One minute in the orange jersey was all Brisbane Roar Women’s newest recruit Lisa De Vanna needed to make her mark.
The coveted striker scored from the penalty spot just sixty seconds after taking to the field for the first time in six months.
De Vanna had been restricted to the sidelines nursing a broken ankle before making her debut in Roar colours during Saturday-s Westfield W-League 4-0 defeat over Newcastle Jets.
She was given the call up from Roar coach Jeff Hopkins in the 71st minute and wasted no time in giving fans a glimpse of what to expect from her this season as she continues to rehabilitate her injury back to full strength.
“Although she is not really match fit yet, if there was a player made to be an impact player it is definitely her,” Hopkins said.
“Her pace is just devastating, players do one of two things they get really tight with her to stop her or they drop off.
“She was only on thirty seconds and a girl got too tight with her and brought her down and it resulted in a penalty.
“It-s a bit of a confidence booster, she came through and she got herself a goal and she is another step closer to being 100%.”
After her extended stint on the sidelines, De Vanna said she was eager to prove her worth.
“I was like a kid on the sidelines jumping up and down saying ‘Let me get on! Let me get on!- but I am quite happy, I got twenty minutes to come on and am actually looking forward to the rest of the season,” De Vanna said.
While her ankle injury was a major setback, it has been the mental implications of the injury that have been the real test to De Vanna-s character throughout the rehabilitation process.
“I know what I can do, it is just tough because I know I can-t do it because my body, my ankle and my mind just won-t let me at this stage,” she said.
“I want to make sure that my body and my mind are 100% and then once that is set, I know how effective I can be as a player.
“That is the challenge at the moment, it is trying to get to where I can be.”
De Vanna originally hails from Perth where, after playing some of her junior years in South Australia, she eventually returned to join the Westfield W-League team Perth Glory in 2008.
She has since forged a career both in Australia and internationally, playing for Washington Freedom in the Women-s Professional Soccer League in the US.
She has also represented Australia at the 2004 Olympics, 2007 Women-s World Cup and this year-s AFC Women-s Asian Cup.
“Once I am fit and healthy I am going to bring spark and do what I do in the national team and the leagues that I have played in, just give them that belief that we can win and make them feel confident about themselves,” she said.
De Vanna is especially excited for this week-s round four clash against her former club Perth Glory at Perry Park in Brisbane on Saturday.
“Perth is always going to be home for me but it is not where my heart is at the moment… I definitely want to go out there and show them that this is a dangerous side,” she said.
“I am really close to Katie Gill but she is playing for Perth.
“I really want to go out there and smash Perth but at the same time I don-t want to upset my mates, it-s a bit of a struggle, but that-s football.
“I have been waiting for this week, the Roar girls definitely know what to expect and I have been preparing them and pumping them up about it.”
Brisbane Roar Women take on Perth Glory Women on Saturday 27 November at Perry Park, kicking off at 4pm.
