Sienna Saveska will always remember her 19th birthday, when celebrations turned to significant worry, and she was suddenly hospitalised.
Just weeks earlier, the Young Matilda had secured a dream move to Melbourne Victory, adding another piece to the puzzle Jeff Hopkins, who had closely monitored the midfielder on both the domestic and international stage, was assembling.
A star in the New South Wales Ninja A-League scene with both Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC, where she was a golden boot recipient and Championship winner, respectively, it was time for a new story in Victoria.
But the opening chapters, poised for positivity, took an unforeseen direction. The challenge of adjusting to a new environment would be the least of her concerns.
Speaking to MelbourneVictory.com.au, Saveska has revealed how an unexpected ailment escalated into a serious situation in the emergency room, leaving her sidelined until Round 10 of the 2025/26 season.
“It was a pretty hard situation for me because I started pre-season two weeks in, and then suddenly I had some random chest pain. On my birthday, I got taken into the ER, did some tests and stayed overnight; they ended up finding a clot in my lung.
“I was on some blood thinners for about three months. My training involved no contact at all, just running a lot for three months and some passing drills. It was hard, especially moving away from home for the first time and being a new player in the team, but I think the girls treated me very well and looked after me a lot.
“I feel better than ever coming back from that. It was a hard thing to deal with mentally and physically, but I’m out the other side now, and hopefully I can keep pushing.”
Saveska’s mindset is exemplary, shaped by being flung into competitive football at four years old for Port Kembla, a suburb of Wollongong, where her dad had played.
And it was both father and grandfather, as well as uncles, who impressed football on her as an infant, staying up until the small hours to take in Manchester United matches.
As the family were watching, Saveska was doubtless studying, absorbed by the Rooney-Ronaldo combinations. In more recent years, the Spanish duo of Aitana Bonmatà and Alexia Putellas, winners of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, inspired her to master the game’s technical elements.
A student of the game, time with the Institute of Sport was, naturally, the next step, then an opportunity to train with Wellington Phoenix, eventually curtailed by international player rules, before Sydney’s ALW scene came calling.
“You dream of playing with and against your idols. When I was at Sydney, Cortnee Vine would sit next to me in the locker room, so it was a bit of a pinch yourself moment every day.
“It was then great [at Wanderers]. I think just being able to get more game time helped me in that space. I never really got to show what I had on the field for the prior seasons. But playing pretty much every game and a lot of minutes helped me find confidence in myself to do what I do best.
“The game here was a bit crazy, a four-all draw. Jeff always tells me that I need to do it for him now! Hopefully, I can get us into the semi-final and Grand Final with something like that again.”
Although entering a new environment at Victory, the football fraternity meant at least one familiar face, Taylor Ray, a teammate at Sydney FC, was able to greet her.
This longer-term connection would prove more important than anticipated as Saveska’s medical issues coincided with Ray’s own time sidelined from the action.
“Being able to come here and see that she was here, it was kind of a weight lifted off my shoulders. I knew I could trust someone right away and go to someone when I needed.
“Obviously, you don’t ever want anyone to be injured, but her being there with me helped a lot. It was a hard time for both of us, and there were a lot of other girls who were in rehab too, but it was nice to build that connection with them off the field and also now back on the field.”
Saveska has now made seven appearances for Victory, having debuted during the pre-Christmas Derby versus Melbourne City at AAMI Park, going on to make her first start away to Adelaide United in January’s Original Rivalry clash.
“Everyone’s determined to make finals. We’re all pushing for that, and we’re trying to do our best every day and week.
“Jeff and the staff are doing a great job of giving us that information that we need and pushing us to go for it, so it’s just up to us now to get on the field and take our chances. We want to be in Finals, and we want to win the Grand Final.
“We just need to believe in ourselves. We have a great squad and a lot of experience. We just need to take it game by game and push for the most.”
Get behind Saveska and the Girls in Blue for Female Football Round on Saturday, March 14, kick-off 6pm AEDT, where Victory take on Western Sydney Wanderers at The Home of The Matildas.
