A major off-season hip surgery has seen Maddie Hay miss the first five rounds of the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball season, but the 28-year-old is in the final stage of her lengthy rehabilitation process and is set to return to the court on Wednesday evening.
The quiet achieving wing attack will line up for her junior association, Sutherland Stingrays, in Netball NSW’s PROVIDOOR Premier League competition on Wednesday, playing her first official match since the GIANTS’ round 14 match against the Melbourne Vixens last year.
As she eyes off an official return to the court, Hay said it’s been a challenging journey both physically and mentally, but she’s learnt so much.
“There’s a reason we play a team sport and that’s to be playing and training with your teammates and unfortunately rehab can be a lonely place sometimes,” Hay said.
“I’ve always been so used to training with others – even when I did compete in individual sports – so I have had to learn to be motivated in a completely different way.
“Doing my rehab sessions so near to the rest of the girls who were training together was tough, as you just want to be a part of it so badly. Even the conditioning and the hard days, you definitely miss the sense of shared achievement.
“If anything though it’s really certified that in normal times I really love what I do.”
This is by far the longest time the Sutherland Shire junior has spent on the sidelines, during her six seasons and 62-game career to date.
“I think prior to this the only other time I have been stuck on the sidelines was an MCL injury in an off-season a few years ago. And I knew from that experience, that I would struggle with any long-term rehab,” said Hay.
“I’ve learnt a lot about myself though and how to be a good support for anyone in this position in the future. I guess you don’t really know until you know.”
Ahead of her return, Hay can already a sense a different approach having learnt not to take anything for granted.
“I can definitely already feel a different approach,” she said.
“I look forward to enjoying it all more than I did before.
“I think I used to stress too much about the result of a game and spent a lot of time being nervous to properly enjoy playing so hopefully moving forward I’ll enjoy it a lot more like I have been with training in recent weeks.”
Hay will line up for her former Premier League side for the first time since 2019 and is set to match up against GIANTS teammates Amy Sligar and Monika ‘Otai as the Stingrays take on the UTS Sparks at 7pm.
Hay will continue to be guided by the GIANTS’ medical staff but is planning a return to SSN for the GIANTS’ round seven clash against the Mavericks in Melbourne.
