THE DAY Alex Woodward learned he'd be making his AFL debut began like any other Thursday.
It was a routine day at Hawthorn, with the youngster having been out on the track at midday for the main training session with his teammates before heading back indoors to hit the weights.
There was nothing unusual nor particularly exciting about this day.
That was until just before 3pm.
While Woodward and his teammates were in the gym doing their usual weights regime, Senior Coach Alastair Clarkson walked through and called each player into a spontaneous meeting.
The group headed into their usual meeting room, the lecture theatre at the Ricoh Centre not knowing why ‘Clarko’ had called them in.
Clarko began by delivering selection news for Saturday night’s blockbuster against Sydney, a game no doubt each player in the room was hoping to be selected.
One of those players was Woodward, a 21 year old midfielder who has endured two knee reconstructions since joining Hawthorn in 2011.
Little did he know his world was about to be turned upside down and the moment, the words he had dreamed of hearing for so long were about to told.
973 days since Woodward was selected by Hawthorn with pick 53 in the national draft, the luckless midfield would be making his AFL debut on one of the game’s biggest stages.
“I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen but he decided to tell everyone I was going to be making my debut,” Woodward told hawthornfc.com.au
“I wasn’t really expecting it – all these feelings started rushing in and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
“It hasn’t been the easiest journey but it’s good to see all the hard work pay off.
“It’s surreal, really.”
A fresh-faced Alex Woodward in action during a pre-season training session in 2011.
Woodward’s AFL life began on November 24, 2011 and it was only 100 days later that he suffered his first anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
After almost a year of rehabilitation, before Woodward even had the opportunity to play, he tore the graft in his repaired knee at a routine pre-season training session on January 14.
That meant another year of football was lost and no doubt the confidence of a young man shattered.
Fast-forward to 2014 and the young midfielder’s luck finally turned.
He played and got through his first NAB Challenge game on February 13 – it finally seemed as though he was going to be given the chance to forge for himself, an AFL career.
From there, Woodward made his debut for VFL affiliate Box Hill and starred with 18 disposals and a goal in the victory over Williamstown.
Alex Woodward continues his rehab at a pre-season training session in 2013.
He was then sidelined by a shoulder injury, another setback but only a minor hiccup compared to what this resilient young man had already endured.
Woodward returned from that latest injury with determination as he put in successive impressive performances for Box Hill, consistently winning 20 plus disposals as one of his team’s most damaging midfielders.
Finally, after Box Hill’s upset win over Footscray two weeks ago and another starring role with 26 disposals, nine tackles and five clearances, Woodward got his chance.
But despite banging the door down for selection, it still came as a shock.
“I didn’t think I was going to get picked this week because it’s such a big match,” Woodward said.
“I feel like it’s very much a privilege to be picked this week against Sydney, I can’t wait to get out there and have a crack.”
He attributes his outstanding VFL form to getting back to the basics of footy and that’s just enjoying playing the game he loves.
In that perspective he found the mix he needed to remind his coaches why they were excited to select him to join the Hawks way back in 2011.
“You have to come to the realisation through rehab that you’re lucky enough to be an AFL footballer and I’ve had that over the last two years,” he said.
“Now I just put things into perspective and really was grateful for the fact I was in the system and Hawthorn was such a great club in keeping the faith with me.
“That fuelled my rehab and made me want to really push myself to the limits.
“I’ve missed a lot of it over the past two seasons – I just needed to start enjoying it again and the consistency would take care of itself.
“Luckily enough for me, this season at Box Hill it fell into place and whether I was in the best or not didn’t really matter, all I wanted to do was contribute to the team.
Any debut is special but for someone who has endured so much, there’s just that little bit more emotion around this one.
“It has taken me almost three years and I haven’t played footy for two – coming off two knee recos there’s a bit of a different perspective for me,” Woodward said.
“But at the same time I have the same feelings as everyone else that makes their debut for this club; it’s a surreal feeling and I’m just so happy to be finally pulling on the jumper and representing the Club.”
