Coming from Old Paradians, Woods was only on the fringe of regular senior selection at his first two clubs Fitzroy and Collingwood. It was his own choice to leave Fitzroy and travel overseas, and then he battled to make an impact at Collingwood as he was dogged by injury and lack of focus. But when he went to his third club Hawthorn he worked off six kilos and enabled himself to become a player capable of running all day, becoming a highly effective run-with player.