Author(s): Shane Crawford; Glenn McFarlane

AFL

When Shane Crawford debuted for Hawthorn Football Club in 1993, little did he know what an amazing future awaited him.  The kid from tiny Finley in New South Wales would become a champion of the game, the heart and soul of his club, and a successful media performer.Crawf's seventeen seasons with the Hawks were far from easy but his loyalty to the brown-and-gold was rewarded when he finally reached Australia's biggest stage - grand final day at the MCG - where, against all odds, his stellar football career had a fairytale ending.This is the candid story of the larrikin who got the most out of himself through sheer hard work.  Crawf earned the respect of his peers for his talent, his extraordinary fitness, his generosity and his never-say-die attitude.  In 2010, he put these traits to the test by walking 780 kilometres from Adelaide to Melbourne, raising more than half a million dollars for those affected by breast cancer.  The journey had unexpected results for the Brownlow medallist and the thousands of supporters he met along the way - Shane Crawford became a champion of the people.