Western Bulldogs defender Mua Laloifi says she is focusing on the positives of her ACL rehabilitation journey.

Laloifi underwent surgery last week after sustaining an ACL injury in the Club’s pre-season match simulation against Richmond, but said she is in high spirits.

“The week post-surgery has actually been really good - because I’ve gone through it before, I know what to expect,” Laloifi said in the first episode of The Barking Bulldogs podcast.

“I’m finding that this time around I’m handling my emotions (better).

“For me it’s the perspective of everything – we play sport because we love it, but at the end of the day injuries come with what we do and what we put our bodies through.

“There’s a lot of days that you do by yourself, and there’s a lot of darker moments that you find yourself going into because it is quite isolating.

“For me, it’s about jotting down the little goals I can tick off – those little wins are going to be my biggest wins.”

Laloifi also said she hopes sharing her experience can help others going through similar situations feel less isolated.

“I had a young kid reach out recently, who is going through her draft year and has also done her ACL,” she told Jasmyn Smith on the podcast.

“If I can help someone who is going through the same thing, that’s probably a huge blessing and what I’m grateful for.

“The platform that we have as athletes is to also show we are all human and go through these highs and lows of the sport.

“I don’t want people to feel like it’s exhausting to be around me. I think what I can control is my attitude (towards) everything.

“Yeah, you can be in your feels about it but at the end of the day things keep moving forward.

“You either move forward with everything and everyone, and be excited about what’s to come, or you sit on the couch eating donuts.

“I prefer the good energy that I can give someone else. I’ve always looked at life as a positive thing, and that everything happens for a reason.”

The Barking Bulldogs is a new podcast hosted by Laloifi and Smith that takes you inside Mission Whitten Oval to give you an exclusive look at life behind the scenes of the AFLW program. Tune in fortnightly via your preferred podcast listening service.