Adelaide’s Hugh Greenwood puts his foot down in pre-season

LESS than three months after foot surgery, Adelaide midfield revelation Hugh Greenwood is running faster than he did last season.

ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL: Hugh Greenwood with Adelaide Crows teammate Myles Poholke at Broadbeach during the club’s pre-season training camp. Picture: Adelaide Football Club.

LESS than three months after foot surgery, Adelaide midfield revelation Hugh Greenwood is running faster than he did last season.

The basketballer-turned-footballer carried foot/Achilles soreness through last year’s finals series, hampering his form and requiring surgery in November.

But any doubts about him missing the start of the Crows' 2018 premiership season have been erased, with Greenwood saying “I feel way better now than I did pre-surgery’’.

“I’m feeling really good, I somehow managed to run at 101 per cent this week,’’ the strong-bodied 25-year-old said from the Gold Coast, where Adelaide is holding a pre-season training camp.

“I am already feeling better and I’m faster than I was pre-surgery.

“I had a good run on Monday and I’ll build up to hopefully be right for the JLT (pre-season series) before round one.’’

Promoted rookie list player Greenwood played 15 games in a breakthrough 2017 campaign, debuting in round nine and playing an integral role in the Crows’ path to the grand final.

His contested ballwinning ability and fierce tackling were key components of his game.

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Now he wants to improve his running to become even more effective.

“For me it’s running capacity,’’ Greenwood said of his No. 1 off-season focus.

“From day one as a basketballer it’s been my fitness base and my running capacity that I’ve tried to improve and again they’ll be focus points for me.

“Last year was crazy because I started the season wanting to play just one game and to play 15 exceeded my expectations.

“But now I want to contribute even more and help the team achieve the ultimate goal (a premiership).

“While being injured can be quite a lonely place – this has been probably the longest I’ve ever spent on the sidelines with an injury – there's light at the end of the tunnel for me now.’’

The Crows worked hard on the training track at Bond University on Monday and spent Tuesday recovering and doing beach activities at Broadbeach.

Greenwood has already seen the benefits of the playing group being able to spend more time together in a different environment.

“We spend time with each other every day at the club so it’s nice to change things up, change scenery and have a bit of mental refreshment,’’ he said.

“We know that on the footy side of things that our performance is exceptional but to be able to develop our game off the field and become a closer unit, we think that is the next step to getting there.”