Hugh Greenwood is one of 13 players in a select group on the SUNS playing list.

He forms part of the ‘South Australians club’, which includes players who have either originated from the state or lived there in the past. 

“There’s quite a few South Australians on the list and I obviously spent a fair bit of time there,” Greenwood told SUNS Media.

“It’s funny to talk about SA with those guys like Luko (Jack Lukosius), Izak (Rankine), Sean Lemmens and Hommer (Jack Hombsch). 

“Apparently Luko lived two streets down from me the whole time I was living there. 

“I played against Izak a few times when he was at West Adelaide and played in a couple of Showdowns with Hommer.” 

Wearing number 21, Greenwood has South Australian neighbours around him in the locker room with Hombsch (20) and Rankine (22) on either side.

But the 28-year-old has found a close connection with another South Australian in Jez McLennan.

Despite being eight years apart in age, the pair have bonded quickly and found themselves training together during isolation.

“Jez McLennan and I have been hanging out a fair bit,” he said. 

“He’s in Palmy as well so now that you can only get together in groups of two we’ve been doing our running together and surfing with social distancing.

“But he’s pretty mature Jez, I actually thought he was older than what he was.

“When he told me his real age I thought he was pulling my leg.”

Greenwood is no stranger to settling in a new city. 

He was born in Tasmania, but moved to Canberra when he was 15 to pursue his budding basketball career with the Australian Institute of Sport. 

That led him to fly to the United States for college, playing basketball at the University of New Mexico. 

After college he returned to Australia to play for Perth in the NBL before moving to Adelaide to begin his football career.

Now he’s settled on the Gold Coast, but still holds a soft spot for his family home in Hobart. 

“Tassie’s still home,” he said.

“My family and friends are still there so I try to get back there as often as I can.

“But now that I’m living on the Goldy, there’s not many better places to live so we’re hoping we can stick around here for a long time.”