Mitch on a mission
BRISBANE Lion Mitch Robinson is back home in Tasmania for today’s big AFL clash against Hawthorn at UTas Stadium. And the midfield warrior says he is determined to use the disappointment of missing a milestone match on his home turf to spur Brisbane to an upset win.
MIDFIELD warrior Mitch Robinson is determined to use the disappointment of missing out on a milestone match on his home turf to spur Brisbane to an upset win against Hawthorn this afternoon.
Robinson was set to play his 150th AFL game against the Hawks in Launceston in Round 8 last year, only to suffer a fractured foot against Sydney the week before, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
And now two games back after missing a fortnight with a broken toe, the 29-year-old is itching to showcase his talents in front of what he hopes will be a groundswell of support at UTas Stadium.
“To come back and play in front of my home state is a really big thing for me,” Robinson said at Brisbane’s light training run at the ground. “I’m very passionate about where this state is going and where it has been.
“I was meant to play my 150th down here but unfortunately it didn’t happen, that would have been pretty special. I just love coming back, we don’t get to come home too much during the year. It’s good to get back here and see the home crowd and hopefully get a win.”
Having started the year with eight consecutive losses, the Lions broke through in Round 9 when they beat the Hawks at the Gabba by 56 points. It was arguably the turning point for the club, which has shown marked improvement to defeat Fremantle on the road and then blow away Carlton in the past two rounds. Robinson credits the turnaround to the youthful list gaining more confidence and experience.
“It is a young group, we are learning the ways, a couple of wins on the board really gets their confidence up.
“We know we can win games of footy and win well, we just have to stick to those things, we play with a bit of a licence to play that [exciting] brand of footy and it works for us.”