GRACE PUTS SPRING IN ROOS’ STEP

Clarence captain Grace Mitchell is back for a TSLW blockbuster against Glenorchy at KGV on Saturday as the Roos target backto-back premierships.

CLARENCE captain Grace Mitchell missed the first half of the TSLW season with a calf injury, but she is back to lead the Roos into battle against Glenorchy at KGV on Saturday, in a game critical to the Roos going for back-to-back premierships.

At the halfway mark of the women’s State League competition, Mitchell said it was crucial to get wins on the board with a cut-down finals series due to a coronavirus-shortened season.

“Clarence, Glenorchy and Launceston are all sitting on one loss, so it’s a really tight race for that top spot,” Mitchell said.

“And being only one final before the grand final, it makes it critical to get as many wins as you can.”

As the defending champions, Mitchell said ideally the Roos would get to play for a second consecutive flag, but just playing at all, while football in some other states was shut down, was a privilege.

“This year has been so different so I’m just happy to be playing,” Mitchell said.

“So getting the chance to go back-to-back would be an absolute highlight.”

Clarence upset raging favourite Launceston to win last year’s grand final in a thriller by three points.

Despite a loss to Launceston two weeks ago, Mitchell said the Roos had improved since then.

“We’ve definitely had a better start to this season than we had last year,” she said.

“Launceston came off a loss to Glenorchy, so they were raring to go to prove themselves and we didn’t play our best football that day.

“They were out to get us from the grand final.

“They have got a lot of new girls who are quick, and they are not a tall side, like us, so it will a really close match-up and a really good game to watch.”