Now the 16-year-old is playing in the same competition as Heyman and showcasing her own ability. And it is not going unnoticed, with Babic taking out the NPLW's goal of the year.

Moments before stoppage time in August, the Canberra United Academy midfielder fired off a long range effort to secure the home side a 3-2 win.

Babic received the ball about 25 metres out from the goal line, and took a few touches before firing it top left.

The match winning shot was a far cry from her nearly-career ending injury in 2018 that kept her off the pitch - and away from a game she has loved since 2011 - for 12 months.

"I ruptured the ligaments in my ankle and severely fractured my growth plate," she said.

"Initially I was in a wheelchair for three months and required 12 months of daily rehabilitation, and three surgeries across the process.

"Being isolated from such an important part of my life was extremely difficult. I'd worked tirelessly to be the best that I could be ... and it just felt that it was all stripped from me, everything that I had strived and I'd worked so hard for, so it was really difficult."

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However it has come full circle, as the year 11 Radford College student used her once-injured leg to score the match winner and NPLW's best goal of 2021.

"It really was just one of the best experiences of my footballing career, just having all that immense support from the wider football community," she said of her accolade.

"I've practically grown up at the Hawker home ground, and to me it really is my second home, I think I'm ingrained with the green colours.

"The biggest thing for me, from that challenging period of my life, has been I've learned the importance of never giving up, and that's what I hope others in similar positions as myself can take away. That my ankle was once in pieces, but I was able to shoot that goal and achieve something."