Lessons Learnt: Lisa De Vanna

De Vanna in full flight for the Matildas | (Credit: Cam Wheeler)

Picture this:  You are 18 years old and have been playing football for just two years and a goalkeeper for just six months.

You are the first team's reserve goalkeeper and the team has just been promoted to the WA Women's Premier League.

Leading into the next game, the starting 'keeper is ruled out and your in. You're excited right?   Then you find out you are playing the Stirling Reds, the dominant side in the competition, and their striker is Lisa De Vanna.

That is how I first met Matildas striker Lisa De Vanna. Although "met" is a bit strong, she probably doesn’t remember it and I mostly saw her boots and 6 or 7 goals (lost count after 5) go by me.

That was 8 years ago and in that timeframe I have "retired" while De Vanna has gone on to become one of the best strikers in the world, and alongside Marta, one of the most exciting. It's been a long and at times tough road for De Vanna.

Her determination, fierce competitiveness and love of the game has always got her through but in this year's Asia Cup all of that was to be challenged. In a match she was not supposed to play, the striker sustained a painful broken leg against China in May. It was her first major injury and the rehabilitation would take 6 long months.

Last weekend De Vanna played her first minutes since that day on 23 May.  In that interval there has been plenty said about her in recent months.  However, the one thing she has always been in the time I've known her is honest.

Sometimes brutally! With herself and those around her and that's what I got when I caught up with her to find out what its taken for her to return to the game she loves.

Lisa, how did you feel after your first game with Brisbane Roar?

I just forgot the intensity of the game. My legs, my body were a bit a sore as you know I have been out of the game for six months. To get back in it was very tough mentally and physically.

When you first sustained the injury, what were your initial thoughts?

I actually thought I did something to my ankle and my initial thought was "Oh my God, if I've done something and we have got Japan in the semi-finals and I don't play in that, its going to kill me".

I was just thinking "I've damaged myself when I wasn't supposed to play this game and I have just missed out on the most important game".

When did you realise the full extent of the damage and how did you react to finding it out that you weren't going to participate further in the Asian Cup?

When I found out I had broken my leg I was telling the doctor that "No, you've made a mistake" and even when he showed me the x-rays I was still arguing with him.

Then the thoughts were "We have the semi-final and I'm not in it."  Then "Will I ever be the same player?".  I was so overwhelmed with all these emotions.

What was it like watching your teammates battle through the Japan game and then claim the Asian Cup?

I refused to take painkillers for the Japan game because I wanted to feel every emotion the girls went through. I was in tears that day and just distraught because the girls were going out to play a big game and I couldn't contribute.

At the time I was rooming with Katie Gill, who is one of my best friends, and she wrote me a little note saying "I am going to go out there and I promise you I will take you to the World Cup".

When she scored the goal, I was in tears and just jumped on her and thanked her for keeping my dream alive. After that I went on painkillers and I can't remember the rest of the tournament!

You are always very active so what was rehab like for you?

I have never had a serious injury in my whole life. I have had slight injuries and I have always said "It's fine, I can pull through it." So when you are told your body can’t do that and to slow down it was the hardest thing I ever had to go through in my football career.

How did you respond to the setbacks you had along the way?

At the time I was emotionally a mess and I couldn't talk to anybody. I don't think even God himself could get me out of the mood I was in.

But as time passed I started to learn more about myself. More about my body, my mind and I had to learn something from it. I didn't want to come out of this and not learn anything from it.

Now have learnt that you have to listen to your body, take time and be patient. Playing my way and the way I do things is so mental, so aggressive and intense. Taking that out was really tough for me to do.

What about the Facebook incident. Plenty was said, what are your feeling about going through all of that?

I don't want to make too much comment about it. It was a misunderstanding and there was incorrect judgement of my character. I am now just out to play the game and get my reputation back.

You are now at Brisbane Roar. How did all of that come about for you?

I have been playing for Perth for a couple of years and its been rough and patchy at times. Coming back from the injury I needed to go someplace where the environments good, I can get proper treatment and it has the facilities.

Brisbane's always been a side that I admired and I have a few close friends that live here. I think that it was a great move and things are going well. I am quite happy with the decision that I made and where I am at.

Perth Glory were at a different stage with a young squad while Brisbane could almost be a Matildas team on their own. How are you finding it all?

It's been great. The best thing about it is the girls know what I am like. So if I'm frustrated and yelling, they know that’s just me and don’t take it personally. They have just been great about it.

Also the quality of training and play is just what I need at the moment. I am not as confident and am coming back from this injury so to be around quality all the time will help me recover quicker.

You have always been quite fearless on the pitch. Has that changed after the way you sustained the injury?

Yes, definitely. That has probably been the biggest challenge about coming back. I just can't seem to mentally put my body in those positions yet. I am still a bit scared where I am at.

I still wonder if I am going to be the same player as I was before. I really wonder what's going to come out of it. I want to be back to where I was but sometimes I have that doubt and I still have good days and bad days from this injury. That is probably what is the biggest challenge.

Lisa, its great to have you back in the game and best of luck for the rest of the season.