Crock’, and he had some questions to ask me,” Birch said.

“It was a lovely meeting, but also just insightful into what an incredible place the club is, and what Crock needed from me if I was to come to the club.

“My aerial game was obviously an important thing to the backline, bringing my intercept game across, but also the experience I’ve had in teams that have gone deep into the finals.

“I knew that I could help the backline and they could also teach me how to play their system.”

Birch’s experience playing for Melbourne in big finals against AFLW powerhouses Brisbane and Adelaide looms was important for the Kangaroos, and her defensive leadership increasingly vital due to the cloud over Emma Kearney’s availability for the finals.

Birch (centre) says the Roos being tested by Adelaide and against Gold Coast early in last week’s clash would be vital for their finals preparation. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

The Kangaroos captain trained hard this week to prove her fitness after missing the last five games with a significant hamstring tear, but was not named in the squad for the Friday night clash against the Crows at Ikon Park.

North Melbourne has only played once at the venue since its grand final defeat, scoring a 69-point win over Carlton, which had shown enough for Birch to think the conditions would suit the Roos.

“I think on a bigger ground, it suits us a little better in terms of being able to stretch the ground, use our ball movement a little bit better across the ground, and our fitness as well,” she said.

“Those are all strengths of ours, and I think they connect well with a ground like Ikon.

“That being said, we’ve got to be able to get the job done anywhere, and (at Norwood) against Adelaide, we didn’t feel like we played our best footy even though we got the win.

“When you are dominant and playing the way you want to play, your system is not getting tested, personally you’re not getting tested – so the game against Adelaide was perfect timing for us, it was what the team needed to go again and take the next step.”

Originally published as AFLW finals: Pre-season knee scare gave new perspective to Kangaroos star Libby Birch