Adriana Konjarski is taking nothing for granted in what she describes as a "completely unexpected" season in NPLW Northern NSW.
The 26-year-old is the competition's leading scorer and unlikely to be caught.
She has produced an incredible 37 goals, finding the back of the net in all 18 appearances, and is playing a pivotal role as front-runners Warners Bay hold a three-point lead in the premiership race with three games to play.
The red-hot streak of form comes in a season Konjarski (nee Jones) never intended to play. The year started in tragedy for the former W-League striker, when she miscarried a pregnancy.
"At the end of last year, that was it [for football], but things change," Konjarski told the Newcastle Herald.
"It is what it is and we move forward and it's been really nice to have the season that I'm having, even though it's still sad. I went into it not really expecting anything out of it and I'm pretty much just enjoying football again."
Konjarski married husband Jason in February and credits his support as the former W-League striker feels back to the peak of her powers.
"He's been my rock through it all," she said. "He's there at every game and one of the biggest supporters. I wouldn't have had the season I've had if I didn't have his support.
"Even the team in general. Craig [Atkins] is an awesome coach and the club are like a big family, and it's good to be a part of something where you're so supported.
"You don't feel like you've got to prove something. As a striker, if you've got all of that pressure, it just doesn't flow."
Konjarski, who played W-League for Newcastle, Adelaide United and Melbourne City, was the leading scoring in NNSW Women's Premier League in 2016, when Warners Bay secured their one and only championship.
She returned to the competition in 2020 and played a handful of games with Broadmeadow before joining a struggling New Lambton, where goals and scoring opportunities were few and far between.
But Konjarski has been virtually unstoppable this year. When not scoring, she has been setting them up for a range of her also firing teammates.
Her form has not gone unnoticed with an invitation to train as part of a select NPLW NNSW group under Jets women's coach Ash Wilson.
"I feel like goals are just coming, and it's really good to be in that kind of state where even if I don't get selected in the Jets I know that I've done everything I possibly could this season," Konjarski said.
"I'm just going to take everything as it comes. It's that stage of my life. I'm quite happy that if this was my last year it's good to end it off how it is.
"There's just no expectation. If it comes, it comes. If it doesn't, it doesn't ... I'm in such a better mind frame than what I was in the last two years and it's nice to come out the other end of it."
