Striker Adriana Konjarski has earned a national league recall with the Newcastle Jets after a stand-out season in NPLW Northern NSW.
The 27-year-old's signing almost completes coach Ash Wilson's 17-player roster for the 2022-23 A-League Women's campaign.
The Jets will also have four scholarship players.
Konjarski (nee Jones) made her national league debut for home-town team Newcastle in 2013-14.
She played two seasons with the Jets before stints at Adelaide then Melbourne City for a total of 44 appearances and 11 goals.
Konjarski has not featured in the competition since 2019 and was not planning to play at all in 2022.
A "completely unexpected" season followed in which Konjarski was in lethal form, scoring 39 goals in 23 appearances and setting up plenty of others for teammates as the Panthers' secured the premiership-championship double.
She collected the competition's leading scorer accolade and was named player of the year at the NPL NNSW awards night this month.
"I didn't really expect any of it," Konjarski said.
"I didn't even expect to play this year. To go from not playing to getting golden boot and then player of the season, I'm humbled."
As the season progressed, a love of the game returned and the prospect of potentially playing at a higher level again arose when she was invited to be part of an elite training program under Wilson. Her performances back in that environment resulted in a Jets contract.
"AJ has had a lot of solid performances in the NPL and she was one of the standouts when we were looking at who we wanted to bring in for those elite sessions," Wilson said.
"She's had experience in the league before and she's got a lot of the physical capabilities and attributes that we see desirable. She's been out of the league for a little bit but she's definitely matured, and she's got a really focused attitude about what she wants this season and what she wants to get out of it.
"We think she can be quite threatening to opposition. She's a natural competitor. She loves winning and she's someone who's going to really drive herself to be successful."
Konjarski joins Warners Bay teammates Cassidy Davis, Tara Andrews and Lauren Allan in the Jets squad.
The quartet were in devastating attacking form for the Panthers this year, combining for an astonishing 109 goals.
"She's come in with the right attitude and she wants to contribute to the team," Wilson said.
"I really saw that with Warners Bay. The link and the combinations with some of the girls that she's been playing with, that was definitely something that was going to benefit us as well."
While Konjarski is excited to again represent her home town on the national stage, most of all she is relishing being able to enjoy football again.
"This whole year has really been a blessing, and everything has just come when I'm not wanting anything," she said.
"I'm grateful to get the opportunity again and especially for my home club.
"At the end of the day, you just want to play for your home team. Coming off the season that I've had, I just want to keep that momentum rolling along."
