Long after the song had been sung and the room had all but cleared out, Crows midfielder-turned-forward Hugh Greenwood took a moment to himself for reflection.
The aesthetically uninspiring, dimly lit visitors change rooms deep beneath The Gabba’s southern grandstand are easily forgotten by most that frequent them, but for the 26-year-old Tasmanian, they hold a very special place close to his heart.
Exactly 14 months ago to the day, at the same venue, Greenwood’s football dream became a reality.
While the former basketballer has extremely fond memories of his AFL debut, it isn’t for the three goals he kicked, nor is it for Adelaide’s 80-point win on the night.
It was the post-game celebrations in the rooms, the Gatorade shower, and sharing the once-in-a-lifetime experience with his much-loved family including his late mother Andree, father Michael and sister Josie.
Speaking to AFC Media after Adelaide’s five-point win over the Lions, Greenwood admitted feeling mixed emotions being back where it all began.
“It’s a bit surreal, really,” he said.
“Just standing in there … where with mum, dad and my sister I celebrated the greatest achievement
“It’s really special to be back here. It’s a bit surreal. It’s a little bit sad, but I’m very happy to be where I am today.
“I never thought I’d be in this position and that debut last year was something I never expected. I’m just so grateful for the footy club and the opportunity.”
FLASHBACK - Greenwood: It’s really special
Discussing his post-game reflection, Greenwood revealed he took some time after the game to consider where life’s journey had taken him over the past 14 months, from some breathtaking highs to some devastating lows.
True to his character, he didn’t want to focus on his career-high four goals which eclipsed the three he kicked on debut last year,
“I spent a moment reflecting where we all stood this time last year,” Greenwood said.
“I just reflected on the journey and what’s happened between now and then and how special that moment was.
“I don’t like talking individual, but we were able to win and as a team, we were tested, but to get a win was the most important thing.
“And keep our finals hopes alive, it’s really, really exciting so I’m pumped.”
Greenwood celebrating with family after his AFL debut at The Gabba in 2017
Despite claiming the vital four points against the Lions, the Crows slipped to 12th on the AFL ladder after Essendon jumped above them on percentage.
However, the bottleneck at the lower end of the top-eight means the race for finals remains wide open with just one game and percentage separating the seven sides placed between sixth and 12th (with GWS and Hawthorn still to play on Sunday).
For Adelaide, placed at the very bottom of that logjam, the equation remains the same – keep winning.
“We can only control what we can control, and that’s putting wins on the board,” Greenwood said.
“We know what we have to do to make finals, it’s funny that we’ve slipped down but that’s the competition this season.
“The fact that it is tight, it is good for us because we control our own destiny.
“If we can keep winning and checking games off one-by-one, we’ll put ourselves in a position to play finals.
“We’ve got to earn the right, and
Greenwood and Eddie Betts celebrate a goal against the Lions
The fixture sees the Crows play their next two games at home, starting with a vital clash with sixth-placed Melbourne before a Showdown against Port Adelaide.
While the draw is challenging, Greenwood believes the home-ground advantage will work in his side’s favour and play a huge part in the quest for September.
“We love playing at Adelaide Oval and we’ve got a couple of really big games coming up,” he said.
“It’s going to help us playing home games and getting a home crowd behind us. We feel like we play our best footy there.
“As I mentioned, we’re going to take it one step at a time and we’ve got to earn the right to play finals.
“Taking care of it at home is going to be vital for us.”
