St Kilda young gun J'Noemi Anderson played her first game at the elite level in over a year in her team's eight-point loss to Port Adelaide on the weekend.
It was proud Warramungu woman's first appearance for the Saints since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament on the eve of the AFLW Season 7 last August.
However, it would unfortunately be a bittersweet return for the tenacious utility, who suffered a head knock and left the game under concussion protocols.
Anderson's latest setback will require another two weeks on the sideline and will see her miss the Saints' clashes with Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs.
St Kilda's General Manager of AFLW Tessie McManus said that the club will not be taking any risks with Anderson's recovery.
"We're taking the cautious approach with J'Noemi," McManus said.
"By giving her the next two weeks to recover, it eliminates any pressure to hit recovery milestones and allows her to focus on recuperation."
12 months on the weekend. (Image: AFLNT)
Anderson has played five games for St Kilda after being taken by the club with selection 16 in last year's AFLW Draft.
She was drafted from Top End club St Marys, where she won the senior team's best-and-fairest award and the Northern Territory Football League Rising Star award.
The 18-year-old debuted against Geelong last year, becoming the Saints' first-ever Indigenous AFLW player.
Upon joining the club, Anderson was presented with the famous #7 jumper, as previously worn by proud Noongar man and St Kilda champion Nicky Winmar.
The Saints' official website describes Anderson as "a relentless inside midfielder who ferocious tackling is already a hallmark of her game".
"Anderson's freakish skillset comes complete with the ability to swing up forward and take strong grabs overhead," it states.
"There are red-hot highlights reels, and then there's J'Noemi Anderson."
