Port Adelaide captain Justine Mules-Robinson has reflected on the people, moments and milestones that have shaped her football journey, as she prepares to retire at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
From an unexpected application for the inaugural AFLW draft to premiership success and captaining the side, Mules-Robinson shared her thoughts on the growth of the competition, her father's influence and the next generation of players coming through at an emotional press conference attended by the entire playing group and club administration.
The 32-year-old also spoke about balancing full-time work with her commitments as an athlete and captain, a heartfelt phone call from former teammate Chelsea Randall that encouraged her to reflect on her impact on the game, and how her wife's positive pregnancy test helped her realise it was time to hang up the boots.
Mules-Robinson on the moment she knew it was the right time to call time
“After we got the positive pregnancy result, I think that definitely just changed my priorities. And obviously, balancing the act of being captain here, working full time, and being in charge of these incredible human beings, I thought something's got to give, and this just made sense. We found out in April, and then coming into pre-season I wanted to make sure I gave my all. It was obviously a really tough decision to make. But in terms of logistics, as soon as we knew that she was pregnant, I'm thinking, how am I supposed to do all three things? It just made sense.”
Mules-Robinson on balancing full-time work with her commitments as a professional athlete
“I think it will be quite challenging for athletes in the future (balancing work), but I think it just shows how far the AFLW competition has come. We're getting girls coming into their first year of football and having good income come through, whereas I didn't have that. We were getting, you know, $5,000 for the whole year back when I started, so I think it's great that these girls can prioritise having a career as a football player. Obviously, it can be quite short, so why not put all your eggs in one basket now and then do a little bit of study on the side.
“I have no idea how I balanced it all. Most of the time the girls just know that I'm delirious because I'm so tired or so stressed. But over the years, coming into the footy club has been my breakaway from work. It's been a bit more of a breakout for me, not so much a workplace. So just making sure that I have, you know, two different Justines, one who is professional Justine at work, and then a silly, goofy girl over here at the club. That's kind of just how I manage that balance.”
Mules-Robinson on the moment she submitted her application for the first AFLW draft
“I was so lucky with timing, honestly. I remember I started playing football at the age of 19 or 20, for Morphettville Park, and there were rumours about the Adelaide Crows getting an AFLW team in, and then obviously one drink on a night out led to another. The confidence kind of came into play, and I thought, ‘Here's my phone, let's just put it in.’ I didn't even have an image of my face on the application for the draft, so liquid courage was definitely there. I was just so lucky in terms of timing, and very grateful to see how far I've come and the human being that I am because of the incredible programs through the Crows and through Port Adelaide.”
Mules-Robinson on whether she ever thought she'd captain the side one day
“Oh, absolutely not! No, I never thought I'd be captain one day until my dad was just like, ‘Mate, you'll be captain.’ I think that belief inspired me, and I think for someone believing in you can do so much for yourself. So, I took my old man's word, and he was right.”
Mules-Robinson on how much her dad meant to her
“I apologise if my speech was quite blunt because I didn't want to get too emotional … I think this says it all. He was my biggest fan.”
Mules-Robinson on the impact she's had on the game
“Chelsea Randall (from Adelaide) just called me as I was driving here, and she just said, ‘Give yourself a moment to reflect’, because I think I'm just quite blasé with how I live my life, thinking, ‘Oh yeah, that was amazing.’ I don't really think about how important or the impact that I might have had on a program or an individual, so I think probably in 10 years' time I'll think, ‘Oh wow, I actually helped create something this fantastic.’ But I think at the moment I'm just taking all the emotions as they come. Probably in a few weeks' time, when the dust has settled from the season, I'll think back on how lucky I was, and how fortunate I was, to be a part of that, and to be able to see the five-year-old girls running around now think that they can be an AFLW player, that's amazing.”
Mules-Robinson on the talent coming through
“I could list all of the young players on our list. Honestly, you think they would have started playing football at the age of 10, and now they're superstars. Shineah Goody, she's so young, and she's probably going to be here for the next 15 years. We're just so lucky what AFLW has done for kids, and for both girls and boys that they can aspire to be a footballer. I didn't have the opportunity to run around at the age of five kicking a football at a local club, so I think it's so exciting to see that the pathways are there and look at the talent they're producing.”
Mules-Robinson on her proudest moment
“I don't think I could just pinpoint a moment because I think my entire career has had different milestones and different achievements. Obviously, the premierships were fantastic, and I think the moments after those finals with my family and friends in that environment would be something that I'd cherish forever. Obviously, with my old man being there, but just having moments out there with Flip (Erin Phillips) and Ange (Ange Foley), and then the special moments with these girls against Hawks in that final. There's too many to list … I think there'll be a time where I sit back and have my own little scrapbook going on, and then just, I think Rach (Sporn) has still got hers from the first season that we had at Port, so I think I'd be doing something similar.”
Mules-Robinson on how she's handled this year, knowing she'd retire at season's end
“I've kind of gone into every game just leaving no stone unturned, and then just writing on my wrist before a game that this might be the last one to just try and push myself even further. That's kind of how I've handled this year. When I first told Sauce (Head of AFLW Dan Merrett), I said I want to tell the girls as soon as possible because we were having team chats, and I was just the emotional one in the corner because I kind of knew my time was coming to an end, but I didn't want to tell the girls too soon. So, it's a big relief to have that conversation and to tell the girls, I guess, how important they are to me and how much I'm going to miss just being here and just being with the squad.”
Mules-Robinson on the future of the program under Glenn Strachan
“It's quite exciting, to be honest. I think we were asking for a different game style, and we definitely got that with Glenn's method. We all kind of just absorbed it and just wanted to run full steam ahead at it. With a couple more games to go, I hope that we really start to continue to demonstrate that style of footy. All the girls are all in with the new methods, and I'm just excited to see when it really starts to tick off and we get those wins on the board. It's going to be more exciting footy ahead.”
