About Shane Crawford

Not many football players can ever say they have won a Premiership, been a pin-up boy, an actor, an all-round entrepreneur, a Brownlow Medallist and four-times club champion all-in-one. But highly decorated former Hawks star Shane Crawford would say yes to them all. Recently retired after 305 AFL games, Shane Crawford is one of the sports most marketable players and has managed to combine success on and off the field.

Originally from Finley in New South Wales, Shane received his football grounding at Assumption College. He developed into one of the AFL's premier players, entertaining football fans with his superb skills and tremendous courage.

At the start of 1999, Crawford was entrusted by Hawthorn with the captaincy. It proved to be an astute appointment. Crawford led the young Hawks to Ansett Cup victory, won the Brownlow Medal, Club Best and Fairest, All-Australian selection and scooped the pool in the media awards. After leading the Hawks to consecutive finals series in 2000 and 2001, Crawford returned to his Brownlow best, winning the club best and fairest in 2002 and 2003, All-Australian selection in 2002 and narrowly missing winning his second Brownlow in 2003. Shane captained the All-Australian team in both 2002 and 2003 with the team winning both of these series, for the first time back-to-back. In his final and 305th game with the one Club, Shane and his Hawthorn team mates were finally rewarded the grandest prize of all, the 2008 Premiership.

Off the field, Shane is contracted with Channel Nine as a regular on “The Footy Show”, the Victorian based travel show “Postcards” and various other programs. He is a well seasoned media performer, having also hosted children's programs on the Fox Footy Channel and co-produced the much publicised “Shane Crawford Exposed” documentary in 2004. Shane has had several official roles with Racing Clubs, including his current role as the 2009 Melbourne Festival of Racing Ambassador and former Ambassador role for the Moonee Valley Racing Club, roles that allow him to combine his passion for horse racing with media and hosting talents. Shane is also contracted with Melbourne's Sunday Herald Sun newspaper.

Shane's interest in, and superior level of, fitness is also well documented. He is a qualified personal trainer and Director of “Corporate Release”, a health and fitness company with former Hawthorn team mate Ben Dixon. He has an excellent understanding of physiology and training techniques which he often applies to horse racing.