An innocuous collision in a domestic game at the Frankston Netball Centre left her with a mangled left knee, described by medical and netball staff as one of the worst of its type they had seen.

The Seaford-based athlete had just been chosen in the squad for the Peninsula Waves and had her whole sporting career in front of her.

A few days later she went under the knife and the knee was repaired. Specialists told Cox and her mother Lyn it was one of the worst injuries of its type they had seen, worse than many experienced by footballers.

Move on almost exactly a year to the middle of 2009 and Cox was back on court, a recovery that astounded her family and medical team considering she also had a bout of glandular fever in the middle of the recovery.

Now she is playing for Rye in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League's nepean netball division as well as playing for the Waves division 1 side in the Holden Cruze Cup state netball league. There were times when Cox thought she wouldn't make it back, especially at the start of her recovery, but now she's glad she went through the pain and trauma.

"It does feel good to know that I had the perserverance to go through it all. Some people actually say I am a better player for it."

She does not think she is, yet. "I want to get back to the standard where I can move up a division and play for the Waves championship side. Where I am playing at the moment is good netball, but that is better still."

After that she will wait and see, but she has the drive to go further if opportunity arises.

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