After overcoming major injury, McPhillamy is primed for premiership decider

Playing for the Panorama Platypi in a Western Women's Rugby League (WWRL) match on October 15, 2022, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and her meniscus.

It was a nightmare injury, which occurred during a breakout year in which she played senior rugby league and rugby union for the first time, having played soccer since a young age.

It ruled her out of sport for the next two years, as she waited for surgery and then the long recovery.

"I couldn't do anything, so I coached my old soccer team [Eglinton], so it was something different, but just wasn't the same," she said.

"I've always played soccer since I was a kid, so I've always had some form of sport.

"So it was very hard, very challenging, but I had a great group of mates who were around me all the time. So they kept me, kept me going."

She returned to the soccer field late last season, but only pulled a Bathurst Bulldogs jumper back on at the start of 2025, being named the competition's top point scorer and the joint player of the year alongside Dubbo's Alahna Ryan.

It's quite an incredible feat when you consider McPhillamy has played just two full seasons of rugby union.

And while she didn't win the grand final with the Bulldogs, she'll be hoping to win it all with the Panorama Platypi on Saturday.

She's set to start in the second row for the Platypi's home grand final against Mudgee Dragons at Jack Arrow Oval.

"We're feeling quite confident, but also a bit nervous though, as it's a grand final," she said.

"You never know what's going to happen. Mudgee is a quality side, so we'll see what happens on the day."

"We're just gonna have to work together, play to our strengths. We have quite a diverse team, so we're quite well-rounded.

"So if everyone plays to our strengths and gets the ball over the line, we'll be right."

McPhillamy first played for the Platypi during the WWRL's summer competition in 2022, which had been delayed from the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The competition has continued to grow, with Lachlan District's admission to the competition bringing the competing teams up to seven.

"It keeps growing," McPhillamy said.

"If we could have a bit longer of a comp, it might be a bit better because we only verse each other once, and it's finals, and we only get two games of finals too.

"So it's good that it's finally progressing, but maybe that little bit longer would be nicer.

"All the other teams are starting to finally find their feet and get better and better every year. So it's becoming better."

There will be five matches at Jack Arrow Oval on Saturday: