After listening to that interview, I really get the feeling that Greenwood's Tasmanian connection has a lot to do with his recent actions. Obviously he'll get the opportunity to play games in Hobart for the Roos and probably be the face of North's Tasmanian venture for a few years but beyond that I think Hugh actually has a plan to be a part of the inaugural Tasmanian AFL team that's due to enter the competition in 2025. Greenwood's new contract with North ends in 2024 so the timing is perfect and he'll be 32 by then which is still young enough to justify signing as a senior leader of a new team in their first year or two in the AFL. Reminds me of Ross Glendinning going home to Perth to join West Coast in their inaugural 1987 season in a year that he turned 32 years of age. Glendinning only played two seasons for the Eagles (which included West Coast's first even final) before he retired but his impact on AFL footy in Perth was cemented and even honoured a few years later when they named Western Derby best on ground medal after him.
We couldn't even guarantee Greenwood a contract in 2023 but with North he has guaranteed himself the opportunity to play until the end of 2024 which allows Hugh to pursue what was likely a childhood dream of playing for a Tasmanian AFL team as well as being very influential in the set up/having a lasting legacy with the club. If that's his plan, I don't blame him for doing what he did. It's unfortunate for us but it's not often you get the opportunity to pursue a childhood dream, particularly at 29 years of age.
The AFL let us get away with that last year when we selected Elijah Hollands with pick 7 as well as Alex Davies and Joel Jeffrey as academy selections. However, you may remember we had to put Davies and Jeffrey on our senior list last year and I think that had to do with both players being consensus first round selections under normal circumstances. This year is obviously different with Uwland and Brock (who I believe have both been put on our rookie lists) not fulfilling the AFL national draft requirements, hence the reason our recruiting team elected to delist Greenwood, Thompson and McLennan with the plan to bring them all back through the upcoming drafts.
The AFL is sort of making up the rules as we go because the concession package we were gifted wasn't properly defined from the beginning. I'm fairly sure this year is the final year of our concessions package so we won't have to worry about that chatter anymore and will be required to match bids on academy players from 2022 onward.
