The Road to ACL Recovery: How one simple trick made a world of difference for Sydney FC star

With the new Ninja A-League season inching ever closer, aleagues.com.au caught up with injured Sydney FC star Hana Lowry, as she prepares to make her comeback from an ACL injury in just a few week’s time.

There’s a calmness about Lowry when she talks about her recovery — a sense of perspective that you seemingly only get when you’ve been through what she has.

In fact, she even says she’s lucky when it comes to the operation she had to undergo to correct her ruptured ligament, citing the size of the surgeon’s mark.

“It’s actually not bad,” Lowry told aleagues.com.au. “I had the hamstring graft but I’ve seen some girls who have the quad graft. It’s a lot bigger!”

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Hana Lowry of Sydney FC (L)

For 10 months now, the Sydney FC star has been sidelined, having fallen foul of football’s three cruellest letters: ACL.

That said, though, the midfield controller is smiling as she sits down with aleagues.com.au because she knows there is light at the end of the tunnel and she’ll soon be back on the pitch.

“It’s actually gone pretty quickly, to be honest,” Lowry said, having reported for pre-season training at Sydney FC’s Sky Park base.

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“I’ve been between Perth and Sydney during the off-season, and that’s really helped break things up.

“I feel like I’ve been progressing every week, and as hard as it’s been, I’ve actually enjoyed achieving little goals along the way — it’s made it a lot easier.”

But ask any footballer who’s suffered that dreaded injury and they’ll tell you that the journey from injury to clean bill of health is a rough one – both physically and mentally, and the optimism doesn’t always come easy.

“You hear from a lot of girls that ACL recovery isn’t always smooth, and that’s something I definitely found,” she says.

“I had a few little setbacks that made it really hard. I’m someone who loves to just get a program, go to the gym, and get it done.

“But there was a period where I was in pain and struggling — mentally, that was the hardest part.

“I felt like I was putting in a lot of work but not getting the rewards. But once I overcame that, though, it was such a good feeling.”

Lowry’s knee injury occurred at the worst possible time for both player and club.

Having just put pen to paper on a two-year contract to join the Sky Blues from Perth Glory, the now 22-year-old was beginning to settle into life both on and off the pitch, having relocated from Western Australia.

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Hana Lowry whilst in action for Perth Glory

But beyond that, the midfielder was on the cusp of what would almost certainly have been a life-changing moment, for she had just been named in the CommBank Matildas squad for their upcoming international matches with Brazil and Chinese Tapei.

Football, though, has a cruel way of bringing people back down to earth with a bang, and in the 73rd minute of the Sky Blues’ Round 4 clash with Melbourne City, Lowry succumbed to her injury fate.

“It was really hard because it felt like going from the biggest high to the biggest low in an instant.

“But I was lucky. My family had flown over to watch the game when I got injured, so I could go home to Perth for surgery and recovery.”

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Lowry after receiving her Matildas call-up

Whilst it’s not a positive by any stretch of the imagination, as a club, Sydney FC know a thing or two about ACL injuries.

In fact, a handful of players from last season’s squad have all suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury like Lowry’s, including club captain Natalie Tobin, CommBank Matildas veteran Kyah Simon and defender Kirsty Fenton, who herself was at the end of her own ACL journey.

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“I reached out to Nat, Kirsty, a few girls back in Perth who’ve done theirs, and also Kyah last season,” she explains.

“They helped me so much. When you’re going through something and you’re not sure if it’s normal, and they tell you they felt the same way — it reassures you. You realise you’re not alone, and that it just takes time.”

However, whilst their advice and support were no doubt invaluable for the Matildas hopeful, it was another teammate who arguably gave her the most useful tool in her toolbox.

Championship-winning defender Jordan Thompson has now left Sydney FC for pastures new, but it was the American’s simple idea which Lowry believes had the single biggest impact on her recovery.

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Jordan Thompson of Sydney FC (R)

“She told me she’d filmed a second every day during her ACL recovery,” Lowry says. “So I thought, that’s a good idea. It’s a reminder of how far you’ve come.

“There was one period where I was testing every week, and it wasn’t going up. I was like, what more can I do?

“So I started filming every stage of my rehab. Even just going back a few weeks and watching where I was at — it really helped.

“Two weeks earlier I might’ve been running with a bit of a limp, and now I wasn’t. Those small wins made such a difference.”

Now, though, the finish line is in sight.

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Not far off a year after succumbing to the dreaded injury, Lowry is back on the pitch, albeit slowly reintroducing herself to life with a football at her feet. A feeling she’s desperately missed for the best part of a year.

“It feels like I’m really close now,” she says. “I’ve started doing football work — I can shoot, kick, change direction.

“I haven’t started tackling yet, and that’ll be another challenge, but it feels close. I’m just excited to keep pushing.”

Whilst no exact date has been put on her recovery, Lowry is inching closer to a return and could even be available for the Sky Blues by Round 3 or 4, according to head coach Juric.

Having missed out on playing finals football last season, Sydney FC will be aiming to bounce back this coming season though and, equipped with a vastly different squad from the 2024-25 campaign, Juric’s side will once again be looking to reclaim both the Premiership and Championship trophies of which the club has become so synonymous with.

Sydney FC kick off their campaign with a home clash at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday, November 1 against reigning Premiers Melbourne City.