Erica Halloway remains upbeat despite injury setback, COVID-19 pandemic

But the Bathurst native has never experienced something like this COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the sport remaining grounded across the country indefinitely, the Western Sydney Wanderers captain is still positive about women's football's future.

In fact, she thinks it could emerge from the crisis stronger than ever.

"It sucks obviously, but there's a lot worse things happening than not being able to kick around a ball on a field," Halloway said.

"I hope we're going to be okay. I think that if we're not, there's a lot of questions to be raised about football in general. I think women's football is becoming a very strong league and a strong asset to football.

"I think it would be a real shame if this current crisis that's going on had an impact on whether women's football came back. I don't think it will.

"There's enough fans, there's enough advocates in women's football that it will continue and be even stronger than ever."

After Western Sydney's W-League campaign wrapped up last month, Halloway returned to Wollongong ahead of the Illawarra Stingrays' upcoming Women's National Premier League One campaign.

Halloway remains in isolation due to the pandemic, however, her experience has been different to most Aussie athletes.

The classy midfielder is still recovering after she tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee during a training session in January.

READ MORE: Halloway suffers injury in training, requires surgery

Ten weeks after her operation, Halloway continues to recover under the "virtual" guidance of BaiMed physiotherapist Dan Lawson.

"I'm doing all my rehab stuff and it's [my knee] getting stronger," the 35-year-old said.

"In this current environment, physios aren't treating face to face but they've got an awesome virtual program that I'm tapping into with Dan Lawson once or twice a week.

"I was worried about it, to do rehab with no hands on, but it's been unreal what BaiMed have done to move around what we're in at the moment. I'm really happy with the progress I've made.

"Generally they say for an ACL, it's nine to 12 months before you're back playing. Obviously you're back training before that, but you've got to get the kilometres in your legs and getting yourself used to being in that competitive environment.

"I hope to be back with the Wanderers this year but we're only on yearly contracts so it depends on whether they have me back.

"If everything goes to plan, with this rehab I'm doing with BaiMed, hopefully I'll be right. But I've still got a long while yet."

Halloway's injury occurred midway through the season. She was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Wanderers soared into the W-League finals.

READ MORE: Grant was a key for Sydney FC before A-League shutdown

It was the first time Western Sydney made finals in Halloway's five seasons at the club. Talk about a bittersweet experience.

"I was out for the majority of the season so I didn't get my first taste of finals at the Wanderers. Hopefully next year I'll be back stronger than ever," she said.

"ACLs are a step and twist in the wrong direction. I was trying to make a tackle and just felt it pop. But I've done it before, I did it in one of my first years with the Stingrays actually, around 13 years ago. I did my left then and did my right knee now, but they're usually a pretty innocuous kind of thing.

"To make finals was obviously a pretty big thing for the club and for the team, the coaching staff, players and everyone involved. I think the club invested a lot this year, for the women and men, with our new facilities and players that came in. It was good to pay them back.

READ MORE: Yates hopes full Western Premier League season will go ahead

"They're a great bunch of girls so to be able to lead them is an honour and privilege. They're awesome, on and off the field. They wear their hearts on their sleeves.

"Hopefully we can retain the majority of our playing group, go one better and make the grand final."

After representing the Wanderers on more than 50 occasions, Halloway is hopeful to return for a sixth season in 2020/21.

"I want to experience a finals series with the Wanderers, that would be unreal. As long as I'm enjoying it and keep getting selected, I'll keep playing," she said.

"Looking back, a highlight was probably my first year with the Wanderers. I went travelling overseas a couple of years beforehand and I didn't really take soccer seriously then. But when I came back, I decided to get in shape and give it a go. We didn't go as well as we would have liked, but I enjoyed the step up in level."

At 35, Halloway knows she's at the back end of her playing career.

The midfielder admits her age will be a factor during her injury recovery - but she isn't ready to retire just yet.

"I don't know if I've got anything left to prove. I still play because I enjoy it and love it," Halloway said.

"As soon as you fall out of the love with the game, I don't think it's worth hanging around and it will be time to hang up the boots - but I'm not there yet.

"At both the Wanderers and Stingrays, we have quite a close-knit group. They're a great bunch and I enjoy training, the competitive side and competitive nature. Not once do I dread going to training, so that's a fair indicator that I'm not ready to give up just yet."