Spurred on … Shannon McFerran streams forward in her 200th game for the Spurs on Saturday. 65289
By Katie Lambeski
SOMETIMES Shannon McFerran forgets how far she has come.
In a career spanning more than a decade, she has experienced many highs and lows and on Saturday she played her 200th Victoria Women’s Football League game, against South Mornington.
It was a feat made even more remarkable given she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2009 and spent 2010 on the sidelines.
McFerran admits she tends not to think about how difficult her ordeal was, saying she “learnt to live for the moment and appreciate where you are now”.
While she acknowledges how tough times were, support from her “amazing teammates” and family helped her return to playing football again. It is a testament to her strength (physical and mental) that McFerran has been able to come back to the top level in women’s football.
The Spurs have dominated this season so far, but for McFerran it has been a matter of adjusting to her body after life-disrupting major surgery.
But she stops short of calling herself rusty.
“I’m not sure missing a season has made me rusty … but things have changed,” she said.
In typically modest fashion, she admits she never really thought about how many games she has played or how close she was to her milestone.
“I wondered if I would play again, so to be where I am now is awesome,” she said.
McFerran credits the Spurs’ flying start to the season to a change in thinking of players at the Spurs.
Her confidence and faith in her teammates is supreme.
“I have no doubt the club will do well … I don’t think we should settle for anything less than three premierships (seniors, reserves and youth girls).”
Despite McFerran “obviously getting older”, she doesn’t see the end of her playing days just yet.
Her passion for the game and the football club she represents is obvious. She is still keen to enjoy the game and is no clearer as to her plans on retirement.
