Rebecca Beeson's remarkable road back to the AFLW

There were days Rebecca Beeson could not walk straight, could not watch TV and could not imagine life on the footy field.Her dream, at that point, was not AFLW glory or a milestone match; it was getting back to feeling normal.Now, after a journey that has tested her in ways football never could, Beeson is set to run out for her 75th AFLW match as team captain.And it has been a very long road to get to 75 matches.The Giants midfielder is the last inaugural GWS player from the first AFLW season in 2017 (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)From three concussions to a season on the sidelines, the 29-year-old said the experience made her the person she is today.The GWS captain was just a few weeks away from the start of the 2022 season when she suffered a severe head knock in a practice match against Sydney.It was her third concussion in seven months."I didn't immediately know [what had happened]. I knew something wasn't quite right and I needed some time away from the game," Beeson told ABC Sport.The club doctor and Beeson had a mutual decision to work on her health and to take the seventh AFLW season off.Amid the uncertainty, the young midfielder was also dealing with her father's sudden death."It was one of the most challenging times in my life."Initially I was struggling with some delayed concussion symptoms over a number of weeks. I had headaches. I couldn't go for a walk outside because the Sun would make me sick. I couldn't look at my phone," she said."I spent a lot of time at home staring at the wall."Rebecca Beeson suffered two concussions in the 2021 season, then a severe head knock the next year had her sidelined for 12 months. (Getty Images/AFL Photos: Dylan Burns)Specialist after specialistDuring her 12-month rehabilitation, Beeson watched her team from the sidelines.She saw concussion specialist after concussion specialist and travelled to Victoria to see doctors to help her get her quality of life back."I did a lot of work with the club's psychologist and a specialist head-injury neuropsychologist down in Melbourne," she said."What I found to be scary was just not seeing an endpoint"Concussion injuries are not only difficult to diagnose because standard brain scans like CT's or MRI's do not show the visible damage, but signs and symptoms of a concussion can vary from person to person."I reflect on it, and I obviously would never wish for that to happen to anyone, but I think I came out the other side a better teammate and more grateful to be playing footy," Beeson said."It's made me the person that I am today."Resilient returnRebecca Beeson was voted the Giants' third captain in the 2024 season after long-time skipper Alicia Eva stepped down. (Getty: Quinn Rooney)Her return to the league in 2023 marked a defining year for the young midfielder: she claimed a second Gabrielle Trainor medal and was named club captain after long-time skipper Alicia Eva stepped down from the role.Giants coach Cam Bernasconi had only just been appointed when Beeson was injured."She's just an incredibly resilient person. Her ability to overcome that and become the leader she is, it's just remarkable," Bernasconi said."She spent the 12 months rehabilitating; she brought back neck strengthening and concussion protocol exercises that we now use for the whole playing group."As a coach, selfishly, I love that it's her milestone this week because I get to lean on her and use her as motivation for the team," he said.Over the weekend, the 29-year-old delivered a career-high three goals in round one against West Coast, a performance she will be looking to emulate for her 75th match on Sunday."We brought high pressure to the game, and we were the number one pressure team for the comp last week," she said."It's a trademark of our game; we want to be known for that, for getting in your face, so that's just something we'll keep working on."If I take a step back and think of the journey I've been on, I'm just very happy and very grateful to make it to 75."