In March 2021, Stott revealed that she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which saw her time at Brighton & Hove Albion in England’s Women’s Super League come to a premature end.

“One of the hardest things was actually coming back from it and not really knowing how to get back,” Stott recently shared with the-AFC.com. “I think the fatigue lasted about two years so it was a long journey to get back to a decent level.

“But I think especially being at Melbourne City, they’ve helped build me back up and I’ve had the right people around me to ensure that I could get back to the level I wanted to be at.

“It was cool that the whole football community got around me and supported me and I think I was very fortunate to have that kind of support.”

The 2024/25 edition is something the centre-back remembers fondly despite the obvious disappointment of losing in the final as she was proud to part of what was a successful first edition of the competition.

The final at the Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium saw a turnout of 18,000 fans with both teams providing excitement and drama in large doses.

“That tournament was so special. It was such a great experience for myself on a personal level and also the team to be part of the first ever Women’s Champions League.

“It was an incredible experience to be part of and I think it was a successful tournament as well. I’m excited for what’s to come next.

“Obviously, great for Wuhan to have their home fans but to be honest, any time we get to play in front of a crowd is special and it makes the game really exciting and there is more hype around it. Obviously hard with the result but definitely a cool night.”

Unfortunately, Stott’s penalty in the shootout was one of two saves Chen Chen made to win the title for Wuhan Jiangda but it did not take away a standout tournament for the New Zealander, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

The Melbourne City skipper also applauded the tournament format.

“For us, I think it was great (format). It gave us the opportunity to have a prolonged pre-season. That was right before we kicked off our A-League season in Australia, so it worked well. It helped with that and to have a game at home in front of our fans was really special too.

“I think the semi-final and final worked well too. Being able to get over there and play that first game, hopefully we can make it to another Finals.”

The competition also heralded a new generation bursting onto the scene with Melbourne City’s own Alexia Apostolakis becoming a full Australian international, less than two months after the final in Wuhan.

Shelby McMahon - at just 17 years of age - was another one who shone in the last edition, scoring in the semi-final and final with Stott championing teams using the competition to showcase the up-and-coming generation.

“That’s one of the great things about this competition, that these young players are coming through in each country and they get to put themselves out there on the international stage. It’s exciting to have that kind of talent coming through at our club and in Australia in general.

“It’s really important and special for the club. I’m super proud of those girls and they’re going to have big futures ahead of them. Having the exposure from this competition can only help their future.”

For this season’s group stage, Melbourne City are drawn in Group A where they have Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC, Stallion Laguna FC of the Philippines and Singapore’s Lion City Sailors FC for company.

They start their campaign against Sailors and will be favourites to advance to the quarter-finals - with the opportunity for another assault on the title is something Stott is relishing.

“Obviously each season you lose a couple of players and you gain a few. It’s hard to tell now if we’re going to be a better team this season

“But Michael (Matricciani) is in his second year in charge and we’ve kept the main squad, I think we can build on last season and hopefully make steps forward.”