Second-game Adelaide Crow Hugh Greenwood to go head-to-head with Fremantle star Nat Fyfe

FORMER basketballer Hugh Greenwood will have a testing midfield match-up against Fremantle Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

Hugh Greenwood celebrates one of his three goals on debut with teammate Eddie Betts. Picture: Scott Barbour (Getty).

ADELAIDE will throw basketball convert Hugh Greenwood to the wolves — a testing match-up with Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe — in his second AFL match as it tries to find a missing piece to its premiership jigsaw.

Greenwood, who made an impressive three-goal debut against Brisbane last week, has been told he will go head-to-head in the midfield with Fremantle stars Fyfe and David Mundy at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night as the Crows try to build important on-ball depth.

Greenwood has cut his teeth as a forward but has impressed in the midfield in the SANFL this year.

Hugh Greenwood tackles Ben Keays in his debut AFL game against Brisbane last weekend. Picture: AAP Image

Adelaide is keen to develop him in that area as it looks to add some beef and muscle to its on-ball brigade.

“He’ll definitely play a bit more through there (the midfield),” assistant and midfield coach Scott Camporeale said of the 190cm, 90kg Greenwood. “We’re really keen, at 190cm, going up against Mundy and Fyfe will be a good match-up for him to see how well he can handle the AFL level.’’

Apart from kicking three goals, Greenwood had 15 disposals, laid nine tackles and scored 104 SuperCoach points on debut against the Lions playing primarily as a forward.

But with midfielder Curtly Hampton (ankle) out injured and key forward Josh Jenkins back after a one-week stint in the SANFL, the Crows want to develop Greenwood’s midfield play.

They are searching for another big and strong midfielder after losing Patrick Dangerfield to Geelong at the end of 2015 and having lost Cam Ellis-Yolmen this year to a season-ending knee injury.

“I think it is important (to find another big midfielder),’’ Camporeale said.

“If you look through premiership midfield groups they’ve got those guys. Sydney has Josh Kennedy and those sort of guys.

“We’d like to think that Brad Crouch over a period of time, he’s a good size and shape in terms of being able to go head-to-head with them, Hugh brings another element of that and we have Cam Ellis-Yolmen, who unfortunately got injured.

“We have got a couple of those on our list who are going to be important if we make finals.’’

Greenwood grew up playing football in Tasmania before focusing on basketball and representing Australia at under-19s and playing at US college level.

“His inside stuff has been the most impressive thing and the way he gets at the opposition,” Camporeale said of Greenwood’s strengths.

Originally published as Second-game Adelaide Crow Hugh Greenwood to go head-to-head with Fremantle star Nat Fyfe