A six-week stint on the sidelines is a favourable result for a netballer who originally thought she'd fractured her lower leg.
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Camperdown goal defence Ruby Pekin-Schlicht suffered ligament damage after she was hurt in the Magpies' loss to Koroit on Saturday.
"After the game on Saturday I went to Warrnambool ED and they told me it was fractured which was not too great," she said.
"I went to specialist on Monday and got an MRI and the fracture had actually already been there, possibly from a past strain.
"The ligament had just taken the bone off the end of the fibula and it's just healed back there.
"It is an old fracture which is good news. They are thinking six weeks.
"It would've been more if it was a new fracture.
"I have just done a few ligaments that's all - not major ones but enough to put me out for a little bit."
Pekin-Schlicht, who also plays for Victorian Netball League club Geelong Cougars, is now resting at her mum Kate Schlicht's farm at Weerite, 20 kilometres out of Camperdown.
"I'm not too helpful with a moon boot and crutches," she joked.
"They think I will be in the moon boot for two weeks. It's pretty painful at the moment so I am not doing too much weight-bearing."
Pekin-Schlicht, 20, returned to the Hampden league in 2021 for the first time since the 13 and under competition.
She is playing open and coaching Camperdown's 17 and under team.
The multi-talented athlete, who also competes in track and field, went to school in Geelong before moving to America to study.
She spent two years on campus at St Thomas Aquinas College in New York before COVID-19 hit and is currently chipping away at her forensic science degree remotely while home in Australia.
The injury layoff will give Pekin-Schlicht extra time to hit the books.
"I did finish a semester two weeks ago," she said.
"I am doing a few summer courses to get a few extra credits so I'll be able to focus on that a bit more which mum (Kate Schlicht) is very happy about."
Camperdown hosts Port Fairy at Leura Oval in round seven on Saturday.
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Justine McCullagh-Beasy
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Sports journalist with an interest in feature reporting. Email: justine.mc@austcommunitymedia.com.au
