Curtly Hampton Biography

Curtly Hampton announces his immediate retirement from AFL football at the age of 25.

"After eight years in the system and with multiple setbacks along the way, I’ve lost the passion, motivation and enjoyment for the game that you need perform at the highest level," Hampton said.

"The past few weeks have been particularly hard as I try to deal with the symptoms of vertigo.

"At times, it has been difficult to train and play but it has also affected my life away from football.

"In saying that I am confident of making a full recovery but I feel it is best to do that away from the pressures of the AFL industry.

"This is a good opportunity to focus on the other priorities in my life and I look forward to the next chapter."

Curtly Hampton will miss as much as three months after having surgery to repair his injured right ankle.

Hampton suffered a high ankle sprain as he was brought to ground in a tackle from Brisbane Lions youngster Ben Keays midway through the third term.

Hampton limped straight into the rooms and emerged with ice strapped around his lower leg, taking no further part in the 80-point win.

"After gathering all the available information, it was decided the best course of action for Curtly was to have surgery to repair the damage," Crows high performance manager Matt Hass said.

"Unfortunately for Curtly and the club, it means he spends a significant amount of time on the sidelines."

Curtly Hampton is set to miss multiple games with a right ankle injury he sustained in Adelaide's 80-point win over the Lions.

Curtly Hampton, whose pace and outside run has been a handy addition for the Crows, credits coach Don Pyke for being patient and allowing him to readjust to the AFL.

"The first couple rounds ... I definitely didn't play the kind of footy that I wanted to," Hampton said.

"Pykey just told me to stay calm, keep working hard at training and it would eventually start to turn.

"I haven't played at AFL level for over a year, which he kept saying to me … don't be so hard on yourself, it's been a while.

"I'm going to work with you to make sure you play the footy that you want."

Adelaide's indigenous players have rallied around star forward Eddie Betts after he was racially abused at last weekend's Showdown.

Curtly Hampton, Charlie Cameron, Wayne Milera, Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Ben Davis sat down with Betts on Wednesday morning in a show of support.

"We had a catch-up with all of the brothers together for a coffee just to make sure he's all right," Hampton said.

"It was more about asking him face to face, how he's feeling and all that kind of stuff.

"He's feeling good and we're just going to move forward.

"People might think he's Eddie Betts, he's one of the best players to ever play the game, but at the end of the day, he's still human.

"We've got to make sure he's good in that aspect as well."

Adelaide coach Don Pyke tips Curtly Hampton to make an impact in the Crows' midfield in 2017.

"He's a guy that adds a different dimension to our midfield," Pyke said.

"He played a lot of footy down back at GWS, but when he was recruited he was more a half-forward playing midfield.

"That's more his natural position, so he's reconnecting the skills with that stoppage and transitional stuff.

"He's a unique athlete, he's got some power and he's got some speed."

Curtly Hampton says he is intent on reinventing himself as a well-rounded midfielder.

"I feel I can play my best footy through the midfield, just with the way I can move around in traffic and use my kick and break the lines from there," Hampton said.

"I feel like in the backline I can feel a bit wasted at times.

"I spoke to the coaches and they said they would give me a chance, so Pykey (Adelaide coach Don Pyke) has stuck to his word.

"I'm with the midfield at the moment, so I've got to show them now."

Curtly Hampton is expected to miss another two months after having surgery late last week to correct a stress reaction in his left foot.

"We made the decision to be aggressive with that and he had surgery on Friday just to release the plantar fascia," Crows high performance manager Brett Burton said.

"That surgery has quite a good success rate, so we expect Curtly to be available again in six to eight weeks."

Curtly Hampton's bid to make a fast start at his new club has hit the skids with the running half-back set to be sidelined for up to two months.

Hampton was a late withdrawal from the Crows' SANFL practice match last week after pulling up sore from training and a stress reaction has been discovered in his foot.

"It's disappointing for both Curtly and the club but fortunately it has been picked up early," Adelaide general manager of high performance Brett Burton said of the injury.

"Curtly will not require surgery but will wear a moonboot for the next couple of weeks as he begins his rehabilitation."

Adelaide key back Jake Lever is looking forward to watching the club's new defensive speed demons Curtly Hampton and Paul Seedsman in the NAB Challenge, as the pair eye off round one selection.

"Seeds and Curtly, they're both really quick blokes… the NAB [Challenge] it's a fantastic opportunity for them to put their cases up for selection," Lever said.

"Through training they've been really good, completing most sessions.

"It's just about games now, getting through NAB [Challenge] and pushing their claims for round one."

Curtly Hampton says he is enjoying being closer to family after moving to the Crows from the Giants.

"I was missing my family a fair bit and had a few passing away in the family so I wouldn't mind moving back here I thought," Hampton said.

"My mum and dad have been down here four times in the last three months so that's the most I've seen them in the past five years.

"I'm really happy about that, I can focus more on my footy now [and] I'll be happy outside of footy as well."

Adelaide secures the services of rebounding defender Curtly Hampton from Greater Western Sydney.

The deal will see the Giants receive the Crows' future second-round draft pick in exchange for the 22-year-old.

"I was a Crows fan as a kid, so I'm really excited to be here," Hampton said.

"I was at the Giants for five years … but I thought it was best for me and my footy that I made the change.

"I really want to come in and cement my place at the club with hard work."

Curtly Hampton requests a trade from the Giants after spending much of the 2015 season in the NEAFL.

"The club understands Curtly’s desire to seek greater playing opportunities and will do its best to help facilitate a suitable trade," the Giants said in a statement.

Curtly Hampton is excited at the prospect of playing alongside former Magpie and new GWS recruit Heath Shaw.

"As soon as I heard the rumours that he might be coming to the Giants, I was hoping he'd get here because he's one of the players I like to watch off the half-back flank," Hampton said.

"Shaw is obviously pretty experienced and played in a premiership so I'm looking forward to learning a lot from him.

"I've heard that he wants to really help develop us and, being in the backline, I'm pretty sure he'll take a few of us under his wing.

"I can't wait to start training with him and picking his brain."

After playing most of his football up forward, Curtly Hampton may have found a niche in defence for the Giants.

"I'd never played in the backline before, so I'm obviously working on my defensive skills," Hampton said.

"I got signed as a forward and kicked a few goals – and a lot of points – but they thought I wasn't getting involved in the play as much as I should be. To use my speed and skill they put me on the back flanks.

"I really enjoyed it in the second half of the year. I played a fair few games and got more of the ball and got involved with the play."

The Giants have protected their young stars from swooping rivals, confirming seven players have signed new deals with the club.

Jonathon Patton, Dom Tyson, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Andrew Phillips and Sam Frost have committed until the end of the 2015 AFL season while Curtly Hampton and Aidan Corr signed through 2016.

"Everyone wants success, that is why you play the game and I think we are in the best position we can possibly be in," Patton said.

"The club has done an amazing job to put this list together. We have a lot of talent here. This is a great club to be at. This is a club you don't want to leave."

Curtly Hampton makes his AFL debut for GWS at Stadium Australia with 17 disposals (14 kicks and 3 handballs), 7 marks and a tackle in a 63-point loss to Sydney.