The GIANTS’ 2026 VFL season may not have ended the way they wanted, but there were plenty of positives to emerge – one of those was the long-awaited debut of Mitch Szybkowski after more than 600 days on the sidelines.
Signed by the club ahead of the 2025 VFL season, Szybkowski dealt with a debilitating back injury which not only forced him to miss the entire 2025 season but required him to undergo back surgery late last year.
Looking back, Szybkowski admits he questioned whether he would ever play football again.
“There were definitely a lot of dark days, “the 22-year-old said.
“When I found out I was having surgery, I was pretty nervous about whether I would actually get back to playing footy, and if so, what I was capable of doing.
“And it wasn’t just about not being able to play footy, it was my day-to-day life as well. I couldn’t even walk down the street without pain [prior to surgery].
“There were times I’d just be lying in bed and there’d be pain shooting down my leg.
After undergoing surgery, the next step was finding out whether his body was ready to return to everyday life and the game he had spent nearly two years out of.
“I was off work for a couple of months after the surgery, and at the start I was only able to carry like two bags of grocery shopping, that’s all I could physically do. Then slowly I could get back into simple movements, and I could go for walks and things like that.
‘Then I was able to go back to work [as a disability support worker] and slowly progress back into lifting a bit of weight and running.
“Once I was able to get up and moving, my body became the best it had been in a long time and I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The dark days were put behind him in May when Szybkowski was finally able to return to the field through his local club Beaconsfield, marking his first game of footy in more than 600 days.
“It was massive,” Szybkowski said.
“I think it was about 630-odd days it had been between games.
“Obviously, footy means a lot to me, so to have it taken away from me for a year and a half, and then eventually to get up and going and get back into the swing of things – yeah, I was over the moon with it all.
“To just go and play a local game for my local club, that was a massive milestone.
“Then to find a bit of form there and eventually get the call-up to the VFL, it’s something I’m very proud of.”
His form with Beaconsfield earned Szybkowski his long-awaited GIANTS VFL debut in round 12 against Williamstown, finally pulling on the GIANTS jumper for the first time almost two years after signing with the club.
“I was over the moon,” he said.
“After the surgery I couldn’t really do anything and I was just overthinking everything. Then when I finally able to return, I was over the moon.
“It was just great to get out there and finally pull on the jumper.”
The 22-year-old went on to play the final nine games of the GIANTS’ 2026 VFL campaign, producing several strong performances to suggest the worst of his back troubles are well and truly behind him.
Szybkowski’s best game came in a monster outing in the VFL edition of the Sydney Derby in round 18, collecting a VFL career-high 35 touches to go along with 10 clearances and 17 contested possessions.
“I just wanted to repay the faith that the VFL program showed in me. Especially all of the staff, particularly ‘Coxy’ [physio Aiden Cox]. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have been in the position I was to come back in and not just feel like a number in the team, but to actually have an impact on game day. So I’m very grateful to him.
“And then the boys as well, all getting around me on those dark days, running laps with me and things like that.
“So to finally get out there – and in particular when I kicked my first goal for the club and everyone got around me - that’s definitely something that sticks in my mind.
“I think my form in that last month showed the work I’d put in behind closed doors when no one was watching.
“It was great to really show myself that I’m capable at that level.”
Turning his attention to 2027, Szybkowski said he’s already excited about what he and the GIANTS can achieve after a big summer on the track.
“I think having a full pre-season under my belt will be huge. I don’t think I’ve had an actual pre-season for a couple of years.
“I just want to get to work over the pre-season and hopefully continue that form from the back end of this season.
“Robbie has created such a good culture, and all the boys get along and love coming to training.
“I’m just really excited to see what a year with hopefully no injuries looks like, because I think with the list that we have, no matter who plays, I think we’re really capable of showing our full potential.”
