Congratulations Hayden Crozier - 100 Games

[Bulldog4life]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/wes...09f9adb7dbfb81

Western Bulldogs defender Hayden Crozier moved back to Melbourne to move down back and it has worked

Hayden Crozier had been at the Dockers for five minutes when Ross Lyon tore strips off him at training and sent everyone on a 400 metre sprint around Fremantle Oval.
The 2011 first round draft pick had leapt onto the back of key defender Zac Dawson and almost hauled in a mark for the ages, but it was against the training rules the Fremantle coach had clearly outlined ahead of the session.

Some who were present that day still remember the vicious bake and the death stare from the boss and chuckle at the memory.

Fast forward eight years and Crozier is still launching into the sky — he took one of the best marks of 2019 against Collingwood in Round 4 — although now he is wearing red, white and blue instead of purple.

After playing 69 games in his first six years at the Dockers, Crozier made the decision to move back to Victoria at the end of 2017 in search of more time down back.

That’s where he had played the best football of his career in 2016 — before being moved back to half forward the following year — and that’s where he has played on a permanent basis since arriving at the kennel 18 months ago.

On the eve of his 100th game against Geelong at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, the 25-year-old recalls the moment he walked out of the house of then list manager Jason McCartney after meeting him and Luke Beveridge and knew he had to pack up his life in Perth to take his career to the next level.

“My last two years at Freo I played the majority of both seasons, but I just felt like I needed a change to rejuvenate my career a little bit,” Crozier told foxsports.com.au.

“When I met with the Dogs I was blown away with what they had to offer and how they were speaking about the club and the culture.

hat time, Bob Murphy and Matty Boyd were retiring so there were two guys in defence who had been stalwarts at the club for a long time who were leaving. I think for that point of my career it was the perfect timing for me.

“I walked out of Jason McCartney’s house and called my manager straight away and said it is probably time for me to move clubs.

“I loved living in Perth and loved the footy club; the only reason for me moving back was career based; it was nothing about missing home or being homesick.

“I think the role I was playing for most of my time at Freo, that high half forward role is one of the hardest positions in footy, so I think moving back since I’ve got here has suited my attributes really well. Having that ability to play high and deeper as well probably suits my game as well being able to come off aerially and on the ground as well.”

Western Bulldogs senior assistant coach Steven King arrived at Whitten Oval a month before Crozier was drafted by Fremantle and remembers watching vision of the skinny teenager from Rowville taking a massive screamer during the national championships.

What he didn’t realise before Crozier arrived at the kennel was how courageous the athletic Victorian is, particularly in the air.

“I remember Hayden getting drafted when I first started here and he was in that mix when we recruited Clay Smith. I remember watching his highlight tape as that Vic Metro high flying half forward who could sit on people’s heads,” King recalled this week.

“His first contest last week against Port Adelaide where he ran across the line of Charlie Dixon and took an intercept mark in the wet set the tone for the night. He doesn’t seem imposing physically, but when the ball is in the air his courage is right up there across the competition.”

Crozier laid the foundations for 2019 on foreign soil, spending most of his break in the United States for the fifth straight off-season, this time travelling with Marcus Bontempelli and Josh Dunkley.

The trio trained at the University of California, Los Angeles, at the University of Texas and at the famous Gleason’s Boxing Gym in Brooklyn, and are about to plan a similar trip for this October.

“We all love our American sport and love the country, so we decided to go back over and not do an official training camp as such, but get ourselves in good nick,” he said.

“We were disappointed with how we finished as a team last year and we really wanted to drive the club forward. We all came back and were running PB times and were the fittest we have ever been.”

As they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

[Testekill]

And you wonder why players hate playing for Lyon.

[Twodogs]

And you wonder why players hate playing for Lyon.

I have never wondered that. The only thing I ever wonder about Ross Lyon is if he regrets leaving Luke Ball on the bench for the entirety of the last quarter in the 2010 Grand Final? If he can see past his arrogance and think WTF did I do that for? They would have won the premiership and not had to go through a replay. Lyon must have been in the best position to know that his payers had one match in their legs and they would get slaughtered in a replay. If he didn't then he is as shit a coach and leader as I think he is.

[Ghost Dog]

Hayden is a great player to watch and hard at it. Has a mighty spring in his step.
As an aside, "That high half forward role is one of the hardest positions in footy" couldn't agree more. Go Lloyd.

[azabob]

And you wonder why players hate playing for Lyon.

The saints boys love him though. Fine line I reckon.

[bulldogtragic]

How *!*!*!*!ing good is he becoming?

[GVGjr]

How *!*!*!*!ing good is he becoming?

Could be top 3 in our B&F

[bulldogtragic]

Could be top 3 in our B&F

And at least going back to back for most courageous. Hard to get most improved over Dunkley. He's like the 2015-2016 Easton Wood, with a more penetrating kick (not a slight on Wood). And a bonus we got him for bugger all.

[comrade]

And at least going back to back for most courageous. Hard to get most improved over Dunkley. He's like the 2015-2016 Easton Wood, with a more penetrating kick (not a slight on Wood). And a bonus we got him for bugger all.

His footy IQ is high, rarely makes poor decisions.

One of our best trades in a long time.

[GVGjr]

He's won over many doubters with his consistency and energy. His kicking is typically very good and he always looks likely to take that screamer

[jeemak]

Lots of people eating roast words for dinner because of him.

He's a jet, Just does everything well.

[Dancin' Douggy]

I would say he's one of the most underrated players in the entire competition.
Plucking players like him is beautiful, perfect recruiting.

[Bulldog4life]

I love the way Hayden plays. Booming kicks, high marks and those important spoils. A great pick up.

[azabob]

We should try him as an inside mid pre season.

[Twodogs]

We should try him as an inside mid pre season.

There's an idea! We can never have enough inside mids. And if it doesn't work we can play him on a HFF!!!!