A total knee reconstruction has forced Kim Mickle to turn her back on her AFL Women’s career and focus solely on javelin
Mickle, who won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, underwent surgery last Wednesday after rupturing her ACL in her debut for the Fremantle Dockers earlier this month.
The star athlete, who spent much of her time growing up in Mandurah, has been hampered by injuries over the past 18 months.
After attempting to come back from a long-term shoulder injury, her javelin campaign at the Rio Olympics came to an abrupt end when she re-injured herself on her first throw.
But after her latest injury on the footy field, she has decided to give javelin her undivided attention.
“It always was (my focus),” Mickle told fremantlefc.com.au.
“If my shoulder didn’t come back (well after reconstructive surgery) then I would have been looking at hopefully having another game of footy next year, but that was always if the shoulder didn’t hold up.
“Now we’re just going all balls out for the shoulder and Commonwealth Games.”
The loss of Mickle is the third season-ending injury for the Fremantle women’s team, who will now rely on top-up players to overcome the odds if they are resurrect their season after starting as flag fancies.
The team will be in Mandurah to take on Collingwood next Saturday, March 4.