Carter Hirini ready to make Emus return after rupturing ACL

The Emus winger played the sport since he was just four years old, having never missed a season. That was until 2021 when that 25-year run came to a halt.

During a game of basketball in late 2020, Hirini ruptured his ACL. Instead of getting surgery, he chose the route of rehab so to reduce the chances of re-injuring it further down the line.

"It was really hard," he said on not being able to be on the field.

"It's a lot harder watching than it is playing."

Initially, Hirini was planning on staying away from the game altogether, so as not to "get FOMO".

But the club kept him involved and he spent the year coaching the second grade backs.

"It actually really helped me, not going mental sitting on the couch and not playing," he said.

"It was also good to watch a lot of rugby from an outside perspective rather than being in the middle of it. It felt good to offer some of the younger guys some knowledge because I've been around the block and know a thing or two.

"I was quite surprised by how the boys accepted me as a coach because I really didn't know how that would go. I was really taken aback by the respect and the time they gave me."

Another challenge came right as last season was coming to an end.

Hirini's injury was all-but-healed, which made him want to strap on a pair of boots even more.

"I even jumped in a couple of the last little training drills to see how it would feel," he added.

"It started coming right after nearly 12 months worth of work and rehab to the point where it started feeling almost normal again."

With yet another off-season in the books, the winger can't wait to get on the pitch and prove to himself, the club and anyone who will listen, what he can do.

"I was never retiring, it was always a goal to get back on the field," Hirini said.

"I decided to sit the whole season out, work on my knee, work on building my strength back up in other areas to make up for the missing ACL and I was always intending on coming back this season."

Although the official Emus pre-season doesn't start until February, Hirini and a few of the keener players have already started running drills.

"If you'd ask any of the guys, I've been hounding them to get pre-season going for a couple of months now," he laughed.

"It's felt good in my head and my heart to be back where I belong, but the lungs were definitely struggling for it."

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