Hayden Crozier signs a new deal to stay at Western Bulldogs
Hayden Crozier has played his best football since joining the Western Bulldogs, however, that isn’t the only reason why he has re-signed with the club.
Bulldogs
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bulldogs. Followed categories will be added to My News.
They say Hawthorn is the family club, but for newly re-signed Bulldog Hayden Crozier there is no contest which club truly deserves the moniker.
The underrated defender – who has inked a new deal with the Western Bulldogs until the end of 2023 – has both his brother Mason and cousin Nick working at the Whitten Oval in commercial partnerships.
Watch every match of the Marsh Community Series AFL pre-season comp LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Crozier joked his cousin’s influence was a big reason why he was able to move across to the kennel from Fremantle at the end of 2017.
“The rumour has it Nick was pushing pretty hard for me to come to the club,” Crozier told the Herald Sun.
“He was pretty happy when I got here.
“And my brother has also been working here for a bit over a year now and he really enjoys it.
“The boys were giving him a bit of stick on photo day the other day.
“He came down with his hair looking all nice and sharp, so he blends in well with everyone upstairs and with all the playing group.”
The acquisition of Crozier until the end of 2023 is a big boost for the Bulldogs ahead of the start of the new season.
The 26-year-old’s on-field importance continued to grow in 2019 after playing 22 games and proving himself as a weapon off half-back.
He was the club’s leader for effective disposals last year, finishing the season with an efficiency rating of 82 per cent.
He also ranked second for both marks and rebound-50s.
The former Docker said he was happy to come to terms quickly rather than let his contract issue drag into the season.
“It’s a club that welcomed me from the moment I walked in the door,” he said.
“It’s somewhere where I feel like I’m playing my best footy and I’m loving coming to work every day.
“It was the easiest decision I’ve ever made (to stay).
“I was pretty happy to come to terms quickly and I didn’t want anything sort of hanging over my head too much during the season.”
The Bulldogs’ backline has been bolstered by the off-season recruitment of Alex Keath from Adelaide.
Crozier predicted Keath would make a big imprint at his new home.
“He’s slotted in seamlessly,” he said.
“He’s a great bloke and very professional the way he goes about his business.
“The club obviously targeted him and he really suits our game style as he is a very good intercept defender who can also hold down a one-on-one.
“It helps out our backline as we were playing relatively small last year and it allows guys like Easton Wood to be a little bit further up now.
“We’re building some good continuity together and it’s something that’s obviously going to take time, but I feel like we’ve gotten off to a good start.”