When I first met you Crouchy, I instantly thought we hit it off - that was until we played our first game alongside each other.

I remember my now wife, Alice, who was still living in Melbourne when I came across to the Crows, asking me quite early on whether I had made any mates and how I was going.

I said I got along with everyone but I had become quite close with you.

Then, when I played my first game for the Club - it was against North Melbourne - I copped one of the biggest sprays in my life from you on the footy field. I thought ‘oh maybe I’ve misread this and he doesn’t like me’.

But straight after the game we were sitting there having a laugh, talking to each other.

When I caught up with your family a week or two later in Adelaide, they laughed when I was telling the story and said ‘mate that’s been going on since he was 12’.

Despite that spray, we’ve been best mates ever since.

I began to understand quickly that there was nothing personal to it, that was just the competitor and the warrior in you.

Even though I’m older than you, I have always looked up to you - both on and off the footy  field. I learnt a lot from you and you pushed me to get the best out of myself.

You just had this massive care for all your teammates, always having our backs but you demanded excellence - even as a young, 20-year-old - and that’s something I always admired.

For me, being able to play alongside you in 2017 which was arguably your best year of footy, was an absolute honour.

Being out of the game myself now has allowed me to fully appreciate just how good that year was for you, mate. You were our Best and Fairest winner, an All-Australian and our best player on Grand Final day. What you did during that year as a 22-year-old was remarkable and I hope everyone remembers how incredible that season was for you.

Matty, you’ve never shied away from a contest, you never fumbled, your vision and hands were lightning, you always put players in better positions and had the best groundball pick-up I’ve ever seen.

Every time you were on the footy field alongside me, I felt better for it. You were a star who could get 45 possessions, but would do absolutely anything for the team and we could always rely on you.

Although there’s many moments from your career I can recall that sum you up as a player - there’s one that sticks out to me -  we played against Hawthorn and you came off the bench, running backwards.

Hawthorn was moving the ball to the far side of the ground at Adelaide Oval and Jarryd Roughead was sitting ahead of the ball in the forward-50 on his own.

We just saw you come on and bolt back, you had Roughy one-on-one deep in the forward-50 and really showed that competitive warrior in you. 

You got the ball to ground - you were undersized and you had never played backline in your life but you just had that hunger to compete and got the ball out.

You are just so mentally strong and also one of the most stubborn blokes I’ve ever met - I know you’ll probably say the same thing about me and my stubbornness.

But when you want to do something, you’ll go and do it, so to come back and play after the amount of setbacks you’ve had - the lengths you’ve gone through and the pain you’ve played through - is amazing.

I know this last injury has taken a toll on you and because you’re so unassuming, no one externally would’ve known. Your footy form before this injury was outstanding and shows the quality you are.

Off the field, one of my favourite things about you is that you’re just so unassumingly funny. 

You’re not the loudest bloke in the room by any stretch, but when you say something, it packs the punch - that goes for when you’re being serious and when you’re taking the mickey.

You’ve got a heart of gold and you’ve always been someone who’s had my back. I always knew you were there to turn to if I needed someone to talk to.

When we spoke on the phone and you told me you were going to hang up the boots, I told you that you needed to make the right decision for yourself and your family.

Footy is one thing and it’s a small chunk of your life and I know you still want to be able to run around with your beautiful kids.

I am incredibly proud of the way you have handled everything and the person you are.

You gave everything to your career and you are truly one of the best players I’ve played alongside.

You and Ellie are a large reason why myself and Alice have stayed in Adelaide and now that we are both on the other side, I can’t wait for our families to create more memories and watching our kids grow up together.

Love ya, mate.

Cheers,

Seedo