Brad Crouch's NAB Challenge performance gave Fantasy coaches a glimpse of what’s to come
12:50pm Mar 2, 2015
An injury-free Brad Crouch hasn't missed a session this pre-season and says he's ready to produce his best
3:22pm Feb 4, 2015
Brad Crouch gives an insight to a frustrating 2014 season and his pre-season ambitions
12:16pm Sep 8, 2014
2:07pm Feb 4, 2015
6:32pm Jun 29, 2014
Junior clubs: North Ballarat
Clubs: Adelaide
Debut: v Brisbane Lions, Round Two, 2013
Recruited from: North Ballarat
Brownlow votes: 6
The 2013 Rising Star runner-up endured a frustrating 2014. Crouch recovered from a pre-season Achilles injury to line up in Round One, but was forced back onto the sidelines when he fractured his leg in the Showdown the next week. After a tough three months out of the game, the skilful young midfielder returned to help Adelaide to victory against Port Adelaide in Round 15. He showcased his enormous potential in the last nine games of the season, polling more Club Champion votes than any other Crow with the exception of runner-up Rory Sloane.
Crouch lived up to the hype in his debut AFL season, finishing runner-up in the 2013 Rising Star. A hamstring injury cost the talented young midfielder a month on the sidelines early in the year, but he returned to play a total of 14 games, emerging as Adelaide’s best-performed midfielder in the second half of the season. In the last 10 games, Crouch ranked first at the Club in disposals (266) and handball receives (115), second in tackles (47), third in marks (50) and fourth in clearances (40), contested possessions (88) and hard ball-gets (30). His numbers also stacked up with the AFL’s best. From Round 14 onwards, the Ballarat product ranked 12th – level with Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett – in the competition for total disposals, averaging 26.6 possessions per game. Won Adelaide's award for Emerging Talent.
Ineligible for AFL selection in 2012, Crouch developed his game at SANFL club, West Adelaide. A hamstring injury caused him to miss almost two months of football early in the season, but he returned to be part of the Bloods' finals campaign. The talented midfielder got a taste of AFL against Brisbane during pre-season after the League granted him permission to play in the NAB Cup.
Adelaide moved swiftly to secure promising midfielder Crouch, who was eligible to join an AFL club as part of Greater Western Sydney’s 17-year-old ‘mini-draft’. Tough and skilful, the prolific onballer earned All Australian honours at the Under-18 Championships. The North Ballarat teenager, who turned 18 in January, won’t be available for AFL selection until 2013 and will spend his first season at West Lakes developing his game with SANFL club West Adelaide.
| Statistics | Best | Opponent | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 17 | Port Adelaide | Rd 15 |
| Handballs | 29 | Hawthorn | Rd 17 |
| Disposals | 40 | Hawthorn | Rd 17 |
| Marks | 5 | GWS Giants | Rd 16 |
| Hit-outs | 1 | Brisbane Lions | Rd 20 |
| Tackles | 9 | Collingwood | Rd 18 |
| Goals | 2 | West Coast Eagles | Rd 19 |
| AFL Fantasy | 118 | Brisbane Lions | Rd 20 |
| Rd | Opponent | Result | K | H | D | M | HO | FF | FA | T | G | B | AF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geelong Cats | L 119 - 81 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| 2 | Port Adelaide | L 127 - 73 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 96 |
| 3 | Sydney Swans | L 71 - 134 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | St Kilda | W 50 - 136 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | GWS Giants | W 137 - 72 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | Western Bulldogs | W 83 - 92 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | Melbourne | L 67 - 70 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 | Collingwood | W 76 - 55 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 10 | Carlton | L 81 - 76 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 11 | Gold Coast Suns | W 109 - 77 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 12 | Fremantle | L 90 - 50 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 13 | North Melbourne | W 109 - 73 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 14 | Essendon | L 101 - 92 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 15 | Port Adelaide | W 99 - 76 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 87 |
| 16 | GWS Giants | W 72 - 140 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 107 |
| 17 | Hawthorn | L 92 - 104 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 101 |
| 18 | Collingwood | W 82 - 98 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 95 |
| 19 | West Coast Eagles | L 105 - 136 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 106 |
| 20 | Brisbane Lions | W 63 - 168 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 118 |
| 21 | Richmond | L 69 - 79 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 95 |
| 22 | North Melbourne | L 101 - 94 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 99 |
| 23 | St Kilda | W 141 - 62 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| TOTAL | W: 11 - L: 11 | 125 | 147 | 272 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 61 | 5 | 6 | 1018 |
| Statistics | Best | Opponent | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 17 | Port Adelaide | Rd 15, 2014 |
| Handballs | 29 | Hawthorn | Rd 17, 2014 |
| Disposals | 40 | Hawthorn | Rd 17, 2014 |
| Marks | 7 | Collingwood | Rd 16, 2013 |
| Hit-outs | 1 | Brisbane Lions | Rd 20, 2014 |
| Tackles | 9 | Collingwood | Rd 18, 2014 |
| Goals | 2 | West Coast Eagles | Rd 19, 2014 |
| AFL Fantasy | 121 | Gold Coast Suns | Rd 14, 2013 |
| Season | Club | K | H | D | M | HO | FF | FA | T | G | B | AF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Adelaide Crows | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Adelaide Crows | 125 | 147 | 272 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 61 | 5 | 6 | 1018 |
| 2013 | Adelaide Crows | 158 | 185 | 343 | 61 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 62 | 4 | 5 | 1289 |
Rising Star Runner-up
2013
Emerging Talent Award
2013
Your nickname: Crouchy
One word to describe you: Happy
Favourite player to watch growing up: Lenny Hayes
Who has had the most influence on your career: Dad
Toughest individual opponent: Gary Ablett
Player most likely to fall asleep in a team meeting: Josh Jenkins
Thriftiest player at your club: Matt Jaensch
The next big thing at your club: Brodie Smith
The smartest thing you have been told: Be positive
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be: Viva Las Vegas
Do you have any strange phobias: No
Your can’t-miss TV shows: None
Your favourite cartoon as a kid: The Wiggles
If you had to choose another career, what would it be: Pro surfer
What do you normally eat for breakfast: Three poached eggs on toast
Your last meal would be: Roast
Your favourite holiday destination: Bali
In the movie of your life, you’d be played by: Gerard Butler
What are your three essential items: Car keys, wallet and phone
Most useless thing you have bought: Scooter
Best subject at school: Business management
Which big ticket sporting event would you love to attend: Man U vs Man City
