In the heart of the capital, the Canberra Raiders NRLW team had rediscovered their rhythm. A string of three consecutive wins—against the New Zealand Warriors, the Canterbury Bulldogs, and most recently, a nail-biting, one-point victory over the Wests Tigers—had the team buzzing. This particular win was a milestone moment for Harden native, Grace Kemp, who celebrated her 25th game for the club.
Grace was radiant, her words echoing the newfound unity of the team. “I think we’ve really built over these last couple of weeks, and hopefully we keep building into these next couple. We are just so con-nected as a group at the moment. It’s really cool to see.”
The victory felt especially sweet, played out in front of a roaring home crowd. The win broke a long-standing drought and marked a double celebration: Grace’s milestone game and Captain Zahara Temara’s 50th.
“The crowd there was amazing,” Grace shared, “and it was really cool to be able to bring home that win, especially Zee’s 50th, but with that crowd behind us as well. Breaking that drought of winning at home was amazing and we are really, really grateful for the support that we had.”
Grace spoke with admiration for her captain’s winning field goal in the final seconds of the game. “I think we look back on that game against the Dragons and she hit a field goal in the same golden point, kind of tied up as well. So for her to, I guess, pull aside that pressure and hit that goal, in her 50th was just something Zee would do. It was unreal.”
The win was also a powerful moment for the new players, who had yet to experience a home-crowd victory. “I feel the girls that are new to our team, for them to get a win at home and I guess feel that love and support from Canberra as a whole, and our supporters that travel near and far,” Grace said, her voice full of pride. “It was great for them and for our team to be able to get that win before we head away again to Sydney is really great for us.”
For Grace, reaching 25 games was a deeply personal achievement. “I feel like, for me, as a female athlete to be able to reach 25 games, even though Zee, I guess, got 50 on the weekend, I’m halfway to 50,” she said with a laugh. “It was amazing. And for my friends and family to be there, they got me to where I am today and my teammates around me as well. It was really special.”
Grace reflected on the challenges she’d faced this year, particularly with injuries. “It was so tough. I said to Borth (coach Darrin Borthwick), just play me. Just put me out there. It’s been a really tough year, I guess, for myself with injuries, but just being around the group and staying positive has really helped me and we’ve got a great medical team here as well that has kept me on track and pushed me back into that bench position, so I’m really happy with where I’m sitting.”
From the bench, Grace and her team-mates honed in on the game. “I feel like being able to sit with those girls that are kind of new to the space, Lil’s great to sit next to,” she explained. “We just watch what’s happening on the field and we see what we can change or control when we get on and those girls that are starting set a great platform for us to come on. It’s not an easy job for them to do, setting that platform, but we love getting on there and absolutely ripping in.”
The game was also a showcase for country footy talent, something Grace held dear. “Talking to Marley (Cardwell), she’s a Central West girl as well, so for us to be able to come and, I guess showcase what country footy is all about in the capital, it’s great,” Grace said. “And for her to have this platform now as well and she’s an NRLW player, she’s really made for it. So for her to be able to get that platform and show what she’s made of is unreal.”
Looking ahead, the team was ready to face their next challenge, the formidable Titans. “So excited,” Grace exclaimed. “I think we’ve been raising that bar every week and this week we really need to raise it, I guess, double time, so it’s going to be an amazing challenge for us, and we’re super excited. We’ve got the Friday night Footy, a great contest, and hopefully we can bring home some points.”
The team was hungry for a win against a powerhouse opponent. “We are so excited. I feel like when we beat them here the first year and then we were so close last year, we’re really hungry for it. They’re a team of exceptional athletes and great coaching, but we are too, and we’re really excited to see the challenge that lies ahead.”
– Tully Potts
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