Andy Otten Biography

Andy Otten joins Collingwood as a development coach for 2023.

Hawthorn announce the departures of long-time assistant Damian Monkhorst and development coach Andy Otten.

"Monky has been a tremendous character to have around the club over his 13 years at Hawthorn. He has an outstanding ability to help build a strong culture whilst also strongly educating the players he works with," Hawks head of football Rob McCartney said.

"Andy has been with us for three years now and he has proven to be a valued contributor in our coaching ranks as well."

Brett Deledio and Andy Otten join Hawthorn as part-time coaches and will play for the Hawks' VFL affiliate Box Hill.

"It's terrific from a Box Hill perspective to have a duo of their calibre and experience commit in both a playing and coaching capacity," Hawthorn football manager Graham Wright said.

"And from a Hawthorn lens, these guys will bring a fresh perspective and plenty of new ideas to our coaching line-up."

Andy Otten announces his retirement after 109 senior games and 12 seasons at the top level with Adelaide.

"Even though I have kind of known this year would be my last, saying and hearing the word retirement and admitting to yourself that the time has come is still tough to do," Otten said to his teammates.

"It has been one hell of a ride and I say that with a smile on my face, satisfied that I've given all I can to play in the AFL for 12 years."

Andy Otten says he ended the 2018 season unsure whether he would be back at the Crows having been told he would have to wait until after the NAB AFL Trade Period before being offered a new contract.

"They told me we'd probably have to wait until after Trade Period, which was fine, but just after the season finished, after the Grand Final, they rang up and said we don't need to wait, we'll sign you up now," Otten explained.

"That was a bit of a relief and great to hear before the Trade Period and the stress that comes with that. I just had a little daughter as well, so to get that locked in was great."

Otten has just been made life member of the Crows as he enters his 12th season.

"To be a one-club player, something you dream of as a kid and to have it fulfilled and to be given this reward, it makes you reflect on the career you've had," Otten said.

"It's been such as an amazing journey. I've had the highs and the lows, but I wouldn't change anything, it's made me who I am."

Adelaide re-sign Andy Otten and Cam Ellis-Yolmen to one-year extensions for 2019.

"Andy and Cam are valuable contributors on and off the field and over the years have overcome adversity with injury, which is a testament to their character and resilience," Crows general manager of list management and strategy Justin Reid said.

"We see them both playing a meaningful role going forward."

Andy Otten faces an uncertain future despite keeping Coleman Medal contender Ben Brown goalless at the Adelaide Oval.

"I'm keen to go on," Otten told Adelaide radio station FiveAA.

"But I've been told it's a bit of a numbers game and I'll have to wait and find out."

Adelaide coach Don Pyke confirmed the 29-year-old's fate was undecided.

"We're assessing the list at the moment and I guess we've got a number of guys that are off contract and we need to assess exactly what it looks like through the next six weeks or so," Pyke said.

"We know his leadership and his quality and you saw tonight his capability so that'll happen in due course of time."

Nearly 10 years after his senior debut, Andy Otten will finally hit the hundred against the Suns this week.

The defender nearly won the AFL's Rising Star honours in his 2008 debut season, but serious injuries to both knees and his groin have provided constant hurdles since.

"It just shows that nothing's guaranteed," Otten said.

"I had a bit of a rollercoaster ride to get to where I am, but it's been a fun journey ... had to have a lot of resilience, grit and determination and a bit of fight."

Fresh from earning a call-up to be in the Crows' winning preliminary final side against Geelong, Andy Otten signs a one-year contract extension with Adelaide to remain at the club in 2018.

“I don’t want to be anywhere else but Adelaide. Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved the idea of being a one-club player and this is another step towards that,” Otten said.

“The club has shown a lot of faith in me over the years, and I have a lot of faith in the Club.

“It’s such an exciting time for our playing group, our club and our fans. I want to be here to see what we can achieve together this year and in the near future.”

After spending 960 days in the AFL wilderness, versatile defender Andy Otten has suddenly developed into an important factor for the Crows.

Playing predominantly as a defender, Otten's versatility has also seen him being used both in the ruck and up forward for the Crows when needed.

"He was a little bit frustrated towards the end of last year because of a lack of opportunity, but he worked really hard in the off-season," Adelaide coach Don Pyke.

"He's getting the reward for that work.

"We had to flick him forward last week and he performed as we expected he would for a guy with his level of experience and a guy who understands the game."

Andy Otten says the Crows players have gotten behind teammate Cam Ellis-Yeoman who ruptured his ACL.

"It was pretty heartbreaking, going through it twice (myself) and this is his second one as well, your gut really falls," Otten said.

"I just spoke to him about, 'That's happened, you can't control your body, it's what happens now, looking forward, staying positive'.

"You can't change the past and you've got to give yourself a few things to look forward to this year and then getting back next year."

Despite not having played a game for the senior team for more than two years, Adelaide defender Andy Otten never stopped believing he would make it back.

"I've always had confidence in my own ability, I just needed the chance," Otten said.

"Last year it didn't happen. The three guys playing had career-best years so you're patient. It sucks but you've just got to be patient and I never lost faith in my own ability, which is probably important and probably why I'm still around."

However, he admitted it was tough to be out of the game for so long, especially with former coach Phil Walsh killed during that period.

"It was up and down, it's fair to say. First of all, with the knee missing the year, and then the tragedy of Phil as well," he said.

"And then coming back to play … I was playing a lot of footy in the SANFL and not being able to crack into the side, although I really did enjoy the year."

Andy Otten will play his first AFL game since 2014 for Adelaide in the JLT Community Series.

"Andy was one of a number of guys last year who was right on the edge of playing," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.

"He's an experienced defender, he's got great leadership and I know he's super keen to take the opportunity that's presented and push his claims for round one."

Andy Otten has been suspended for two matches for making contact with a SANFL umpire.

Adelaide will appeal against the two-game suspension.

Adelaide presented a medical report to the tribunal showing Otten was concussed after taking a hit to the head from Glenelg player Tim Sumner.

But that didn't sway the tribunal's view that Otten deliberately pushed field umpire Leigh Haussen in the back during Adelaide's SANFL game at the Bay Oval.

Andy Otten's pre-season has been delayed after undergoing minor surgery on his right knee.

The Crows said Otten's injury was not related to the ACL reconstruction, which kept the 26-year-old sidelined for the first half of the 2015 season.

"Andy had a bit of a clean-out of his knee last week," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.

"Andy came back to (pre-season) training, started doing some running and his knee flared up a little bit, so we’ve taken the action there. He’s probably going to be delayed through until the end of January for a return to training."

Andy Otten signs a new two-year deal with Adelaide that will tie him to the Crows until the end of the 2017 season.

Otten said that although he fielded offers from rival clubs as an unrestricted free agent, he felt the need to repay the Crows for their faith during his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction.

"I really want to repay the faith the club has showed in me, particularly over the last few years, which have been pretty tough from a personal perspective," Otten said.

"I love the club, the playing group and the culture that we're developing. I know we're heading in the right direction and I want to be a part of team success here in the future."

Andy Otten says he knew he'd done his knee as soon as it happened.

Otten's right knee collapsed in a marking contest during the second term against Brisbane and, despite not having scans until Monday morning, he didn't have to wait for the results.

The 25-year-old told the club website the sound of the rupture was identical to the last time he suffered the injury, albeit to his left knee, in late 2009.

"I knew straight away I'd done my ACL, I heard the sound - it was very loud and a few of the boys said they heard it as well," Otten said.

"It was exactly the same as last time."

After undergoing a traditional knee reconstruction, Otten says he still has a journal he kept during the rehab for his first knee reconstruction and will consult it to try to perfect his recovery.

"It was the same surgeon who did my last knee reconstruction and that has held up … there were no complications and everything went smoothly," Otten said.

"I know what's ahead, I kept a little journal last time of what I did, so I'll be flicking through that to see what worked and what can help me especially in this early part."

Andy Otten will spend 12 months on the sidelines after scans on his right knee revealed it required a reconstruction.

The 25-year-old ruptured his ACL in the second quarter of the Crows' 105-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and has opted for traditional surgery rather than LARS.

The procedure will be Otten's second, after a pre-season training accident in late 2009 saw him undergo a reconstruction of his left knee.

"I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes and messages of support in the last 24 hours," Otten said.

"Sadly, I can't change what has happened, despite really wishing I could. I know what is ahead of me and will tackle this setback head on."

Tom Lynch and Andy Otten have avoided surgery on shoulder and knee injuries respectively but will both miss a month of football.

Andy Otten and Tom Lynch will miss Adelaide's season opener against Geelong after sustaining injuries during the club's practice match against GWS.

Andy Otten says he is determined to cement his place in the Crows' senior side in 2013 after being in and out of the team in 2012.

"I was sick of getting dropped and sick of getting left out of the team," Otten said.

"I didn't just want to go through the motions of training, I wanted to stand out a bit and get back to what I wanted to do best, which was be good aerially.

"You can go through the motions a little bit sometimes, but I really just wanted to stand out, catch the coach's eye and get into that side for round one.

"I knew if I got in the side and got another chance, I wouldn't let it slip this time."

Andy Otten will play his 50th game against Port Adelaide in round 3 and says he enjoys the feeling of always having to fight for his spot in the side.

"I don't think I ever feel quite secure and I think that's the way I've got to play as well - each week I have to play as if I'm playing for my spot," Otten said.

"I never want to feel safe and comfortable because that's when you can slip and I really don't want that to happen.

"I'm making sure I'm doing everything right…I just want to tick all the boxes and never get complacent."

Young Crow defender Daniel Talia says there is tough competition for spots in the Adelaide backline.

"There's blokes like Lewis Johnston, Luke Thompson, Andy Otten and myself all vying for those key defensive roles," Talia said.

"I'm out there to get one of those spots, but in saying that there's a lot of competition for that key back spot."

Crows defender Andy Otten has avoided a second knee reconstruction, but will still miss two to three weeks with a medial ligament strain.

Having re-signed for two years with the Crows Andy Otten hopes a number of his out of contract teammates will follow suit.

"I always wanted to stay at the Crows. My manager asked me the question and never in my mind did I want to leave," Otten said.

"I'm really happy with the club. I'm really happy with where I'm at and the position I have in the team. I like Adelaide. I'm used to Adelaide now and want to be a part of the future we're starting to build."

Andy Otten has backed his decision to undergo traditional knee surgery as opposed to the LARS procedure.

"My injury was a pretty bad, so I had to do it the traditional way and have the 12 months off, but I wouldn't have had the LARS anyway, to be honest," Otten said.

"I'm young and I don't want to have to have another LARS surgery in five years time. I'm happy with what I've done and the way I've done it. I know it's going to be strong when I come back."

Watching Brett Burton make a full recovery from his knee operation has given strength to Adelaide defender Andy Otten.

"Bird [Burton] gave me a call the night before I went in to have the operation and I asked him what advice he had for me," Otten said.

"He sent me an email of the 12-month plan he went through and he's going to go through that with me. Brett came back in such good physical condition. He's the benchmark for what I want to achieve."

Adelaide coach Neil Craig says that Andy Otten can continue to develop despite going down with a season-ending knee injury.

"Andy's a really strong-minded person, so we need to make sure we use the next 12 months to make him a better player in terms of conditioning, strength, leadership and game knowledge," Craig said.

"He won't have another 20-plus games under his belt, but we need to make sure all the other parts of his game progress."

Adelaide defender Andy Otten will miss the entire 2010 season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament at training.

Andy Otten takes what appears to be a match-saving mark in the dying seconds of Adelaide's semi final against Collingwood only to watch a free kick being paid to John Anthony who kicks the winning goal.

"I went back to take the kick and next thing I see it was paid a free kick. He went back and goaled and that was it pretty much," Otten said.

"We put ourselves out there for four quarters and to not get the win is pretty shattering. All the older boys are taking it pretty hard and being a young kid in my first finals series I don't like the feeling much myself.

"We have to take this feeling into next season and really give it a crack next year. I know I'll take that feeling into pre-season because I never want to feel like this again."

Andy Otten is runner up in the 2009 NAB AFL Rising Star award which went to Brisbane's Daniel Rich.

"I was pretty sure Rich would win because he has had a great year but I was pleased to get that many votes," Otten said.

"To finish runner-up is a big honour."

Young Crow Andy Otten looks forward to playing in his first finals series for the Crows.

"I really can't wait for the finals and for the boys to put themselves on show when it matters," Otten said.

"Finals are what you play for all year and it's just exciting to think about."

Young Crow Andy Otten eyes a future move into the midfield after having played most of 2009 in defence.

"Ultimately, I want to push into the midfield," Otten said.

"I was drafted as a midfielder and I know I can move into the midfield. For now, I'm wanted in defence.

"At the end of the year, I'll sit down with the coaches and see how they want to play me next year."

Adelaide coach Neil Craig says young key position players James Sellar and Shaun McKernan have earnt their place in the side.

"In the ruck, James is not a super tall guy. He's 196cm and a lot of the guys now are over 200cm, so he'll have his work cut out there but he's addressed some areas that we've been onto James about in terms of work ethic, work rate and competitive attitude," Craig said.

"We're not into giving games away. Shaun has earned the opportunity and the right to play AFL footy.

"We've just got to make sure that we expose those guys when the timing is right and they've earned it because we found last year that, even though Andy Otten and Patrick Dangerfield only played two games, it made a huge difference when it came to the pre-season."

Andy Otten from the Adelaide Crows has been named the AFL rising star nominee for Round 9.

"We have been really pleased with Andy's progress this year," coach Neil Craig said.

"He came to us as a tall midfielder but he has been playing in the same role Nathan Bassett did for us for a number of years and he's been doing it well on a consistent basis.

"He still has some things to learn about playing in defence but he is very coachable."