Port Adelaide captain Justine Mules-Robinson is the kind of person who makes people feel like they belong. 

Warm, funny, authentic and endlessly kind, she has a knack for making those around her laugh, often at her own expense, while making sure everyone else gets their moment in the spotlight. 

She’s the person teammates turn to when they need a laugh, a word of encouragement or simply someone in their corner. She will never let anyone walk alone, if you need her, she’s there. 

You’ll often hear Justine before you see her, her iconic laugh echoing through the corridors at Alberton and instantly lifting the mood of everyone around her. 

And while her football record speaks for itself, it’s her leadership and the way she carries herself that have made her such an important part of Port Adelaide’s AFLW program. 

For someone who has now spent almost a decade at the highest level of women’s football, Mules-Robinson is remarkably humble about what she has achieved. 

Perhaps that’s because, when she first started her AFLW journey, she never imagined she would make it this far. 

As she prepares to become the first Port Adelaide player to reach 100 AFLW games, Mules-Robinson admits she never even expected to make it beyond the early years of her career. 

“As cliché as it sounds, it means the world. I never once thought I'd still be playing football at this level. I never thought I'd get past season three of my career. 

“So, to be here and to be a leader for these girls is something I’m incredibly proud of. I’m proud to say I’m a Port Adelaide player, and very honoured and grateful that I’ve had people believing in me to get me to where I am today.” 

But the journey to 100 games hasn’t always been straightforward, with the 31-year-old navigating a series of heartbreak and challenge on and off the footy field. 

Alongside her football career, Mules-Robinson has continued to work full-time, while navigating the competing demands of football, family, friends and life outside the game. 

There have been difficult periods, too, when the pressures of balancing it all have threatened to overshadow the reason she started playing in the first place, because she loved it. 

“I think just making sure I still have fun because we're here for so many hours, and if you're not having fun, then what's the point of doing it?” she said. 

It’s a philosophy she now encourages the next generation of Port Adelaide players to embrace. 

“It’s something I really encourage the group too, just to make sure that they're having fun and having a great career. 

“I've had some struggles in my career as well, where at times there it was doom and gloom, and then just for me to get out of that headspace and just do what I want to achieve, has definitely allowed me to get to the big 100.” 

For Mules-Robinson, staying grounded has also meant remembering just how special the opportunity to play AFLW football really is. 

And through the highs and lows, one voice has remained particularly important. 

Her dad, Phil Mules, was her biggest fan and a constant source of encouragement throughout her football journey. 

He passed away in 2023, but his words have stayed with Mules-Robinson - particularly the simple message that has helped shape the way she approaches football and life. 

“My dad always said, ‘Why can't you do it? But as long as you're having fun’, and that's just what I've just taken away from the doom and gloom days, just to make sure that if you're here and you're having a laugh with the girls, what's not to love?” 

Now, with her father sadly no longer here to see the milestone, there’s no doubt his presence will be felt when Mules-Robinson runs out for game 100. 

Asked what she thinks Phil would say if he could see her reach the milestone, her answer is typically Justine - funny, heartfelt and full of love. 

“He'd be like, ‘Bloody hell, mate! I knew you could do it’. Phil… he was my biggest fan; he probably still is. 

“He'd just be over the moon, and in his words, as Phil Mules would say, he'd be tickled pink.” 

Mules-Robinson’s 100th game will be a milestone for her, but she’s already thinking about what it will mean for the players who follow in her footsteps. 

As the first Port Adelaide player to reach the mark, she hopes she won’t hold that record for long. 

“It’s unbelievable, it’s almost silly when you think about it, but like I said before, I’m incredibly honoured, and I just can't wait for one of our girls to be the first ever Port Adelaide player to just play 100 games for the club. 

“I can't wait for that, whoever that next person is.” 

And if she could go back and speak to the young footballer who never imagined she’d make it this far, she’d give her one simple piece of advice. 

“Anything's possible if you put your mind to it. Even if the goal's big, just write it down and just keep doing little things over and over just to eventually get there. Nothing's too far out of reach.” 

Perhaps the perfect example of that philosophy came in one of the proudest moments of her career. It wasn’t the three premierships she won during her time with Adelaide. 

It was the belief and resilience shown by her Port Adelaide teammates, as a seven-game winning streak secured the club its maiden finals berth before an iconic semi-final win over Hawthorn. 

With her side staring down a significant deficit against the Hawks, Mules-Robinson remembers sitting on the bench thinking about what the night might hold. 

Instead, her teammates produced a fearless comeback to book their place in a preliminary final. 

“Probably the semi final against Hawthorn…we were so far down. But then obviously coming away with a win, and the fearless footy that the girls played to leave everything out in the field.  

“That was a fantastic moment that I'll never forget.” 

And now, as she prepares to lead Port Adelaide into another chapter, Mules-Robinson can reflect on 100 games with the same humility she has shown throughout the journey. 

For a player who never thought she’d make it past season three, 100 games is more than a number. 

It’s a testament to the people who believed in her, the teammates who have shared the journey, the family who have supported her, and a dad whose voice she still carries with her. 

And, above all, it’s a milestone she’ll celebrate in the way that comes most naturally to her - surrounded by the people she loves, having fun, and grateful to be playing the game she loves.