IN FIVE games this season for Richmond's AFLW side, Grace Campbell quickly earned a reputation as a fearless, courageous and selfless competitor.
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It's armed with those traits and her trademark vigour that the 24-year-old has immersed herself into her front and centre role in the fight against coronavirus.
With the AFLW season coming to an abrupt end last month, Campbell - a registered nurse - is not only back home in Bendigo, but working full-time at Bendigo Health.
The global coronavirus pandemic and the odd double shift have meant no time for reflection on what was an exhilarating debut season with the Tigers for the former Bendigo Thunder star.
"Once the AFLW season finished the plan was always to come back here in the off-season and start working back at the hospital, it just happened sooner than I or anyone else expected," she said.
"I'm very close to it, I work across various departments in the hospital, including ICU and emergency. Obviously they are very high-risk areas.
"The hospital itself is doing a fantastic job at implementing strategies that are needed to keep (medical workers) safe, making sure we have access to personal protective equipment and things like that.
"And they have set up administrative areas in the hospital to facilitate COVID-only areas to reduce the risk for not only us but the patients as well."
Campbell said while every day as a healthcare worker carried some risk, the coronavirus was something entirely out of the box.
"Obviously you see some terrible things as a nurse most days, unfortunately, but to be involved in something like this is something I have never experienced and neither have most people," she said.
"It's obviously scary, it's a new threat and everyone is just trying to adapt day-by-day to what is going on.
"Each day is changing and it's a very challenging environment we are working in, but I feel very well supported by the hospital."
Campbell, whose mum and sister are nurses, stressed it was important everyone heeded the messages from governments and health authorities, as well as those from people on the frontline.
"If we as health workers can educate people and help keep them safe, that's very important because, yes, our (case) numbers are decreasing, but they are decreasing because we are doing the right thing," she said.
"If people become complacent and ignore the information provided, we will spike and we will have trouble containing this.
"Then we will pay the ultimate price."
Before her return to Bendigo, Campbell had been employed as a casual nurse at the Alfred Hospital during the football season.
The tenacious Tigers midfielder hailed her inaugural AFLW season as awesome, highlighted by her debut in round two against Gold Coast and a hometown clash at the QEO against Geelong in late February.
"Obviously it wasn't ideal that it got cut short and obviously we would have liked to enjoyed a bit more success than we did, but I think were a lot of positive things we could take away," she said.
"It was really special getting to play in Bendigo in front of so many friends and family, who have supported me throughout my journey."
She added the playing group was doing all it could to support one another during the lockdown.
"We are still communicating through our WhatsApp group and we are still in contact with staff from the football club," Campbell said,
"We're doing our best to make sure everyone is travelling okay in what is a bit of a tough time for everyone.
"It would be nice to get back to training and get back to normality, but obviously we understand what's going on at the moment, and we're all just playing our part to keep the community and each other safe."
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