HARRISON Wigg will write his father's initials on his hand before every game.
It's a routine he began almost three years ago when his dad Colin passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack.
Wigg didn't need many words to describe how his dad would have felt when he was drafted by Adelaide on Thursday night.
"He just would have been really proud," he said.
Wigg's mother Maureen was understandably ecstatic.
She had cleared her schedule this weekend and expected to spend it preparing Harrison to move interstate to start life as a professional footballer.
As even as the NAB AFL Draft was, the late thought was Wigg might end up at Gold Coast.
Maureen, a critical-care nurse, got out of work and readied herself to set her son on his way.
The first round of the NAB AFL Draft passed ... then Adelaide recruiting boss Hamish Ogilvie called Harrison's name at pick No.35; he wasn't going anywhere.
"This is just the most awesome scenario ... I couldn't have asked for it to be better," she told AFL.com.au.
"I couldn't believe our luck.
"I had organised to have the weekend off so that if this was his last weekend here I could help him pack his bags and get organised and run around and get him set to go.
"I was prepared for him to go because there were other interstate clubs that were interested in him, so that was likely.
"This is icing on a cake."
AFL.com.au spoke with Wigg in the days leading up to, the morning of and immediately after the draft.
A schoolies trip to Victor Harbour last weekend helped take his mind off the night, as did a trip to see the latest Hunger Games movie on Thursday morning.
"It's like a two and a half hour movie – I picked the longest one," Wigg said.
His excitement turned to nerves as the draft neared and then shock; he was speechless in the minutes following the announcement that he had secured a place in Adelaide's squad.
Wigg last spoke to the Crows about a week prior to the draft and although the recruiting staff offered him some hope, there was certainly no guarantee that he was their man.
The club must have held its cards close to its chest, though, because Ogilvie barely hesitated when calling Wigg's name.
Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker were the first of his new teammates to welcome him to West Lakes and it was quickly apparent that 'Tex' was "a pretty funny bloke".
He agreed with his mum that remaining in the City of Churches was a huge win.
"You don't have to worry about homesickness or anything so it's probably the best thing that could have happened, to be able to stay in Adelaide," Wigg said.
"I was a bit nervous early, but I'm so happy to be a Crow.
"Mum's back on earth now but she was screaming, yelling ... gave me a big hug."
