It’s unlikely you’ll hear a better debut story than this all season.
Less than two hours before Adelaide United’s clash with Newcastle Jets at Coopers Stadium kicked off on Saturday night, Harry Crawford was sat in the stands, ready to watch the action unfold.
But then, club captain Ryan Kitto went down with an injury in the warm-up.
Soon after, Crawford’s phone began to ring.
That phone call was the catalyst for an incredible and unexpected night in the life of the 18-year-old who, just hours later, made his Isuzu UTE A-League debut… on the same day he played 90 minutes for the club’s NPL side.
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“I was playing in the NPL side against MetroStars (and) had a good win there, 2-1,” Crawford told club media.
“I played the full 90 with them, playing right-back as well.
“It finished at about four o’clock, just after four… then I went over to Coopers Stadium, thinking to watch the A-League game.
“I had to get there a little earlier as I was doing the signings in the tent at the grass area before the game. At about six o’clock I was there, doing the signings with a couple of other players in the team who weren’t in the squad either.
“I had just finished with the signings, and I walked over to behind the bench in the stand to sit down. That’s when I got the call.
“They asked if I had my boots – and luckily, because I live further north, I had my boots still in the car, because I’d come straight from the MetroStars game.
“I told them I did, so I had to quickly go to my car and grab my boots, to then sit on the bench.
“When I was grabbing my boots from the car, I thought I’d better quickly call my parents up. I called both of them, and they were very excited. Mum chucked it on the TV straight away and dad drove down to the stadium as quickly as he could.
“Luckily my dad made it, just. But my mum, unfortunately, she was home becasuse she had work early in the morning. But my dad managed to get there in time.
“The first emotion was definitely excitement, I couldn’t believe it at first. The nerves started to slowly kick in but then once I got on the bench and sat down I was getting more confident.”
Saturday night’s 2-1 loss to Adelaide United wasn’t Crawford’s first experience in the club’s first-team squad. The 18-year-old made his senior debut against Blacktown City in the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup in July, 2024.
But, having taken his place on Adelaide’s bench against the Jets on Saturday, a potential debut in the Isuzu UTE A-League remained a pipe dream for the young forward – or so he thought.
“I didn’t expect to play,” Crawford said. “I was expecting just in case somebody (needed) a last substitution, as I’d played the full 90 minutes beforehand.
“But when I got asked to come on, it was an unreal experience.”
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Crawford came off the bench in the 79th minute, replacing Dylan Pierias as part of a double substitution alongside fellow NPL gun Amlani Tatu who, in that moment, also made his league debut for the Reds.
Stood on the touchline in anticipation of a significant moment in his young career, Crawford understood how special it was to be experiencing his league debut for Adelaide alongside Tatu, who has shared his journey through the club’s academy pathway in recent years.
“Playing with him with the NPL side for the last two years, it was a really good experience to do it with him as well,” Crawford said.
“Just to be on the bench was good, but then when they told me: ‘You’re coming on’, it was really good.
“It made the experience better, coming on with him and him making his debut as well, which is deserved for him because he’s worked hard in training. We’re both training hard each day, so it was very well deserved for him as well.”
