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Last year's W-League Grand Final was a miserable affair for Sydney FC forward Caitlin Foord, even before she watched her team lose. The Matildas star ruptured a ligament in her right foot during last year's semifinal which ruled her out of the 2018 decider and kept her sidelined for several months. A frustrated spectator at the best of times, watching her teammates slump to a 2-0 defeat to Melbourne City only added to the personal pain of her foot injury. Now 12 months later Foord's situation before Saturday's Grand Final against Perth at Jubilee Stadium couldn't be any more different. The 24-year-old has made a successful return from her injury, she scored a hat trick for the Matildas against Chile in Newcastle in November and carried that form into the W-League campaign with the Sky Blues. Form that has made last year's 2018 agony a distant memory before Saturday's Grand Final. "Obviously, last year having my injury, being sidelined and watching the game, it's never fun being on the sideline let alone to have to sit there and watch the grand final," Foord told AAP. "Things are different this year and I'm fit and healthy. "I'm hungrier than ever to be able to take part in this year's grand final and hopefully help the team hold up that trophy at the end of the game." In some ways the Grand Final is a tale of two strikers. Perth superstar Sam Kerr stole the headlines last weekend with a hat trick as the Glory defeated premiers Melbourne Victory 4-2 in extra-time. Those strikes took Kerr to 16 W-League goals this campaign while Foord's goal in Sydney's 2-1 semifinal win over Brisbane was her 10th. Both Perth and Sydney scored 28 goals in their 12 home-and-away fixtures and Foord said Sydney's spread of goals is a big part behind her own success. "We've scored a lot of goals this season," she said. "That kind of doesn't make me feel like I have any pressure on me at all ... finals football is always very, very exciting. "I've no doubt this grand final will be just as exciting ... it's going to be very special and we're all looking forward to it."
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