https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/from-a-wleague-grand-final-loss-townsville-star-taylor-ray-finds-a-light/news-story/478a511f59f7538ca942e807887b8b6d IT IS difficult for Taylor Ray to put into words what a W-League grand final appearance meant. Elation, pride and the realisation of a dream — the rush of emotions nearly overwhelmed the Townsville product prior to kick off. Melbourne City got the better of the 18-year-old’s Sydney F.C. in a 1-0 thriller. But Ray’s recent years have been tumultuous ones on the injury front — this achievement, regardless of the result, was a culmination of countless hours of hard work and harrowing thoughts. The grand final was only her fifth game back to full fitness after sustaining her second ACL injury in January last year. It led to a plethora of bad thoughts and doubts, but the desire to do her family proud and get back to the game she loved acted as a powerful catalyst throughout her rehabilitation.
Ray had left her family and friends behind in Townsville, she was not about to let her dream slide so easily. “I’m not going to lie I went through a very bad stage, a depressing feeling in that first month,” Ray recalled. “But for me I’d already made so many sacrifices. The thing that keeps me going is trying to make my family proud. “I felt like I let them down and I’ve always been a positive minded person in the long run. “My ultimate passion is the game and I wanted to get back to it, that’s what kept me driven.” When Ray was once again able to pull on the Sky Blue jersey, it was a realisation nothing was out of her grasp. It was the moment she realised she had made herself and her family proud, with her teammates in tow enduring her struggles by her side. The fact her return came against the Western Sydney Wanderers — the team she suffered the injury against — was a poetic circle of events. “I had a lot of nerves and was stressing quite a lot,” Ray said of her impending comeback. “There was a slight bit of fear, there always is for your first game back because you just don’t know what’s going to happen. “The moment I put my jersey on and stood on the field that’s when it became real. You don’t really believe it until you’re there. “To be out there with the teammates who I’ve gone through these struggles with made it all the more surreal.” Defeat may not have been the way the Junior and Future Matildas midfielder envisioned her maiden grand final appearance, but given the current climate she said it was better than nothing. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled sporting codes across the globe, but the W-League had just enough time to squeeze in the deciding clash. The alternative, Ray said, was a share of the premiership accolades which did on resonate with the rising star. While a lack of family and friends in attendance was disheartening at first, she said the hype in the team made for a powerful experience. The outcome, Ray said, was irrelevant. “It’s better to play the game and know for sure you tried everything you could to try and win instead of a dual championship,” she said. “I don’t think both teams would’ve appreciated that. You put in so much time for a critical league and it represents that win or lose we’re still proud to be part on Sydney F.C. and still had a great season.”
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AuthorI covered a vast range of sports and issues in my time with the Bulletin. Archives
June 2020
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