Adelaide recruit Hugo Hall-Kahan will remember his AFL debut for many reasons - the nerves, the roar of the Crows’ crowd, the heart-stopping victory - but also for a pre-game moment that added to the chaos of the week.
A traffic‑delayed lift to Adelaide Oval with childhood friend turned teammate Josh Worrell left Hall‑Kahan late to his own guernsey presentation.
Speaking to AFC Media after the Crows’ eventual one-point win against Geelong on Thursday night, Hall-Kahan said it only added to the whirlwind week.
“It (the emotion) was a lot,” Hall-Kahan said.
“I was five minutes late to my own jumper presentation because Woz was stuck in traffic, so that wasn’t ideal, but we got here in the end.
“I was just itching to get out there. It was amazing to get my jumper presented and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Just six days after making his way to the Crows following his selection at the mid-season rookie draft, it was announced that Hall-Kahan would make his debut against the Cats.
The defender, who went to high school with Worrell, had been a standout for Williamstown in the VFL this year before being picked by the Crows, and had quickly impressed in his first two training sessions with Adelaide.
His inclusion in the side for the game against Geelong was revealed at a team dinner on Monday night, and Hall-Kahan admitted to being overcome with emotion.
“I was not expecting it, that’s for sure,” Hall-Kahan said.
“Daws actually went up to Woz and said ‘they’re having a serious conversation about Hugo’, and he sneakily told me. I actually just told him to shut up, I was like ‘don’t be stupid, that’s just silly’.
“I thought I had to bide my time in the SANFL, but Nicksy just showed faith in me and it’s just unbelievable.
“He looked like a proud Dad, Woz, he was just smiling the whole time. I was just in disbelief, I couldn’t believe it, I was just shaking my head. I did see Woz’s face, it was a nice little reaction.”
Hall-Kahan finished Thursday night’s blockbuster with 16 disposals, two clearances, four intercept possessions, and forced a holding-the-ball call deep in the Cats’ attacking-50 during the last minute-and-a-half of the game.
He said he found the pace of AFL “definitely quicker” compared to the VFL, but enjoyed the challenge of playing on the Cats’ star forwards.
It was also Hall-Kahan’s first time playing in front of a strong crowd at Adelaide Oval and he said the Crows’ fans support helped get the team over the line.
“Geelong love to shift up turnover really quick, so I found their high up forwards (Shaun) Mannagh, (Gryan) Miers, they get up the ground and they just rip back,” Hall-Kahan said.
“Seems like they've got a lot in their tank, so that was hard to go with, but I felt up to it for sure.
“The atmosphere was incredible - 40-something-thousand - I’ve never played in a crowd that big before.
“They really lifted us in that last quarter, you can feel it, so I'm keen to do that again.”
And the debut, which included getting stitches in his nose after a collision with teammate Toby Murray, is a game he’ll never forget.
“The crowd, just everything, the build up to the week, it was just so special,” Hall-Kahan said.
“To play and debut and have a win like that, was unreal. “It came pretty fast off a turnover there, it was one point and you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do sometimes in those dying stages and I was lucky enough to stick that (tackle).
“I probably carried on a little bit there towards the end, but I was just so relieved, so stoked to get the win. I’ve got a few scars to remember as well, but it’s unbelievable.”
