Ellie Brush's decision to return home to Canberra United came down to three things.
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Her father's cancer, her five-month-old son Leo, and a revival of her career.
"A major reason for my coming here was certainly the family support that I'll have behind me," she said.
"My dad's unwell, so it will be invaluable time to spend at home, and support my mum. It's one of those things that make you realise that life's a lot more than just sport.
"I'm lucky enough to have my wife and baby Leo make the trip down the highway with us, too. So we'll all be living here.
"The motivation's certainly there to be able to play in front of my young son, and all my family and friends that have supported my career and sacrificed a lot for me to be able to do the sport I love."
The 34-year-old's father has stage-four brain cancer, and has defied the odds he was given following his diagnosis a few years ago.
Spending time with him made the move from Sydney FC to the capital an easy one after a five-year absence.
Brush was looking forward to spotting her father in the stands at McKellar Park this season, saying she said he had been one of United's biggest fans since her debut in 2008.
"He's on a drug trial at the moment. It might not help him, but hopefully it will leave a bit of a legacy and help people in the future. But he's doing really well," she said.
"Even though I haven't been here ... he's still been in his green shirt supporting Canberra over the years, and of course a blue shirt at times when I've managed to play."
Brush left United in 2017 and headed north to Western Sydney Wanderers to juggle her A-League Women's and AFLW careers, before joining Sydney FC in 2019-20.
An ACL tear in March last year sparked fears her career may be over, before she ruptured it a second time in November to keep her sidelined.
But Brush is rebuilding her knee, and her career, and it was fitting Canberra - a club she debuted for as a teenager - was the place for her to revive and restart it.
After her signing on Friday, the former Matildas' defender said it felt like her career had come full circle.
"It feels like home to be back at the club," Brush said.
"Anything short of finals this year won't be enough, so that's our goal. We were a winning club and we want to get back to that culture.
"I'm confident of coming back into the start of pre-season and being able to train fully.
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"By the time the season starts out, it'll be almost 12 months, so I'm very confident that I'll be ready and raring to go come November.
"It's been a long road and my motivation to pull back on the boots is very high. I can't wait to do it in front of my family and friends."
Brush fits into Njegosh Popovich's vision for senior members of his squad, reuniting with a teammates she knows well - Michelle Heyman - to share mentor duties.
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