JUSTINE MULES-ROBINSON says her 75th AFLW game has crept up on her as she approaches the milestone this week.
Mules-Robinson will join an exclusive club of players to have reached the milestone when she runs out with the side against West Coast in Perth on Saturday.
The club’s stand-in skipper in the absence of injured captain Janelle Cuthbertson, Mules-Robinson played 49 games and in three premierships with the Crows before arriving at Alberton to be part of Port Adelaide’s inaugural AFLW side.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mules-Robinson spoke about her gratitude at reaching the milestone, her decision to shift to Alberton in 2022 and the side’s improved ball movement so far this season.
Justine Mules-Robinson on reaching the 75-game milestone:
“It crept up on me and a few others actually. I'm surprised and very shocked to say the least, but I’m very grateful for my footy career and my experience thus far, and we'll see how much longer these legs have got to go.
“We'll see what happens, obviously I’m contracted for next year with Port Adelaide, and obviously with how the fixture works for next year, and maybe a few years moving forward as well, if we get to extend that. But it’s literally season by season, day by days as we go. I’m just so grateful for the growth in the competition so far and the young talent coming through. These girls will be playing at least 150 to 200 plus games.”
Justine Mules-Robinson on her journey and reasoning behind coming to Port Adelaide for its inaugural AFLW season after three premierships with the Crows:
“I think that's one of the key factors that I played over when Port Adelaide came to the competition. I kind of saw myself in the back end of my career, and just thought, with my experience and success at the Crows, what can I do to help the young ones find their feet at a new club. I think that's given me one of my big driving factors to do so well and to try and encourage the young ones coming through the system now, and just support them in their journeys.”
Justine Mules-Robinson on captaining the side in the absence of injured skipper Janelle Cuthbertson:
“JC has set our group up for success this year, and obviously on the back of Flipper (Erin Phillips). So what JC has done in the off season and pre-season, and obviously the season still ongoing has been unreal, and she's supporting me. She's supporting Ash (Saint), is supporting Ange, and we're just trying to keep fulfilling her goals and her dreams for this young squad. But (we’re) so lucky to have JC, someone who I look up to, and obviously that partnership there's just naturally coming. We're just creating some really good relationships and friendships and we know she's going to do all the right things (until) she's ready to get back out there.”
Justine Mules-Robinson on the improved connection within the group and how to build on that when players are not at the club full-time:
“We are a very tight group, and I guess that's just built off the off-season and pre-season that we had. It was pretty hard, and we just kept demanding more and more of the girls. And that's evident out on the field now. The great group that we have is awesome. They're like my little sisters, annoying little sisters.
(We have) lots of coffees, coffee catch-ups, breakfast catch-ups, a couple of beach walks here and there with the doggos. But they're a young group. They're social beings so they always find time to get around one another.”
Justine Mules-Robinson on some of the key focusses this season:
“I think we strive on our contest work, and I guess the thoughts of never giving up, and you know, it's never over until the last siren goes so just that mentality that we never give in, never give up, attitude, and that's just what we've worked so hard on the off-season and pre-season. We know we've got the legs to go in this competition. We know we can take it to the top teams. And we just go game by game and see what success looks like at the end of the day.”
Justine Mules-Robinson on the side’s faster ball movement in 2024:
“It's something we've definitely been working on in our game style. You know, fast footy is fun footy. Seeing the likes of Ash Saint, Gemma (Houghton), you know, get it down to the one on ones, and look at the girls fly - they've got some tremendous speed so it's exciting for you to watch, and definitely something that we've looked on to, I guess, highlight these individuals and their talent set there.”
