The Maitland 20-year-old has already endured more sporting ups and downs than most would in their whole career.

But the talented attacking player had no doubts she was doing the right thing after starring with a hat-trick in Broadmeadow's last Newcastle Herald Women's Premier League match.

It was not so much the match treble that Kell took out of the 10-0 win over Mid Coast in round 13. It was more the fact that she was able to get through a 90-minute performance and enjoy it.

"There's a lot of times in that game if you watch the video that you see me smiling," Kell said.

"I don't remember the last time I was on a pitch smiling. Yes, I love scoring. But I didn't even care about that. I was just having fun on the pitch."

Kell came through the Emerging Jets and Northern NSW Football elite junior pathways. At 16 she was identified as one of Australia's rising talents when picked in the Junior Matildas team to play at the AFC Under-16 World Championship Qualifiers in Vietnam.

But, by the time she was 18, Kell had undergone two knee reconstructions and was told to look for another sport. She snapped the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in her right knee in Vietnam in late 2017 then did it again in early 2019 while playing a trial game for the Emerging Jets.

"It was terrible," Kell said. "I had played a high level since I was 10 and then being told, at not even 18, that you're not going to play again, it was like, 'Are you for real?'

"I don't think it hit me until December that year that I hypothetically wasn't going to play ever again. And I accepted that."

Kell finished school, started working and began studying a bachelor of criminology and criminal justice. She tried other sports, like tennis and cycling, but midway through last year decided she wanted to play again.

"I went and trialled with Magic and genuinely fell in love with it again," Kell said.

But after playing a full game in round one, Kell limped off the field only to discover days later she had a stress fracture in her left foot. Eight weeks in a boot followed.

"I could feel myself slipping back into what I went through when I wasn't going to play again," she said.

"But getting the taste of playing again and training and having a great group of girls, I thought it was worth it. It's definitely been the best team I've ever been a part of, in terms of community. It's so different to being in a high-level environment where everyone is in it for themselves."

Kell has slowly eased her way back in Magic's last three games and is hoping for an "injury-free" end to the season. But mostly, she wants to savour playing again.

"Obviously, I want to win and we want to get to finals; that's the goal as a team," Kell said. "But for me, my biggest achievement will be if I get to end of season and I'm literally still in one piece. That's where I'll sit in terms of, 'OK, let's do it next year.'

"Mainly, I just want to have the rest of the season with managing myself and not having to worry about injuries. And just getting back on the pitch and getting game time back under my belt."

Magic coach Jake Curley expects Kell to get better with each match.

"She has really good technique, she's pretty intelligent with regards to the game and she drives at people, which for someone who plays either nine or 10 is important," Curley said.

"She doesn't mind taking people on. And she's actually quite rapid over a short distance, so her acceleration is a short area is actually quite good as well which is also beneficial to us.

"She provides something a little bit different for us. And it makes training better because there's better players to train with. She's a really good trainer and is very focused on what she does, which is good."

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