Newcastle Jets vice-captain Libby Copus-Brown will celebrate a major career milestone this week, bringing up her 100th A-League Women’s (ALW) appearance in club colours.
Having spent the bulk of her career with her hometown side, the 28-year-old admits the achievement is both special and hard to believe.
“I feel like I can’t imagine my life without the Jets,” she said.
“It’s such an important part of my life and I’m so passionate about this team and this club.
“For me personally, it’s a milestone to be proud of, and I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else.”
The feat places Copus-Brown among an elite group of Jets players to reach the mark.
“It’s an honour to be part of that list,” she told the Newcastle Weekly.
“A lot of those players I’ve really looked up to.”
Her journey to 100 hasn’t come without its challenges, particularly in the earlier years of the competition when shorter seasons made the milestone harder to reach.
“At the start, we played games a year, so it was much more difficult then,” Copus-Brown said.
“Now the season is longer, however you still have to juggle work as well.
“It is and has been a hard journey, but that’s just part of it.”
Now a senior figure in the squad, Copus-Brown has embraced a leadership role, helping guide younger players while continuing to perform consistently on the field.
“Cass is still around and she always has a presence,” she said.
“But, in her absence it’s allowed me to step up as well.
“I just try to keep my head in the right place and guide the girls where I can.
“And, hopefully, we can keep winning.”
Her milestone comes at a crucial time in the season, with the Jets building momentum after a strong win over Sydney and pushing to secure a finals berth.
“It’s huge for us,” the midfielder said.
“I think we’ve been pushing for a result for a while now and it was good that it was a convincing game.”
Only three points outside the top six and a clash against Brisbane looming, Copus-Brown said the team was ready to embrace the pressure.
“I think we’re a team that plays well in those situations,” she stated.
“We work hard and if we play like we did against Sydney, we’ll give ourselves every chance.”
While there may be some quiet revelries with family, including her grandmother visiting from the UK, Copus-Brown’s focus remains firmly on the task at hand.
That is knocking over Brisbane Roar at Spencer Park on Friday 20 March.
“If we’d win, there might be some [celebrations],” she said.
“My family is coming down to Brisbane, which will be nice.
“Also, my nanny’s here from the UK and that is really special for me.
“First and foremost, we need to get the results.”
For more sports stories:
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- Knights’ pathways fire in big weekend across all grades
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