Shane Crawford
Encyclopedia
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules football
er, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club
in the Australian Football League
. He is currently an Australian television personality who appears regularly on the AFL Footy Show.
and played his junior football with the Finley Football Club
. He attended boarding school at Assumption College
in Kilmore, Victoria
and was selected by Hawthorn
with the 13th pick in the 1991 AFL Draft
. He made his debut in 1993, writer Matt Burgan noting he "has since become an all-time club great and remains the only link from Hawthorn's golden era through to today."
Crawford played 305 career AFL games. He is also a four-time All-Australian player and played in three International Rules
series' for Australia. He became Captain of Hawthorn in 1999 and that season also won the AFL's top individual honours, the Brownlow Medal
and the Leigh Matthews Trophy
. He has won four Hawthorn Best & Fairest Awards (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003) and came second in the Brownlow in 2003, losing to the winner by one vote. He was also a member of Hawthorn's 2008 Premiership
side.
Crawford stepped down from the Hawthorn Captaincy after the 2004 season
, in which he broke his arm and the Hawks finished second last on the AFL
ladder. He regained some form in the 2005 season
and was again one of the league's leading possession winners.
He played his 300th game for Hawthorn against Brisbane
in Round 19 in 2008 in Launceston when, after a slow start, Hawthorn eventually defeated the Lions
by 69 points.
On 27 September 2008, Crawford won his first Premiership in his 305th AFL match, aged 34. He played more AFL games before receiving his first Premiership Medal than any other player.
Crawford was offered another year with the Hawks, but he announced his retirement, wanting to go out on a high note. He ended his career after Hawthorn won the 2008 Grand Final, and is now remembered as one of the greatest midfielders in the modern era of AFL football.
and is a presenter on Postcards
, a holiday and destination program which airs on Saturday afternoons. He was also a contestant on the first season of Channel 9's series The Celebrity Apprentice
, where celebrities compete for charities of their choosing. Shane raised $49,311 for his charity the Breast Cancer Network Australia. He finished third overall behind dance guru Jason Coleman and comedian Julia Morris
.
. All the records occurred during broadcasts of The Footy Show.
Crawford's interests outside football are diverse, including his passion for horse racing.
In 2011 Crawford launched his children's wear range Kiniki onto the market.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. He is currently an Australian television personality who appears regularly on the AFL Footy Show.
AFL career
Crawford spent his childhood in Finley, New South WalesFinley, New South Wales
Finley is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest town in the Berrigan Shire Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Finley had a population of 2,054 people....
and played his junior football with the Finley Football Club
Finley Football Club
The Finley Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is an Australian Rules Football club playing in the Murray Football League.The club is based in the town of Finley located in the Riverina district of New South Wales....
. He attended boarding school at Assumption College
Assumption College, Kilmore
Assumption College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, co-educational, day and Boarding school, located in Kilmore, Victoria, Australia.Founded in 1893, the college first took boarders in 1901, and was a boys' school until 1982, when it became coeducational. The current principal is Mr...
in Kilmore, Victoria
Kilmore, Victoria
Kilmore is a town in the Australian state of Victoria. Located north of Melbourne, it is contentiously claimed as Victoria's oldest inland settled town...
and was selected by Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
with the 13th pick in the 1991 AFL Draft
1991 AFL Draft
- History :When the competition was known as the Victorian Football League , the league introduced the first incarnation of a draft system in 1981, where teams had two selections each of interstate players determined by reverse finishing position order...
. He made his debut in 1993, writer Matt Burgan noting he "has since become an all-time club great and remains the only link from Hawthorn's golden era through to today."
Crawford played 305 career AFL games. He is also a four-time All-Australian player and played in three International Rules
International rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
series' for Australia. He became Captain of Hawthorn in 1999 and that season also won the AFL's top individual honours, the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
and the Leigh Matthews Trophy
Leigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
. He has won four Hawthorn Best & Fairest Awards (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003) and came second in the Brownlow in 2003, losing to the winner by one vote. He was also a member of Hawthorn's 2008 Premiership
2008 AFL Grand Final
The 2008 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between the Geelong Football Club and the Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on the 27th of September 2008...
side.
Crawford stepped down from the Hawthorn Captaincy after the 2004 season
2004 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2004.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Wizard Home Loans Cup:The Wizard Home Loans Cup Final saw St...
, in which he broke his arm and the Hawks finished second last on the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
ladder. He regained some form in the 2005 season
2005 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2005.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:...
and was again one of the league's leading possession winners.
He played his 300th game for Hawthorn against Brisbane
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in Round 19 in 2008 in Launceston when, after a slow start, Hawthorn eventually defeated the Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
by 69 points.
On 27 September 2008, Crawford won his first Premiership in his 305th AFL match, aged 34. He played more AFL games before receiving his first Premiership Medal than any other player.
Crawford was offered another year with the Hawks, but he announced his retirement, wanting to go out on a high note. He ended his career after Hawthorn won the 2008 Grand Final, and is now remembered as one of the greatest midfielders in the modern era of AFL football.
Media career
Crawford is currently a television presenter on Channel Nine, being part of three current shows. He is a co-host of World's Funniest Videos. The show is part of Channel Nine's 'Stimulus Package' which also includes another light entertainment show, Commercial Breakdown which contains a segment called My Beef with Shane Crawford, a segment where Crawford discusses his opinion on an issue. Crawford is now a permanent panel member of The Footy ShowThe AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
and is a presenter on Postcards
Postcards (TV series)
Postcards Australia and Postcards are Australian holiday and travel television series. The shows are produced by WIN Television and Channel 9 Adelaide...
, a holiday and destination program which airs on Saturday afternoons. He was also a contestant on the first season of Channel 9's series The Celebrity Apprentice
The Celebrity Apprentice Australia
The Celebrity Apprentice Australia is a celebrity version of The Apprentice Australia series. It began to air on the Nine Network on 24 October 2011...
, where celebrities compete for charities of their choosing. Shane raised $49,311 for his charity the Breast Cancer Network Australia. He finished third overall behind dance guru Jason Coleman and comedian Julia Morris
Julia Morris
Julia Morris is an Australian writer, comedian, actress, television presenter and television producer who has worked extensively in Australian and British television and radio. She has toured widely with her solo stand-up comedy shows. In Australia, she is best known as one of the stars of the...
.
World records
Crawford is the holder of five Guinness world recordsGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
. All the records occurred during broadcasts of The Footy Show.
- Having 157 live Golden Orb spidersGolden silk orb-weaverThe golden silk orb-weavers are a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. Nephila consists of numerous individual species found around the world. They are also commonly called golden orb-weavers, giant wood spiders, or banana spiders...
on his body inside a large tank for 30 seconds. - Kissing 96 people on the face in a minute. – Putting on 180 pairs of underwear, surpassing the former world record of 150. – Crawford and previous Stawell GiftStawell GiftThe Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short distance running race. It is run over every Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria.The race is run on grass...
Adrian Mott broke the world record for the 100m sprint while both inside a single pantomime horse costume. – Crawford cracked 90 eggs with his head in a minute.
Personal life
Crawford has a longtime girlfriend, Olivia Anderson and they have 2 sons – Charlie (born 2006) and Benjamin (born 2008). On 11 August 2011, on Channel Nine's 'The Footy Show', he revealed that they are expecting identical twin boys. He did remark they were hoping for a girl, but ended up getting two more boys.Crawford's interests outside football are diverse, including his passion for horse racing.
In 2011 Crawford launched his children's wear range Kiniki onto the market.