This Year’s Grand Final Miracle: Surgery Was a Must… Yet I Got the Green Light to ‘F** Go for It’

Central Coast Mariners midfielder Taylor Ray shares with aleagues.com.au how a serious ankle injury nearly kept her from competing in this weekend’s Grand Final, and discusses how the Mariners have drawn motivation from a critic’s pre-season forecast as they pursue their inaugural Championship title.

Ray’s heart sank the moment she heard the decisive crack.

With the Mariners leading Canberra United 2-1 in an Elimination Final and just two minutes remaining in regular time, Ray was on the brink of clinching a place in the Semi-Finals following an impressive comeback.

However, while attempting a clearance, she landed awkwardly and felt her ankle buckle.

As the Mariners pushed the ball forward, Canberra regained possession and quickly countered down the right flank, right towards Ray, who lay on the pitch in pain.

Gathering her strength, Ray managed to stand and re-enter the fray.

Facing off against Canberra forward Maja Markovski, Ray made a final effort to nudge her opponent off the ball, urgently calling for her fellow Mariners to clear the threat. When the ball finally went out of play, she collapsed back onto the ground in tears.

It could have signalled the end for the determined Mariners player, who had previously missed two Grand Finals during her seven-season stint with Sydney FC due to injury.

Instead, it marked the start of an incredible journey in this season’s Finals Series; a remarkable recovery tale that began with Ray in a moon boot, facing the prospect of surgery, before she returned just two weeks later to help lead the Mariners to their first-ever Ninja A-League Grand Final.

“I knew something was amiss when I heard a snap,” Ray recalls to aleagues.com.au.

“The adrenaline kicked in for a bit, but I quickly realised how serious it was. Instinctively, I cried out for the physio. Unbeknownst to me, the ball was still in play, so I had to get back on my feet to keep the line intact.”

“I hobbled back into position while Canberra launched a counterattack. We were up 2-1 in an Elimination Final with only a few minutes to go. I thought, ‘I have to do something’. So I decided to just get up and disrupt the play.”

“I started hopping, and Maja, bless her, dribbled straight towards me! That allowed me to nudge her off the ball and halt their counterattack.”

“Then I shouted to Greta (Kraszula), ‘kick the ball out, please!’ Once that moment passed, other worries set in. I thought, ‘Is this going to be serious? Am I going to miss the Semi-Final?’ My mind raced with stress and anxiety—it was unbearable.

“I even asked Caitlan (the Mariners physiotherapist), ‘Can we tape it? Can I keep going? I know you need me to finish the game’. But she said, ‘Taylor, there are only two minutes left. You need to come off’. I thought, ‘Oh no, what’s happening?’ I struggled to put weight on it, which was definitely a bad sign.”

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Ray answered the phone during a gym session on the Tuesday of Grand Final week.

As she walked out, she reassured the staff that she’d return for another session after her call.

Despite the severity of her injury, Ray managed to rejoin the Mariners squad less than two weeks later for their second-leg Semi-Final against Melbourne City, the reigning premiers who had gone undefeated in their previous 24 matches before a shocking 1-0 defeat (3-2 on aggregate) to Central Coast secured a Grand Final berth for Ray and the Mariners, who are set to face Melbourne Victory on Sunday afternoon.

Ray clocked 80 minutes in that Semi-Final. She practically lived in the gym during the fortnight ahead of the match and continues to do the same in the lead-up to Sunday’s championship clash, refusing to let a surgeon’s initial assessment of her ankle injury keep her from making her fifth Grand Final appearance.

“The surgeon advised me to undergo surgery,” Ray stated.

“However, I was passing all the clinical tests. I could perform calf raises, walk, and do things that shouldn’t be possible. So it became a complex situation—‘Can I play? If I can manage the pain, can I strap it up and go out?’

“We just needed the surgeon’s clearance. He told me, ‘Honestly, just go for it. F****** send it. I’ll deal with this after the season’.

“I was in a moon boot until Wednesday last week. We tested various movements—direction changes, running, passing—and I was managing it. Coach Em (Emily Husband) was torn, wondering whether to use me, and I reassured her, ‘I’m confident in my abilities. You know I’ll give you everything out there’.”

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At merely 24, Ray switched to Central Coast ahead of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season, having spent seven seasons at Sydney FC. Remarkably, throughout her time in the league, Ray has never been a member of a team that did not reach a Grand Final.

However, two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in 2019 and 2023 meant Ray had to watch from the sidelines as Sydney FC won two out of their three Championships during her tenure at the club.

It’s precisely why she was determined not to miss out on her chance at the Mariners’ first Grand Final, despite the injury prognosis.

“One day last week, I was in the gym for six hours, moving from field training to treatment, recovery, and gym work,” Ray shared.

“I genuinely pushed myself through numerous obstacles to ensure I was in the best condition possible. It’s been intense, but I’m committed to giving it my all.”

“Having dealt with past injuries, I know when to challenge myself. Yet for Grand Finals, sometimes you just have to go for it. If it means spending entire days in the gym and on the field to get it right, that’s what I’ll do to make it happen.”

This Grand Final marks the conclusion of Ray’s inaugural season with her new team and, regardless of whether it results in a celebration or disappointment, the ambitious midfielder, with dreams of a Matildas recall, will reflect positively on her decision to leave the familiar surroundings of Sydney FC for a fresh challenge on the Central Coast.

“Sydney FC was like a second home for me from such a young age,” Ray recalled.

“Joining them at 15 and spending seven years there allowed me to achieve so much. It’s a prestigious club with many great players.”

“Learning from players like Lisa De Vanna, Caitlin Foord, and Alanna Kennedy—international-level talents who came to play for Sydney FC—was the best experience for my development as a young player.”

“After claiming those initial Championships, there was always a part of me reluctant to leave. However, I felt I did not receive the game time I merited last season, which led to talks about potentially pursuing opportunities overseas or finding a new club to grow as a player. Being so young, I believed this was the right moment to make a transition before considering any overseas opportunities or trying to rejoin the Matildas.”

“I instructed my agent to reach out to a few clubs to gauge their interest, and it was fantastic to see so many were keen. Then Em contacted me, and our conversation lasted around three hours.”

“We went over everything, touching on goals and what she expected to see from me and how she could assist my development—while also discussing what I could do to strengthen her team. Since that chat, I sensed it was the right move. My gut instinct seldom leads me astray, so I just went for it.”

Unbeknownst to her at the time, her transfer to the Mariners would result in an unexpected change of position.

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With club captain Taren King sidelined by an injury, the Mariners faced Perth Glory in December. Then, when defender Ash Irwin suffered an ACL tear in the first half of Round 8, coach Husband was compelled to shift Ray—from a tenacious defensive midfielder—into the centre-back position.

“Em looked at Bianca Galic and myself, weighing the best options for the team, and I volunteered,” Ray recounted.

“That was my first experience playing centre-back, yet we managed to secure the victory. It was a significant adjustment, but I managed it well.”

“Em, Bianca, and I had discussions regarding whether we needed to search for another centre-back. Ultimately, I began to establish my role. Jess Nash and I communicated effectively, and everything began to click beautifully.”

“Em reminded me, ‘I know this isn’t your designated position, and you can be upfront about not wanting to play there, as I brought you in as a midfielder’. I told her, ‘Don’t worry about it, Em. I’ll play wherever you need. I’m committed to winning and getting this team to a Grand Final’.”

“We’ve already accomplished that; now, fingers crossed we can take it a step further this weekend.”

Ray didn’t merely fill in on defence; she thrived. Proudly nicknamed “the smallest centre-back in the league,” her contributions at the back proved invaluable in the Mariners’ journey to the club’s first Grand Final.

Her debut season on the Central Coast concluded with her receiving the Mariners Medal, awarded to the club’s standout player of the season.

Now, she aims to harness her Grand Final experience to leave a lasting impact as the season comes to a close.

Ray’s Grand Final record stands at four appearances—three losses and one victory. She has experienced both the pain of defeat and the joy of triumph.

As she prepares for her fifth Grand Final, Ray understands how crucial her experience may be when the referee blows the whistle at AAMI Park this Sunday.

“The tears I’ve shed over losing a Grand Final are countless,” Ray shared.

“You inevitably think back to those moments, as they shape your mindset. You can achieve great things if you apply yourself.”

“I will certainly draw upon my history for guidance; emotions run high in finals football, and the outcome can vary widely, so it’s essential to manage those feelings constructively.”

“Just thinking about doing this with a new club is exhilarating. I am immensely proud of how far this group of girls has come. To advance even further would be the crowning achievement, especially given our collective efforts, all the adjustments we’ve had to make, and the challenges we’ve faced. It would be exceptionally special to lift that trophy.”

“For all those who doubted us and didn’t believe we would get this far, we’ve taken that criticism in stride, adopting the mentality of ‘We absolutely deserve to be here’. We embody the Mariners spirit, backed by passionate supporters, which gives us the chance to manifest that on the field.”

“I have to be cautious about what I say, but we have someone pretty high up who mentioned it. Let’s just say that Em reminds us of those words before every match, reinforcing the idea that they don’t have faith in us.”

“Regardless of outside opinions and perspectives about our team’s capabilities, proving them wrong is gratifying. This could mark another opportunity for us to succeed entirely, as we have faith in ourselves to achieve the task at hand.”

“No one relishes being told what they can’t accomplish, and that shifts our mentality. It has forged a stronger bond among us as a team.”

“This is a thrilling moment, and no matter how many Grand Finals one has participated in, it always feels as though it’s the first. I’m thrilled for some of the girls to experience that exhilaration and all that accompanies finals football.”