Chelsea Lucas does not know if she will play beyond this season.
That is why the 22-year-old teacher's aide plans to make the most of the NPLW Northern NSW finals series with championship contenders Broadmeadow.
The lightning-quick Magic striker missed four games in July after tearing the meniscus in her right knee then having surgery to remove it.
"I've torn it two other times and then this time it was my last string so I had to get part of my meniscus taken out, which means it's just bone on bone in there," Lucas said.
"I've got nothing there to take the shock of my step so every time I run, it's just not good for it. It obviously causes pain but I was very eager to get back out there so I wasn't going to let it stop me."
Lucas was told playing beyond this campaign was not recommended due to the long-term effects of doing so on her knee.
"The surgeon said he can't tell me not to play but he said he doesn't advise me playing any further past this season because it is bone on bone and that means arthritis by the time I'm 30 if I continue to run," she said.
"That could lead to a knee [replacement] later on in life, but that's long-term effects. I was just going to finish this season out and re-evaluate my next season. It might be fine, it might not be.
"But I am just thinking about finishing this season then I'll re-evaluate. Finish this one, think about the present then worry about what I'm going to do next season when it comes around. It probably won't stop me but to be told that at my age is a lot."
Coach Jake Curley said Lucas will be a key player as Broadmeadow eye their first championship since returning to NNSW Football's top-flight competition in 2020.
Second-placed Magic play Newcastle Olympic, fourth, in the final round on Sunday before facing league leaders Warners Bay in the major semi-final on September 17-18. The winner earns direct progression to the October 2 grand final while the loser will fight for survival in a preliminary final.
"I think Chelsea's a fantastic player and she's very good for us," Curley said. "She creates a lot of pressure and we get goals from pressure. She leads from the front. She's terrific at pressing and very physical as well.
"The only thing she needs to improve is her finishing. If she got better at that, I think she'd be close to the top goalscorer in the league."
Magic were handed a harsh reality check in round 18 when they were routed 5-0 by the Panthers, who are set to officially secure the premiership on Sunday regardless of results. Warners Bay lead with 52 points, three clear of Magic and with a far superior goal difference.
"We didn't have a great game but we weren't prepared and we all kind of agreed on that," Lucas said.
"But, now having that loss, we can see where we went wrong and we can now put things in place to work on that and to make sure it doesn't happen again. We're all pretty positive and we're not letting last game define what's going to happen for the next game against them."
