A return to the Werribee Tigers for Kyle Hartigan is on hold for the foreseeable future.
The key defender enjoyed a break-out season with the Adelaide Crows and the AFL club has no intention of letting one of its most promising youngsters out of its sights.
The 23-year-old signed a two-year contract extension after becoming a permanent fixture on the Crows’ backline this season.
Hartigan still keeps in contact with people at Werribee, including chief executive Mark Penaluna and former teammate Scott Sherlock, both of whom jokingly ask about his availability next season.
“I’ll have to put Werribee on the backburner for a couple more years,” Hartigan told Star Weekly with a laugh. “I’ll be in Adelaide for another two years at least, and I’m rapt about that.
“Werribee is a great footy club; I loved playing there and they were really good to me.”
Hartigan has been in Adelaide for the past three seasons. He came onto the radar of the Crows after impressing for Werribee in the VFL and was rookie-listed in 2012.
When he moved to the city of churches, he lived with teammate Richard Douglas and his family, who are also from Melbourne.
So accustomed to the Adelaide way of life has Hartigan become that he recently bought a house there with his partner, Emily.
“It’s like a big country town,” says Hartigan, who got his start at Keilor in the EDFL. “Everyone has made me feel really welcome; we’re really starting to settle in now.”
Hartigan’s value at the Crows is rapidly on the rise. He featured in both of the team’s finals, including its stirring victory over the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final.
Injury and erratic form restricted Hartigan to 10 games in his first two seasons, but 2015 has been the year of making his name.
“I played a couple of games at the start of this season and then got dropped,” he said.
“So it was good to fight my way back in and play a few games consistently, and cement my spot towards the end of the season.
“I just identified a few areas I might have gone away from when I first got to the club.
“If you take your foot off the pedal just a little bit in AFL footy, you can find yourself back playing SANFL pretty quickly. I fixed those things up and got back in and it stood me in good stead. I was able to hold my spot from then on.”
Crows’ assistant coach Darren Milburn has been a massive influence over Hartigan since he arrived in Adelaide.
The Cats’ premiership star lifted the lid on what it takes to make it at the top level over a sustained period.
Hartigan feels at home in a closeknit side and relishes the chance to work under the Crows’ coaching staff.
It has been an emotional time for the Crows following the death of coach Phil Walsh.
Football was secondary in the minds of the players and staff for most of the season, and reaching the finals under such circumstances showed tremendous character.
“The boys in the leadership group, Tex [captain Taylor Walker] and Campo [caretaker coach Scott Camporeale] have been outstanding to get us up and about after such a tragic incident,” Hartigan said.
“The group really jelled together and has been outstanding during the year.”
The Crows bowed out of the finals after a 74-point loss to Hawthorn in the semi-final.
Hartigan admits the margin highlighted the gap between his side and the two-time defending champions, but he’s bullish on the Crows’ future.
He sees good times ahead, particularly for the defensive unit of which he’s a major part.
“We’re all very young, game experience is very low, so the more games we play together and the more finals experience we have, we’re just going to get better as we go on.
“Hawthorn is the benchmark; they’ve won the last two grand finals and this is like their home ground – they play it so well here. We know we’ve got to improve as a team and come back bigger and better and stronger and take it to them next year.”
