2017 Australian Football Hall of Fame: Adelaide Crows premiership hero Simon Goodwin shocked by his ascension

AS A teenager, Simon Goodwin thought he was destined to be a first-class cricketer — but he went on to become a premiership player, club captain and Hall of Famer.

Simon Goodwin on the break for the Crows in 1998. Picture: Ray Titus Goodwin's baggy green dream

SIMON Goodwin thought he was destined to be a first-class cricketer, even though he had cracked it as an SANFL league footballer as a teenager.

Cricket had declared its hand by naming Goodwin a co-captain of the SA under-19 team. In football, he had been overlooked in the AFL national draft in November 1996.

Two months later, his back was troubled with stress-related injuries — not a promising note for a would-be international fast bowler, even with Goodwin’s mighty ability to swing the ball.

“Then, in February, my cricket had slowed down and I was drafted … my cricket days were done,” recalls Goodwin, the No. 18 pick in the 1997 AFL pre-season draft.

“The decision (football or cricket) was made for me.”

Goodwin’s football days ended with 275 AFL games as a one-club player, five All-Australian selections, three club champion titles at Adelaide and two AFL flags — the first after his 10th AFL game in 1997. And he carries the praise of former Crows coach Neil Craig as Adelaide’s greatest captain.

This record of success — now recognised in the Australian Football Hall of Fame — brings into question the judgment of AFL recruiting scouts in the mid-1990s. But Goodwin is no longer taking issue with those who ignored him in the 1996 national draft. He found his strength in those picking on his weaknesses.

“I wanted to prove people wrong,” said Goodwin, the sixth Crow from the 1997-98 glory days to earn Hall of Fame status.

“I’m not sure where that starts from … coming through as a young boy, I was told I was small. But I kept hanging in there.

“I was never satisfied … and that helped me to be the best.”

An emotional Adelaide Crows captain Simon Goodwin announces his retirement, flanked by mentor and admirer Neil Craig. Picture: Ray Titus

Craig’s eye-raising call on Goodwin’s captaincy at Adelaide from 2008-10 does embarrass Goodwin — more so considering his strong friendship with his predecessor as Crows skipper, Brownlow Medallist Mark Ricciuto.

“I thought, people will disagree with that,” Goodwin said.

“But when it is said by someone whose views you value — and Neil was seeing something in me that others would not — it does mean a lot to me.

“More so when you’ve started (in football) lacking self-confidence.”

Goodwin had back-to-back premiership medals after his 10th and 31st AFL games in his first two seasons in the big league. He played in another seven AFL final series — and three preliminary finals (2002, 2005 and 2006) — but never again in a grand final.

“That’s why I was never totally fulfilled,” Goodwin said.

“You get greedy. You want everything you can possibly get.

“I had success when I was young. And then I learned just how hard it is to win premierships.

“My drive, my effort, my perseverance to win another premiership was there throughout my career as it went on … but I was unfulfilled.”

Goodwin, now senior coach at Melbourne, reflects on Adelaide’s 2005 season — in which the Crows won their first and only minor premiership — as the missed flag.

Melbourne Coach Simon Goodwin addresses his team during their clash with North Melbourne. Picture: Julian Smith

“We played unbelievable footy that year …,” Goodwin said. “We’d won against West Coast in Perth in Round 22, ‘Roo’ (Ricciuto) was suspended, we were on a six-day break … and we had an average night in our first final against St Kilda. We did not play our best football right at the end.”

That loss set the Crows on course for a preliminary final loss against West Coast at Subiaco.

Goodwin had one strong philosophy in his playing career: “No-one was going to prepare for a game better than me.

“I loved working hard on the training track. I was the first at training and the last to leave.

“I would do all the recovery and take every moment to work on my craft. I knew if the week went right on the track I could be confident on game day.”

Goodwin’s attitude was matched with perfect timing on reaching Adelaide. His first season coincided with the arrival of Malcolm Blight as coach.

“Blighty was a big influence by giving me belief — and understanding of a lot of the game’s fundamentals,” said Goodwin who also pays tribute to two of his South Adelaide coaches, John Reid and Shane Reardon.

“And Neil Craig as a life mentor, particularly through some difficult periods of my life,” added Goodwin, who fought a serious gambling addiction during his playing career.

“Neil did much more than just shape me as a footballer and as a leader.”

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Originally published as 2017 Australian Football Hall of Fame: Adelaide Crows premiership hero Simon Goodwin shocked by his ascension