Crows youngster Anne Hatchard transformed herself in the off-season and has now reinvented Adelaide’s midfield

Meet the Crows player who’s transformed not only her game, but her body, in the quest for reliving Adelaide’s AFLW premiership glory.

Anne Hatchard of the Adelaide Crows (second from left) celebrates a goal with her teammates during the Round 3 AFLW match against Geelong. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

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The disappointing end to the Crows second season of AFLW in 2018 proved something of a watershed moment for defender Anne Hatchard.

Having played only four games of the seven-game season last year and averaging less than 10 disposals per game in a side that was unable to replicate 2017’s premiership glory, Hatchard felt lucky to survive the axing of eight players from the 2018 squad.

“Last year, I was on the verge of not getting re-signed … I was unsure whether I would,” she says. “It was relief when I did but I thought I’ve got to do something.

“The club gives you a program for the off-season, but it’s up to you to do it and I don’t know what it was, but something switched for me and I knew I had to knuckle down and work hard.”

Anne Hatchard trains with the Crows in November 2016. Picture: Dean Martin

That’s precisely what she did. She didn’t miss a single weights or fitness session.

“I just worked my arse off and did the program to a tea … almost every day I’d be doing something.”

And when she walked into the Crows Shed at West Lakes for day one of pre-season training in November, her teammates all welcomed her the same way: “They were all like, ‘What has happened to you?’,” Hatchard says.

“It was pretty cool to shock everyone, I guess.”

Picked by the Crows at No. 87 in the inaugural AFLW draft in 2016, Hatchard — who celebrates her 21st birthday on Thursday — admits it’s her diet that’s been the biggest change.

Since her first season in 2017, she’s lost 8kg and overhauled her eating habits.

“I loved fast food too much,” she admits.

Townsville Fire’s Micaela Cocks is guarded by Lightning's Anne Hatchard in 2016. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Last year, I tried eating healthier, but my portion sizes were still too big, I’ve cut it right down this year, I’m eating much less.”

According to the official statisticians of the AFL — Champion Data — last year, despite being the third-highest ranked player in the SANFLW, Hatchard couldn’t translate that into form in the AFLW.

“(In the SANFLW) she ranked second for disposals, No. 1 for contested possessions and was able to impact the scoreboard,” the 2019 AFLW Prospectus says of her.

“She was unable to have the same level of impact in the AFLW, where she averaged the fewest minutes per match of any Adelaide player.

“Hatchard won just eight disposals per match and kicked one goal from her four games.”

Called “Hatchy” by her teammates, she admits her lower aerobic capacity meant she simply couldn’t run out games. The leaner Hatchard sure can now.

“I’m getting quicker, faster, stronger as well, which is exciting,” she says.

And this has meant she’s transformed from a defender or key forward struggling to get games, into a vital cog in the firing Adelaide midfield, starring alongside Erin Phillips, Ebony Marinoff and Renee Forth.

Turning back to the stats and the leaner Hatchard stars there now too.

After four rounds of AFLW, the 175cm utility is leading the competition in four areas — more than any other AFLW player — in effective disposals (averaging 15 per game), handballs (averaging 14.5), groundball gets (averaging 10) and contested possessions (averaging 13.5).

She sits second in Champion Data ranking points with 171 (behind Phillips on 184) and is inside the top five players in three more areas: disposals, uncontested possessions and score assists.

And suddenly head coach Matthew Clarke isn’t the only one talking about Hatchard as the competition’s most-improved surprise packet and All-Australian contender.

“She’s one who’s clearly taken her game to a whole new level, particularly on the back of an amazing off-season where she got herself ridiculously fit and therefore we’ve been able to play her more as a midfielder and in previous years she’s either been forward or back and that position suits her really well,” Clarke says.

“But all credit to her for the way she came back and the work she’s put in.

“She’s been a really significant player for us and really consistent across the four games and hopefully she can keep going.”

Anne Hatchard of the Crows and Katie-Jayne Grieve of the Dockers during the 2019 NAB AFLW Round 04 match. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media

Coaxed into football by a junior basketball coach Rules who told her: “You’re pretty rough, you should give footy a go when you turn 16”, Hatchard spent a year on the Adelaide Lightning list in 2017.

She misses her basketball and will be playing a little bit of premier league in the off-season with South Adelaide. But for now, footy is her focus.

“I just love a contested game,” she says. “I love getting the ground ball and I love the physicality in the midfield.

“It’s just crazy how far I’ve come really, just thinking about it. I never would have thought this time last year that I would be a midfielder.”

Ask Hatchard why she’s transformed herself and it’s a simple answer.

“It’s about my teammates,” she says. “I am doing this for them and I want to be as good as I can be for them.”

And that love of teammates is precisely why the Crows are sitting second in their conference with a 3-1 win/loss record with three games to play.

“We do have our standout players, but in the end we’re just all about team footy this year and I think that’s really showing in the results so far,” Hatchard says.

Today’s game against their undefeated Conference A rivals North Melbourne will test that team game, but win or lose, you get the feeling Hatchard and her teammates will relish the challenge.