A torn ACL sidelined her one day before her dream Matilda’s call up. Now Hana Lowry’s back

A torn ACL destroyed Hana Lowry's Matildas dream just one day before her debut, but the Sydney FC star is now eyeing the ultimate redemption story.

Sydney FC midfielder Hana Lowry seemed almost untouchable 12 months ago.

She wasn’t even thinking the worst when going down with the injury that cost her a Matildas debut. That’s when it hit her.

A torn ACL against Melbourne City only one day before joining the Aussies for her maiden call-up left her heartbroken.

“I thought it was just like a small knee injury, maybe out for a few weeks. I was obviously devastated that it would mean I’d miss camp, but to then find out that it was an ACL was really tough and the emotion around it was hard,” Lowry explained.

“From the biggest high of getting first call up to the biggest low of knowing you would be out of football for twelve months, I feel like that was probably the hardest part to accept.

“Football’s your whole life for so long. So when it’s taken away you’re just feeling a little bit lost.”

Hana Lowry is on the cusp of return after dream call up to the Matilda’s last year was cut short by injury. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Between family, friends and club teammates, Lowry’s support was overwhelming, but it was the words of advice from 37-time Matilda Clare Hunt that helped flip the 22 year-old’s mindset.

The Tottenham superstar herself suffered the same fate while playing in the A-Leagues in 2018, before returning stronger than ever and going on the highest level in England and for her country.

“She gave me the belief of coming back and working to get back into the Matildas and I feel like she was there to reassure me that it would be okay and that this injury wouldn’t change me as a player,” Lowry said.

Lowry revealed Matildas and Tottenham star Clare Hunt played a major role in helping her mindset during recovery. Picture: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images North America via AFP.

Hunt experienced a similar injury to Lowry’s in 2018 before returning strongly. Picture: Instagram

“That’s always a bit of a worry when you have an injury like that is will you come back the same or will it affect you even when you’re back playing

“She just said to me about how she didn’t even feel like she had the injury and that really helped me believe that I could come back and come back better and move on from it as well.”

After 54 weeks out of the game and almost 12 months to the day since surgery, the midfielder is now ready for a potential return this weekend in one of the biggest games of the season in the Sydney derby.

Lowry is hoping to land a spot on coach Ante Juric’s bench for the highly touted fixture, but isn’t putting too much pressure on herself.

As far as comeback games go, it might be the biggest in the A-League.

Lowry could feature for the first time this weekend in the Sydney Derby on the way to trying to crack a spot in the Matildas Asian Cup side. Picture: Instagram.

“It’s obviously one thing being back training, but it’s again getting that sharpness back, getting your fitness back, those kinds of things.

“Then myself is the confident side of it, knowing that, you know, I’m confident going into games, going into tackles and feeling good and feeling ready.”

The timing couldn’t be better with the women’s Asian Cup right around the corner in less than 100 days on home soil.

With her return imminent, Lowry is giving herself every chance to return to the opportunity once lost to her.

As the Matilda’s beckon, the youngster is looking to start knocking back on the door of Joe Montemurro’s side come March.

Originally published as A torn ACL sidelined her one day before her dream Matilda’s call up. Now Hana Lowry’s back