Andy Otten can’t wait to show his daughter Mayla his name on his locker after calling time on his 109-game AFL career at the Crows
He’s called time on his AFL career after 12 years and life membership at the Adelaide Football Club — but there is one special moment Andy Otten is looking forward to.
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Andy Otten’s four-month-old daughter Mayla was asleep in her pram when he told the audience at Adelaide’s season launch in January that his proudest moment in football would one day be showing her his name on his locker.
The veteran Crow was accepting life membership to the club which he will say goodbye to after 109 games in 12 years.
“I remember when I was young and my dad used to take me to his footy club (Donvale) where he was a life member and his name was up on all the lockers,” Otten told The Advertiser.
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“He played 200 games and I used to be so proud to see my dad’s name up there.
“Now I can’t wait to take Mayla (now aged 11 months) to Adelaide Oval and show her her Dad’s name on the locker, it’s a cool little thing to have with your daughter forever.”
The No. 27 draft pick in 2007, Otten was runner-up in the rising star two years later before suffering two ACL injuries — the first in his left knee in a training drill at Max Basheer Reserve in December, 2009, and the second in his right at the Gabba in Round 20, 2014.
He fought back from both and his average of nine games a season for over a decade at West Lakes is testament to both his determination and how valued he is by his teammates and the club.
“It’s amazing how much detail I remember, you think 12 years and all that, but I can remember pretty much every game, what happened, every pre-season, Craigy (Neil Craig) coaching in the early years,” he said.
“You tell the younger kids and they scoff at you but I say ‘seriously boys, it can be over any minute’ and I told them today ‘you don’t want to have any regrets when you finish your career’ and I definitely don’t have any.
“I thought I gave everything I had dealing with the highs and lows of the rollercoaster that was my career, in and out of the side, knee reconstructions and surgeries and that little chip on my shoulder of wanting to prove people wrong, I never doubted my ability the whole time.
“That’s not to say there weren’t some tough times. In 2016 I spent the whole year in the SANFL and I didn’t get a crack in the AFL and I honestly thought this might be it, and it made me upset that I was losing my passion for footy.
“But speaking to the right people that off-season leading into 2017 I found the joy for football again with a bit of soul searching.”
Otten played 19 games in 2017 including the grand final loss to Richmond which is both the highlight and lowlight of his career.
“I struggled with it early but looking back now it was both the best week after winning the prelim and the most deflated and dejected I’d been after a game of footy,” he said.
“You can’t change the outcome of a game now but you can learn so much from it, and I got married two weeks later so my wife was telling me to suck it up pretty quickly and it was the best thing that could have happened.”
Otten’s wife Emmalyn is also from Melbourne, where they were high school sweethearts, and they may return there next season if he pursues coaching opportunities.
But for now his focus is on finals whether that’s at AFL or SANFL level.
“I’ve really enjoyed this year playing SANFL with our young backline, we have a double chance so have given ourselves the best opportunity to perform in September,” he said.
“I know the young boys are really excited to play at Adelaide Oval and I’m excited as well.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au