Sydney FC star Hana Lowry says she is overwhelmed with emotion after making her long-awaited return to the pitch, almost exactly a year after rupturing her ACL in November 2024.
Lowry stepped back onto the field for the first time since the injury in the 0-0 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers, completing a gruelling 12-month road to recovery filled with setbacks, breakthroughs, doubt, belief — and ultimately relief.
“It’s hard to find the words to describe how I’m feeling,” she admitted.
“It’s been a really long journey, but I’ve had some amazing people around me helping me get back, so I’m just so grateful to be on the pitch again.”
“The Most Nervous I’ve Ever Been”
Lowry didn’t know for sure whether she’d be subbed on having been named in the matchday squad for the Sydney Derby, but when she saw her number go up around the 80th minute, the emotions hit instantly.
“I was just trying to take it all in,” she said.
“Today I was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been for a game, but once I went on the pitch, I was fine.
“The build-up has been a lot, but as soon as I stepped on the pitch, it just felt so special.”
And now? She feels like herself again.
“It feels so nice. You go through stages where you don’t know if you’ll come out feeling the same — but I feel like I’m past that now. I’m just grateful to be on the bench, grateful to be back.”
The Tough Moments: “I Never Wanted to Give Up”
While Lowry never lost belief that she would return, she doesn’t hide that the journey had dark stretches.
“I never doubted whether I’d be on the pitch again, and I never felt like giving up, but there were definitely times where it was harder — when I was putting in all the work and my knee was still hurting.”
“I just had amazing people around me keeping me believing and pushing. I feel like I’ve come out of it stronger.”
Tears at Full Time: “My Mum Being Here Meant Everything”
At full time, Lowry fought back tears — a moment months in the making and she revealed that it was mostly down to her Mum flying more than five hours from Perth just to see her daughter step foot on the pitch again.
“The girls have seen me in the gym basically every day.”
“But also having my mum in the stands… she’s been by my side through the whole journey. She’s seen the good days and the bad days.
“Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without her. For her to fly over for the game — it meant everything to me.”
A year on from devastation, Hana Lowry is finally back where she belongs — on the pitch, in Sky Blue and we love to see it.
