Maya continues to blaze a trail at Unley

By ZAC MILBANK

It is extremely fitting that Sturt captain Maya Rigter will be the club’s first player to reach 50 Hostplus SANFLW League games on Saturday.

Not only did she play in the club’s first SANFLW game in Round 1 of 2018, Rigter has since become a beacon of leadership for the Double Blues and the rest of the competition.

Speaking on SANFL Radio, the 21-year-old said having to deal with a frustrating foot stress fracture has enabled her to blossom as a young skipper at Unley, culminating in winning last year’s SA Power Networks Leadership Award.

Starting her SANFLW journey as a midfield recruit from Morphettville Park, Rigter was initially one of the most prominent ball-winners in the League en route to earning selection in the SANFLW Team of the Year.

But her injury setback has forced her to adjust on and off the field, initially as a player, being recast as a reliable defender as preseason training was replaced by rehabilitation.

This has enabled Rigter to see the game from a different perspective as captain, while off the field, she has found her place given her recovery period sparked an interest to begin studying phyisotherapy at the University of Adelaide.

Relishing the chance to play with younger sister Abbey this season, Rigter is looking forward to her milestone match being played a the new Summit Sports Park in Mount Barker against Central District.