HAWTHORN superstars Buddy Franklin and Cyril Rioli often illuminate stadiums with their brilliant skills and boundless sense of adventure, and it's little wonder given they had an illustrious mentor in such things: their 2008 premiership teammate Shane Crawford.
Crawford's genius was less obvious than that of the freakishly gifted Rioli and Franklin, but it was displayed with more relentless regularity.
Sure, Crawford had all the eye-catching tricks - as his extensive highlights reel of weaving, blistering runs, classic screamers, laces-out passes and poetic finishes would attest - but he also boasted intangible qualities coaches are unable to teach.
Among them, vision to see opportunities others (even teammates he was delivering to) never knew existed, as well at that innate ability great players have to will themselves to produce something special in big moments.
Until his final glorious season in 2008, it appeared Crawford would miss out on his biggest moment. In fact, it seemed his AFL career would be cruelly wedged between two successful Hawthorn eras: the club's halcyon days of the 1980s and early 1990s, and the most recent push towards the top.
And even as the moment approached, a knee injury threatened to rob him of that elusive flag. But, again, Crawford rose to the occasion on the stage he'd always craved, gathering 25 disposals to be among the Hawks' best in a famous Grand Final victory over Geelong.
A natural entertainer both on and off the field, Crawford was true to form on the premiership dais. "That's what I'm talkin' about!" he screamed as he kissed his medal.
This passionate response underlined his long, laborious road to success. After all, Crawford - at 34 years and 18 days - became the 15th oldest premiership player in history.
A product of the New South Wales Riverina town of Finley, he was the No.13 pick in the 1991 draft.
"A lot of clubs thought I was too small but Hawthorn gave me an opportunity, and I wasn't going to let it slip," he told AFL.com.au.
"My mum Diane taught me that if you want to get anywhere you've got to work hard and make sacrifices. And that's what I did.
"I can proudly say I did everything possible to get the most out of myself from a training and preparation point of view."
His mother, who worked two jobs to put him through Assumption College, was an ongoing source of motivation.
"I didn't want to let her down; I wanted to make her happy and proud," he said.
Crawford was at his sensational best in 1999 when he won the Brownlow Medal with 28 votes (the most by a Hawk), averaged 29 disposals and was clearly the best midfielder in the game.
For a time, Crawford was everything at Hawthorn - captain, best player, pin-up boy - and the load took a toll, but he emerged a more rounded player and leader.
He also credited much of his success to his school football coach Ray Carroll and longtime partner Olivia Anderson, the mother of his four sons: Charlie, Benjamin, and twins Jack and Harry.
Of his Hall of Fame induction, Crawford said: "You have to pinch yourself a bit because you think, 'Oh, wow'. It hasn't sunk in yet."
