For this week’s WA On Wednesday feature, Balcatta Etna’s Tia Stonehill speaks to Ben Gilby about coming back from a serious injury that could have had a life-changing impact, her incredible 2021 season, and life at new club Balcatta Etna (14/6/23).
Above: Tia Stonehill in action for Balcatta Etna this season. Photo: Fotoenzo, supplied by Tia Stonehill.
Tia Stonehill is in the early stages of her comeback from a dreadful injury that she suffered playing for Murdoch University Melville in the Night Series last year. She’s done the hard yards and is finding her feet at new club Balcatta Etna.
Stonehill fractured bones on her spine that connect muscles to the back, and she spoke of the early days when it was unclear the impact it would have on her life. “It was the hardest thing I have ever endured mentally and physically. I am someone that is full of life and am always on the go so to have such a debilitating injury was life-changing.
“I’m a very independent person so to be stuck in bed and needing 24/7 care for the first few weeks was hard and then trying to process all the emotions that followed but my main concern was the severity and recovery as I didn’t know until the six-week mark when I saw a specialist spinal surgeon what that was going to look like and more of that fact that, would I be okay in my day to day life, let alone my football career.
“I was lucky enough to not need surgery which would have added an extra risk to my recovery, plus having the most amazing support around me to help me on my journey. The surgeon couldn’t guarantee what my recovery would look like and whether it would heal without causing any long-term problems but I just had to give it my best shot and not let that fear hold me back.
“We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond and react and when you’re put in positions like that, you have two options and giving up wasn’t on the cards, so it showed me just how strong I can be and gave me the mentally to get through it and come out even stronger.
“I have also been lucky enough to work with some of the best people in the industry, Sports Physiotherapist Chris Hutchinson throughout my initial injury rehab and now with Clement Fichot and Peak Performance Institute on my continuing recovery, strength, and conditioning.”
The injury struck Stonehill when she was flying and winning personal and team trophies with Murdoch University Melville. It was a time that the attacker still remembers fondly.
“I always look back and reflect on that year and all the amazing achievements and just feel grateful to have been a part of that. It’s something not many people will ever experience. I loved the pressure that was on myself and us as a team to perform each week and I learnt a lot about myself as a person and a player that year and learnt a lot from Mark Jones whom I believe really helped me unlock and reach my full potential as a player but also our team and that showed with our successes.”
Stonehill describes her playing style as “energetic, dangerous, and exciting. I like to add some flair and character to the game, I always want to ‘turn it on’ for the crowd and I want people to get excited when I am on the ball because they know I’m capable of doing something special.”
Whilst Stonehill has developed into one of the stars of the Western Australian game, it was a different-shaped ball that she first liked to kick around.
“I actually grew up playing AFL (Australian Rules Football), my family came from an AFL background so no one in my family had ever played football. It wasn’t until I met Tony Carvajal, a teacher at my primary school who introduced me to the game when I was in Year Seven, as back when I played AFL there were no female teams so I got to an age where I was no longer allowed to play with the boys and he suggested that I come down and try it out, I fell in love and the rest was history.
“From there I went on to attend John Curtin College of the Arts on a football scholarship with Mr. Peter Rickers at the Helm of that program for many years and joined my first club and played locally for Fremantle. Then I made the NTC team as well as the Western Australia state teams where I was lucky enough to get recognised and spend some time with the Junior Matildas at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“Since then I have been playing in the Women’s Premier League (now NPLW) at a few great clubs but really started finding my way and breaking into my football at Queens Park under the guidance of Ben Anderton and Peter Rakic before joining Murdoch University Melville, as well as some stints amongst the men’s teams at Cockburn City and having spent some time with the Perth Glory during those years.”
With the attacker ready to return to action for the 2023 NPLW WA season, she assessed her options, with Balcatta Etna coming out on top in the end.
“I spoke to Tim Cash (club coach) on the tail end of my recovery and we had a few lengthy conversations, I obviously had a lot of decisions to weigh up but the move to Balcatta just felt right. The experience and calibre of all the coaching staff definitely excited me, as well as the nature of the club from my interactions over the years and the skill and depth within the team.
“It has been great coming into the club, the club environment is amazing and full of extraordinary people, and it just feels like a family. We had a slower start to the season than we had liked, but we are building on something great and we knew this journey was going to be a process.
“We will keep working hard on and off the pitch to continue finding our form and I feel as though those efforts are really starting to take shape. We have everything we need to become a strong successful club and have a lot of depth in our juniors and 21’s which is great for the future and development of the club and women’s football and something we take great focus and pride in.”
Stonehill’s focuses this season are simply on getting back in the saddle again and enjoying her football once more after the huge difficulties of 2022. It’s still early days, as she recognises.
“My goals coming into this season was to purely enjoy myself, have fun, and find my spark again which I knew would then lead me to playing my best football and working towards progressing from my previous achievements. I knew it wasn’t going to happen overnight, I have and still have a lot of work to do.
“Constantly putting in the extra work to get fitter and stronger but to also recover and take care of my body for what can be a long battling season is what it’s all about. But for now, I am just enjoying getting back into football and each week progressing in the right direction and we will see where that goes.”
Balcatta Etna are starting to gel after a disappointing start. In recent weeks they have defeated top-four sides Perth SC and Hyundai NTC back-to-back as they look to reach their potential as challengers for the post-regular season action. Stonehill is positive that they can do it at last.
“We are definitely aiming for a top-four finish this year, with the hopes of making finals. Our 21’s girls are also having a great start to their campaign and we have been utilising our up-and-coming players in our first team.
“The NPLW season has always proven to be long and gruelling at times and we are really focusing on the health and wellbeing of our players to ensure we can get through the season with minimal injuries and good mental states to keep us on our path. We are definitely moving in the right direction and I’m happy to be on this journey with such an amazing club.”
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