TRENT Croad’s lifelong dream of playing in a grand final for Hawthorn comes true this week, but only after a few near misses and unexpected turns.

Croad grew up a Hawthorn supporter and was the happiest 17-year-old in the land when the Hawks took him with their first selection, No. 3 overall in the 1997 draft.

He burst on to the AFL scene and was instantly identified by many as the man that would succeed Jason Dunstall as Hawthorn’s main man up forward.

Despite receiving criticism for enjoying the fame and fortune that came with being a talented and photogenic young footballer, Croad went on to become a solid performer for the Hawks, even earning a Victorian guernsey in his second AFL season.

But the defining moment of his early career came in 2001 when he had a kick for goal to put Hawthorn in front late in the preliminary final against Essendon. His shot swung late and hit the post. Essendon rebounded and kicked the sealer.

Croad admits the near miss has been on his mind as he prepares for his first grand final, seven years on.

“I add 10 metres on to it every time someone asks me about it, so I’m up to about 110 now. I was 21 back then and I see it as a positive that you get asked that question because we were at that position again but we’ve progressed further,” he said.

“I do think about that (the miss) in my mind, but I’ve got a whole lot of new teammates and I’m involved with a fantastic group of guys.”

Two months after the preliminary final, Croad awoke from a shoulder operation to be told he and Luke McPharlin had been traded to Fremantle in return for the picks that would yield Hawthorn Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Daniel Elstone.

After two uneventful seasons with Fremantle, Croad returned to Hawthorn for the 2004 season.

The Hawks had just four wins and finished 15th, but Croad proved his maturity as a footballer with a consistent season in defence, finishing runner-up to Peter Everitt in the club’s best and fairest.

Croad showed leadership as the Hawks rebuilt under new coach Alastair Clarkson. As Hodge and Mitchell developed into elite footballers and some smart drafting saw Lance Franklin, Jordan Lewis and Jarryd Roughead arrive – the proud club started to emerge as a force once again.

Four years on, they now have the chance to win a premiership and Croad says the character of his teammates is a key reason for the club’s rapid rise up the ladder.

“This is all new, it’s exciting. I’ve never been part of a team that is so close and they all want to play with each other and there’s so much emotion that they really want this,” he said.

The Hawks won five premierships in the first 11 years of Croad’s life – an ideal introduction for any young footy fan.

While he says he has little recollection of the flags, he does have faint memories of 1989, when Hawthorn last met Geelong on the big stage.

“I was nine back then and I can sort of remember it,” he said.

“You can’t do what they did in those days any more. You can ask Dermott (Brereton) as much as you want but I don’t think you can play like that anymore.”