Just 12 hours after landing back in Victoria following the AFLW Cats’ Round 6 game against Gold Coast, development coach Elise Coventry was lacing up for her return to the footy field.

It was the first time since rupturing her ACL in the Cats’ AFLW practice match before their inaugural 2019 that Coventry had taken the field, and her first match for points since 2018.

“I was extremely nervous, but I think having the day before (with the AFLW in Queensland) as the lead-up, I didn’t have time to think about it until the day actually arrived,” Coventry said.

“My husband (Zane) just kept reminding me that there’s no point coming back after this long if you’re not going to have fun.

“So that was the mantra, and it was a lot easier to have fun when the girls kept it in the forward line all day – as a defender, that was a nice way to enjoy the game.”

Coventry was able to celebrate her return with a win as the Cats smashed Carlton’s VFLW side by 59 points at Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct, restricting the visitors to just two goals from four scoring shots while booting through 11 of their own.

The win was doubly delightful for Coventry, who has taken on the role of defense line coach for the VFLW side in addition to her role as development coach with the Cats’ AFLW team.

She was among a group of Cats players and staff who backed up the trip to Queensland on Friday with the VFLW game on Saturday afternoon, including Danielle Higgins and Georgia Clarke who’d flown up as emergencies before playing in Saturday’s game.

“It made for some good conversation,” Coventry said.

“We were all a bit tired, and by the end of Saturday exhausted, but we love footy, so we probably wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Coventry said she pulled up well after the game – albeit exhausted from the heat and being a bit dehydrated. Although it had been three years since her last game, her body hasn’t been taking it easy in the interim.

After rehabbing from her knee injury, Coventry was on the cusp of returning to footy in 2020 when Covid-19 struck.

She and Zane decided the time was right to start a family and, after Coventry went through her first season as development coach while pregnant, the couple welcomed baby Gus into the world.

“Now Gus is nine months old, so this is the first game available (to play), really, since my last game for points was September 2018,” Coventry said.

“It’s just the circumstances that have led to this. I wouldn’t have chosen this long off, but two significant (life events) just led to that much time off the field.

“It was hard to watch that whole time, but I’ve been really supported here at the club. They’ve helped me develop my coaching – that wasn’t in the plan when I first did my knee, but it’s something that I’ve been able to work on while I haven’t been able to play.”

Coventry said the Cats had put her through some great personal development courses, and she is currently working through her National AFL Level 3 Coaching Accreditation Course though the prestigious BHP Women’s Coaching Academy.

As a teacher, Coventry said she has felt comfortable with the communication element of coaching, but has been building her confidence through the courses.

“As someone who’d only played two seasons of footy before falling into coaching, I’ve been working a lot on my confidence and feeling like I can contribute with knowledge and things like that,” she said.

“The club has put me through a lot of great personal development courses, and now I’m doing my Level 3 coaching course, which is just giving me that foundation to hopefully boost my confidence and feel like I’m at that level where I can contribute.

“I’m now really enjoying it a lot more; I was probably a little bit overwhelmed to begin with, especially back in 2019 when I first started, but I’m feeling a lot more comfortable in the role now.”

With a five-week crossover between the AFLW and VFLW home and away seasons, Coventry has been striking a good balance between her time in both her coaching roles.

On Tuesday nights, she can be found at AFLW training, giving instructions as development coach at GMHBA Stadium.

On Thursday nights, it’s down to Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct, where she puts on her playing line coach cap for the VFLW Cats.

“When I first committed to it, we were a bit unsure how it would work, and I didn’t want to not do either well,” Coventry said.

“So both (AFLW coach) Dan (Lowther) and ‘Brucey’ (VFLW coach Andrew Bruce) have been really good at helping me manage both.

“So I come to AFLW on Tuesday in my development coach role. On Thursday, I go to VFLW and help out with the trainings there.

“And then I’m at both game days. Hopefully, for the rest of the AFLW season, that will work out that I can do both game days.

“Brucey and Dan have both been really instrumental in allowing me to do both.

“And obviously I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without a really supportive husband who is really great with Gus when I’m here. We tag team – he’s still involved in footy as well, so on the nights I’m not here, he’s off at training as well.

“So we’re really lucky to have each other to support our footy endeavours, which is good.”

Coventry was pleased with the efforts of the VFLW Cats defenders against the Blues, with some good experience with the likes of captain Bree Beckley, AFLW-listed Cats Steph Williams and Carly Remmos, and former AFLW player Maddie Boyd.

Super Netball crosscoder Melissa Bragg also impressed in her first VFLW game, reading the play well and intercepting the ball.

While relishing her return to playing, Coventry said she was happy to play whatever role she was needed for.

“For me, personally, I just want to contribute,” Coventry said.

“If I can do that on the field, I’ll keep doing that, but I’m by no means determined to take anyone’s spot or anything. So if there’s AFL girls that come back through, or (Geelong) Falcons or anyone else that needs that development to take my spot, then it will definitely be theirs.

“I just want to contribute in some way, so if that’s coaching or playing, we’ll talk through that as a coaching team and work out what is the best way. So I’m more than happy to be there in the playing/coaching role, or just a coaching capacity.”

The Cats take on Western Bulldogs in the AFLW on Friday night at Whitten Oval, and will face Hawthorn in the VFLW on Saturday at Deakin University Elite Sports Precinct.