Shane Crawford

Infobox afl player NEW
playername = Shane Crawford
fullname = Shane Crawford

---

birthdate = Birth date and age|1974|9|9|df=y
birthplace = Mount Barker, South Australia
heightweight = 174cm / 80kg
originalteam = Assumption College
draftpick = 13^th overall, 1991
Hawthorn Hawks
currentclub = Hawthorn
guernsey = 9
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
years = 1991-
clubs = Hawthorn
games(goals) = 305 (224)
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = R19, 2008
careerhighlights =
* Hawthorn Premiership Player 2008
* Hawthorn Team of the Century (interchange)
* AFL Rising Star nominee 1993
* Brownlow Medal 1999
* AFLPA Most Valuable Player award 1999
* Victorian State of Origin representative
* Alex Jesaulenko Medal 1998
* Leigh Matthews Trophy 1999
* All-Australian 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002
* International Rules Series 1998, 1999, 2002
* Best and Fairest 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003
* Captain 1999-2004
* Best Hawthorn Clubman 2005
*Ansett Cup 1999 Premiership side

Shane Crawford (born 9 September 1974 in Mount Barker, South Australia) is an Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Shane spent much of his childhood in Finley, New South Wales and Myrtleford, Victoria.

Australian rules football career

Crawford was recruited from Assumption College, Kilmore in Victoria, and selected by the Hawks with the 13th pick in the 1991 AFL National Draft. He made his debut in 1993 and "has since become an all-time club great and remains the only link from Hawthorn's golden era through to today." [cite web|url=http://afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=68273|title=How the list was built: Hawthorn|publisher=AFL.com.au|accessdate=2008-09-26|date=2008-09-26]

Proven by a special tracking system, it is said that he runs about 20 km when playing a full match Fact|date=July 2007. His amazing fitness levels make him almost impossible to tag for long periods by a single player. "Crawf" is still one of the AFL's elite midfielders and his hard running and polished skills make him a highly dangerous opponent. It is said that Crawford could have made it as a national 800 m runner if he chose athletics over football in his earlier years. These days a player who is only 174 cm would usually be overlooked but Crawford proves that theory wrong and performs week in week out with his work ethic. Although he has also been highly criticised for never going in for the 'hard ball gets', preferring to let his team mates take the hits and then pick up the crumbs.

Crawford has played over 300 career AFL games. He is also a four-time All-Australian player and has played in three International Rules series for Australia. He became captain of Hawthorn in 1999 and that season he also won the AFL's top individual honours, the Brownlow Medal and the Players' Association MVP award. He has won four Hawthorn best and fairest awards ( 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003) and came second in the Brownlow in 2003, losing to the winner by one vote. He is also a member of the 2008 premiership side.

Shane Crawford stepped down from the Hawthorn Football Club captaincy after the 2004 season, in which he broke his arm and the Hawks finished second last on the AFL premiership season ladder. He regained some form in the 2005 season and was again one of the league's leading possession winners. In 2006 Crawford showed he still has plenty to offer and could be a handy utility player for the Hawks for at least 2-3 years yet. He has the ability to get the ball quickly out of defence when needed and can also kick much needed goals on the run.

He played his 300th game for Hawthorn against the Brisbane Lions in round 19, 2008 in Launceston and, after a slow start, they eventually thrashed the Lions by 69 points.

On September 27th 2008, Shane Crawford at age 34 won his first premiership in his 305th AFL match. The longest serving AFL player to receive his first premiership medal.After receiving his medal he went to the microphone and yelled in a loud voice, "That's What I"m Talking About", A phrase he has uttered on The AFL Footy Show on more than one occasion.

References

Personal life

Crawford has a long-term girlfriend, Olivia Anderson and on 6 July 2006 they welcomed a son named Charlie John. They are currently expecting their second child in November 2008.

External links

*Hawplayer|ref=13314
*AflRleague|ref=S/Shane_Crawford.html
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1727736448796735576&q=afl Google Video featuring Shane Crawford punching Sam Newman on the Footy Show]