[1] Overlooked in the 2009 national and rookie drafts as an 18-year-old, Hartigan was the subject of a tug-of-war between VFL teams Werribee and Williamstown; zoned to Williamstown, Hartigan wished to play for Werribee instead, to improve his chances of playing senior football and catching the eye of AFL recruiters looking for a mature prospect.

[1] Strong performances for SANFL club South Adelaide saw Hartigan promoted to the Crows senior list during his first season, as cover for injured defender Brent Reilly.

[5] He played seven matches in 2014 before being dropped, and was in good form in the SANFL before suffering serious internal injuries in a collision with teammate Ben Rutten, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

[6] In 2015, Hartigan established himself in Adelaide's young backline with 18 matches, during which he stood some of the most dangerous key forwards in the AFL.

He initially injured his hamstring in a match against Carlton at the MCG on 1 July, which was expected to keep him sidelined for six weeks, but he was able to return through the SANFL within a month.