When Tayla Vlaeminck is feeling down or frustrated as she works her way through another injury rehabilitation program, she only needs to look at her bedside table for motivation.
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Next to her bed sits her Baggy Green cap.
Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of Vlaeminck making her Test debut for Australia against England in the Ashes.
The Baggy Green cap that she wore proudly during that match against England is now one of the driving forces behind her recovery from injury.
"Growing up I watched Test cricket and you would see debutants receive their Baggy Green cap and think about how cool it would be to get one,'' Vlaeminck said.
"To actually get a Baggy Green cap, and have Mitchell Starc present it to me, was amazing.
"I had Mum and Dad there next to me which made it even more special.
"The girls kept giving me stick for the next three days or so because I kept trying my cap on at random times. I found it hard to take it off.
"I'd even wear it overnight. The cap still sits next to my bed now...it's pretty special.
"I want to make sure I get to wear it again in a Test match."
Read more: From Strathdale to the Baggy Green
Vlaeminck went through some tough times after a stress fracture in her foot forced her out of Australia's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign on home soil in February and March.
The foot injury was another chapter in a long book of injuries Vlaeminck has suffered over the past seven years.
Being able to look back on her Test debut, and the strong performances that followed in Australian colours in short-form cricket, has kept Vlaeminck in a positive frame of mind.
"This time around I missed something that is probably one of the biggest series that the girls have ever played in, so to know that I've also had some really good times in the past 12 months does help,'' she said.
"Sometimes when I'm going through a tough rehab I think back to getting that Baggy Green and what it meant to me and it puts a smile on my face.
"As hard as missing the World Cup was, I still had a good time. The team let me stay on and I travelled around to a few places with the girls.
"I watched them train and we hung out, so it was good to be still around the group rather than down in the dumps at home by myself."
The Australian squad included Vlaeminck in its World Cup celebrations, including the post-match concert with Katy Perry.
"I was adamant I wasn't going to get on stage because it was embarrassing, I wasn't in my kit and I didn't want to ruin the photo,'' Vlaeminck said with a chuckle.
"Rachael Haynes dragged me on stage and wouldn't take no for an answer.
"For the girls to do that for me was pretty cool. It's nice to look back on now."
The positive news for Vlaeminck and Australian cricket is that her doctors are happy with the way her foot injury is healing.
The 21-year-old is training with the Victorian squad at the Junction Oval.
Read more: Vlaeminck named Young Cricketer of the Year
"It's been almost five months now and it was originally marked as a six to seven month injury,'' Vlaeminck said.
"I'm just starting back with a little bit of running now and I've been batting for a couple of weeks, which gives me some skill work to do with the girls in the nets.
"I'm back in full gym work and trying to get more calf strength after it wasted away a bit in the (moon) boot.
"Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks I can start to do some bowling drills."
Australia's next international series is scheduled for late September against New Zealand.
The Women's Big Bash League in October also looms large.
"Hopefully, the series against New Zealand is played and that's the date I have in mind at the moment,'' Vlaeminck said.
"I haven't had any pain since I took the boot off, but I can't go too hard too soon because it's a temperamental bone.
"It's a slow healing one, but it's coming along well."
As far as the WBBL is concerned, Vlaeminck enters the second season of her contract with the Hobart Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes showed glimpses of their best last summer, but ultimately fell short of an expected finals campaign.
"Last year there were a lot of new faces in the squad and by the end of the season we were starting to gel and play some really good cricket,'' Vlaeminck said.
"Hopefully, all those girls will be back again. It's a condensed season this year across four or five weeks, so it should be really exciting.
"There were a lot of games last year where we lost crucial moments in games and that hurt us when it came to results.
"Hopefully, we can be better in those crucial moments this year and put some more wins on the board."
Vlaeminck's first club coach at Strathdale-Maristians in the Bendigo District Cricket Association - David Bakes - always held her batting in much higher regard than she did.
Bakes would be happy to know that Vlaeminck has turned the negative of not being able to bowl into a positive.
"I've been working on my batting and I've set myself a goal of becoming a bit of an all-rounder in the next couple of years,'' she said.
"It's a work in progress, obviously, because I'm coming from number 11, but I really enjoy batting even though I'm not that good at it.
"I can't bowl at the moment, so this is a good opportunity to work on other areas of my game."
While life in lockdown in Melbourne has restricted Vlaeminck to a combination of university studies and training, another sporting code has helped put a spring in her step.
Much to the delight of most AFL fans, Carlton has largely been irrelevant in terms of finals for much of Vlaeminck's life.
This year the Blues are showing signs of improvement.
"I'm loving the footy,'' Vlaeminck said.
"I'm happy to talk footy as much as you like."
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