Significant, adj.
/sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/
1. Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.
2. having a particular meaning; indicative of something.
Our Hawthorn guernsey is unique. It has a unique history and evolution. There are individual Hawthorn guernseys that have an added importance due to the notable achievements of their wearers. These achievements could be in the form of premierships or playing records, or simply due to being worn by fan favourites - achievements that may earn a guernsey its place in the Significant Guernsey Cabinets in the Hawks Museum. These cabinets have been recently updated with two notable additions from the 2008 Premiership team.
Shane Crawford, the epitome of a Hawthorn champion, wore the number nine with distinction for 16 seasons. His decorated career came to a fitting climax, with a premiership in his final game. Crawford’s post-football persona of the funny larrikin belies the class and work ethic that led to 305 senior games in the brown and gold. He was the heart, the soul and the face of Hawthorn during turbulent times.
Recruited from Finley in NSW via Assumption College with the 13th pick in the 1991 draft, Crawford quickly proved his worth with a remarkable ability to make contest after contest through sheer determination and a dedication to fitness. He was the AFL’s Rising Star for 1993. He became Hawthorn’s captain in 1999, a season that would bring him great personal reward for his efforts as an inspirational leader.
Underlining his abilities, Crawford won the 1999 Brownlow Medal, as well as the AFLPA’s Most Valuable Player as adjudged by his peers. He won the club’s Best & Fairest award four times, including 1999. He was also a four-time All-Australian.
He stood down as Hawthorn captain in 2004, but Shane continued to provide leadership for a young side. His 305th and final game brought him the team success that he craved. At the age of 35, Shane Crawford endured the longest wait for that success of any player in VFL/AFL history. He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Hawthorn Football Club Hall of Fame in 2015. The significant guernsey on display was worn during his 300th game for Hawthorn, a magnificent addition to the cabinet.
The second update to the cabinet is a guernsey worn by one of Shane’s 2008 premiership teammates, Chance Bateman. The strong and speedy wingman became a fan favourite during his 177-game career. Recruited from Perth with pick 48 in the 1999 national draft, Bateman made his Hawthorn debut in round 3 of the following season.
Bateman was only the third indigenous player to be recruited by the club. His Hawthorn career nearly came to an abrupt end due to the tragic death of his sister, Candace in Western Australia. Her passing left the family-centred Bateman devastated. A move to a WA-based club could not finalised and Chance stayed a Hawk, becoming a loyal and valued team member.
Whilst he wouldn’t play regular senior games until 2002, Chance’s elite speed would later help the side develop attacking free-flowing football. He received the club Encouragement Award in 2002. His improving form in 2006 and 2007 meant that he was one of the side’s most valued players. The memories of Bateman racing down the wing or through the centre, dreadlocks flying, are eponymous for any Hawk supporter of the era.
He kicked Hawthorn’s first goal of the 2008 Grand Final following a typically withering run through the middle of the ground. His reward for consistently good play was a Premiership. His value to the team was rewarded with the Best Clubman Award for 2008. Typical of this selfless Hawk, he sacrificed his trademark dreadlocks for charity at season’s end. One of those locks is on display in the Hawks Museum.
Chance Bateman played his farewell game against the Gold Coast Suns in 2012. Injuries and time had finally caught up with this popular Hawk. He wore only one guernsey number during his career with Hawthorn – the number 10. The guernsey on display was worm during the 2010 season. Bateman played his 150th game during that year, becoming the first indigenous player to become a Life Member of the Hawthorn Football Club. It is a significant guernsey, representing a popular trailblazing Hawk.
You can see Shane Crawford and Chance Bateman’s significant guernseys in the Hawks Museum, Monday-Friday 9am-4pm.
For further information contact the Museum on (03) 9535 3075, or hawksmuseum@hawthornfc.com.au
