Brad Crouch completes epic comeback from injury to win first Malcolm Blight Medal as Adelaide Crows club champion
Brad Crouch has capped a remarkable comeback after missing all of 2018 with injury by taking home his first Malcolm Blight Medal as the Crows club champion at a gala event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. SEE EVERY VOTE FROM EVERY ROUND.
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In 2018 he could barely walk. And now he’s a club champion.
Prolific midfielder Brad Crouch has capped a remarkable comeback-from-injury season taking out his first Malcolm Blight Medal as the Crows club champion at a gala event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Crouch, 25, has arguably had his best year at the club since he debuted in 2013 after spending the entire 2018 season watching from the sidelines with a long-term groin injury.
In a close count, Crouch, who also topped the club’s Brownlow votes this year, beat fellow midfielder Rory Sloane by just five votes.
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Sloane was the count’s early leader after being the only Crow to poll double-figure votes in six of the first eight rounds but was overtaken by Crouch in round 11.
In recognition of his season, Crouch was rated the Crows’ best on ground four times between rounds 9 and 13 and from then on, led the evening to finish on 208 votes, just clear of runner-up Sloane (203).
Sloane, a dual Club Champion, finished second for the fourth time in his career, after runner-up placings in 2012, 2014 and 2017.
Rory Laird, who took home the gold jacket in 2018, finished third (191) — his fourth podium finish over the last five years — with Matt Crouch (180) and Brodie Smith (179) rounding out the top five.
Crouch received a season-high 18 of a possible 20 votes in Adelaide’s win over Richmond in Round 13, collecting a career-high 43 disposals, 11 clearances, six inside-50s and four rebound-50s.
He averaged a career-best 30.2 disposals (ranked eighth across the AFL home and away season) and finished second at the club for clearances and tackles with totals of 117 and 111 respectively.
In fact, Crouch set a club record in July for the most tackles in a game (16, against the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium), surpassing Sloane who laid 15 against Hawthorn in 2017.
The midfielder also recorded 86 inside-50s — the most of any Crow — to go with his 11 goals.
Remarkably, after not playing a single game last year, he played all 22 games for the Crows this year, one of seven players to do so.
In December last year, Crouch told The Advertiser how much he was looking forward to a healthy 2019.
“I had a lot of ups and downs (in 2018) and it was a very frustrating year for me,” he said.
“When you know you’re going to miss the whole season — which I knew half way through — it’s hard to stay motivated … it’s like anyone in any job, going to work and watching everyone else doing it and you’re sitting in the corner.
Meanwhile Chayce Jones took out the Mark Bickley emerging talent award, Daniel Talia won the members’ MVP award, Kyle Hartigan was honoured as the Phil Walsh best team man, and Reilly O’Brien — who enjoyed a standout season in the ruck — was awarded the Brian Sando OAM trophy for attention to detail in the preparation for being an AFL footballer.
EVERY VOTE FROM EVERY ROUND
ROUND ONE: Hawthorn 12.15 (87) d Adelaide 7.13 (55) at Adelaide Oval
Sloane: 14, M Crouch: 12, Keath: 12, Atkins: 10, Talia: 7, B. Crouch: 5, Mackay: 5, Lynch: 5, Kelly: 5, Milera: 5, Laird: 4, Knight: 4, Jacobs: 4, Jenkins: 3, Smith: 2, Murphy: 2, Walker: 1, Jones: 1, Douglas: 1
ROUND TWO: Adelaide 12.16 (88) d Sydney 8.14 (62) at SCG
B. Crouch: 14, Sloane: 13, Atkins: 11, Mackay: 9, Milera: 9, Jenkins: 9, M. Crouch: 8, Talia: 8, Walker: 8, Murphy: 8, Knight: 8, Laird: 7, Smith: 7, Keath: 7, Lynch: 6, Kelly: 6, Jones: 6, Jacobs: 6, Hartigan: 5, Gibbs: 5, Seedsman: 4
ROUND THREE: Geelong 14.15 (99) d Adelaide 10.15 (75) at Adelaide Oval
Sloane: 13, B. Crouch: 11, Lynch: 11, M. Crouch: 7, Talia: 7, Milera: 7, Keath: 6, Murphy: 5, Gibbs: 5, Mackay: 4, Laird: 3, Smith: 3, O’Brien: 2, Kelly: 2, Hartigan: 2, Knight: 2, Atkins: 1, Jones: 1
ROUND FOUR: North Melbourne 9.17 (71) d Adelaide 8.11 (59) at Marvel Stadium
Keath: 9, Laird: 7, Atkins: 7, Betts: 6, Lynch: 5, Walker: 4, Kelly: 4, Ellis-Yolmen: 4, Knight: 4, B. Crouch: 3, M. Crouch: 3, Smith: 3, Sloane: 2, Mackay: 2, Milera: 2, O’Brien: 1, Poholke: 1
ROUND FIVE: Adelaide 18.11 (119) d Gold Coast 6.10 (46) at Adelaide Oval
Smith: 16, Betts: 16, Sloane: 15, Ellis-Yolmen: 13, Murphy: 13, B. Crouch: 12, Mackay: 12, Walker: 11, Laird: 10, M. Crouch: 10, Keath: 10, Atkins: 8, Kelly: 8, O’Brien: 7, Talia: 6, Knight: 6, Greenwood: 6, Gibbs: 6, Hartigan: 5, Himmelberg: 5, Lynch: 3
ROUND SIX: Adelaide 15.7 (97) d St Kilda 10.8 (68) at Marvel Stadium
B. Crouch: 15, Walker: 15, Keath: 15, Laird: 13, M. Crouch: 13, O’Brien: 13, Talia: 11, Smith: 10, Atkins: 10, Kelly: 9, Sloane: 8, Murphy: 8, Himmelberg: 8, Lynch: 6, Hartigan: 6, Knight: 6, Mackay: 5, Betts: 5, Ellis-Yolmen: 5, Greenwood: 5, Gallucci: 4, Poholke: 2
ROUND SEVEN: Adelaide 7.9 (51) d Fremantle 5.4 (34) at Adelaide Oval
Smith: 15, O’Brien: 15, Sloane: 14, M. Crouch: 14, Laird: 11, Hartigan: 11, Ellis-Yolmen: 11, B. Crouch: 10, Keath: 10, Lynch: 10, Talia: 9, Greenwood: 8, Mackay: 7, Kelly: 7, Himmelberg: 7, Betts: 5, Gallucci: 5, Murphy: 4, Gibbs: 4, Atkins: 3, Knight: 3, Walker: 2
ROUND EIGHT: Adelaide 13.10 (88) d Port Adelaide 9.14 (68) at Adelaide Oval
Laird: 16, Lynch: 16, Sloane: 15, Talia: 15, Keath: 15, Murphy: 12, Greenwood: 11, Mackay: 10, B. Crouch: 9, Atkins: 9, Ellis-Yolmen: 9, Walker: 8, Brown: 8, Kelly: 7, Hartigan: 7,
Himmelberg: 7, Smith: 6, O’Brien: 5, Knight: 3, Gallucci: 3, M. Crouch: 1, Betts: 1
ROUND NINE: Brisbane 13.15 (93) d Adelaide 13.14 (92) at the Gabba
B. Crouch: 14, Lynch: 13, Walker: 12, Smith: 9, Sloane: 8, Mackay: 8, Murphy: 8, Jones: 8, Betts: 7, Laird: 6, Kelly: 6, Brown: 6, Talia: 5, Gibbs: 5, Keath: 4, Gallucci: 4, Ellis-Yolmen: 2, Atkins: 1, O’Brien: 1, Hartigan: 1
ROUND 10: West Coast 13.7 (85) d Adelaide 10.13 (73) at Adelaide Oval
B. Crouch: 15, Sloane: 15, Ellis-Yolmen: 13, Milera: 10, Greenwood: 10, Laird: 9, Murphy: 8, Atkins: 7, Kelly: 7, Betts: 6, Brown: 6, Smith: 5, Gallucci: 5, Talia: 4, Keath: 4, Hartigan: 4, Knight: 4, Seedsman: 4, O’Brien: 2, Walker: 1, Jones: 1
ROUND 11: Adelaide 14.6 (90) d Melbourne 12.16 (88) at TIO Stadium
B. Crouch: 15, Lynch: 15, Laird: 12, Smith: 10, Jenkins: 10, Ellis-Yolmen: 9, Atkins: 8, Milera: 8, Gallucci: 8, O’Brien: 7, Brown: 7, Gibbs: 7, Talia: 6, Betts: 6, Greenwood: 6, Mackay: 5, Kelly: 4, Walker: 3, Seedsman: 3, Keath: 1, Murphy: 1
ROUND 12: Adelaide 12.10 (82) d Greater Western Sydney 9.7 (61) at Adelaide Oval
M. Crouch: 15, O’Brien: 15, B. Crouch: 13, Laird: 12, Hartigan: 12, Walker: 11, Talia: 10, Milera: 10, Jenkins: 10, Keath: 9, Brown: 9, Murphy: 8, Sloane: 7, Kelly: 7, Ellis-Yolmen: 7, Gallucci: 7, Atkins: 6, Smith: 4, Betts: 4, Seedsman: 2
ROUND 13: Adelaide 15.11 (101) d Richmond 9.14 (68) at Adelaide Oval
B. Crouch: 18, O’Brien: 17, Sloane: 15, Jenkins: 14, Laird: 13, M. Crouch: 13, Walker: 13, Atkins: 11, Seedsman: 10, Smith: 9, Keath: 9, Ellis-Yolmen: 9, Greenwood: 8, Gallucci: 7, Douglas: 7, Betts: 6, Milera: 6, Talia: 5, Brown: 5, Kelly: 3, Hartigan: 3
ROUND 14: Bye
ROUND 15: Geelong 14.12 (96) d Adelaide 10.9 (69) at Kardinia Park
Seedsman: 15, Sloane: 10, Brown: 10, Atkins: 9, Hartigan: 9, O’Brien: 8, Kelly: 7, M. Crouch: 5, Walker: 5, Murphy: 5, B. Crouch: 4, Laird: 4, Keath: 4, Greenwood: 3, Himmelberg: 2, Smith: 1, Talia: 1, Gallucci: 1, Douglas: 1
ROUND 16: Port Adelaide 15.11 (101) d Adelaide 5.14 (44) at Adelaide Oval
Smith: 9, Talia: 8, Laird: 6, M. Crouch: 5, Keath: 5, Kelly: 4, Walker: 3, Sloane: 2, O’Brien: 2, Brown: 2, Hartigan: 2, Milera: 2, Greenwood: 2, B. Crouch: 1, Atkins: 1, Mackay: 1
ROUND 17: Adelaide 23.13 (151) d Gold Coast 8.8 (56) at Metricon Stadium
Atkins: 18, M. Crouch: 16, Betts: 16, Smith: 14, Milera: 14, B. Crouch: 12, Sloane: 12, Laird: 12, Jenkins: 12, Talia: 11, Walker: 11, Knight: 11, Kelly: 10, Hartigan: 9, Mackay: 8, Murphy: 8, Greenwood: 8, Stengle: 8, Keath: 7, Brown: 7, O’Brien: 5, Seedsman: 3
ROUND 18: Essendon 15.6 (96) d Adelaide 10.15 (75) at Adelaide Oval
Smith: 15, O’Brien: 14, Brown: 11, B. Crouch: 9, Talia: 9, M. Crouch: 8, Jenkins: 8, Lynch: 7, Knight: 7, Seedsman: 6, Sloane: 5, Mackay: 5, Laird: 4, Kelly: 4, Murphy: 4, Atkins: 3, Hartigan: 3, Milera: 3
ROUND 19: Carlton 13.9 (87) d Adelaide 9.6 (60) at MCG
Smith: 9, Laird: 6, Walker: 6, Otten: 6, B. Crouch: 5, Sloane: 5, Murphy: 5, M. Crouch: 4, Talia: 4, Mackay: 4, Knight: 4, Lynch: 3, O’Brien: 3, Hartigan: 2, Wilson: 2, Kelly: 1, Brown: 1, Stengle: 1
ROUND 20: Adelaide 14.8 (92) d St Kilda 10.10 (70) at Adelaide Oval
Laird: 15, M. Crouch: 15, Walker: 14, Smith: 11, B. Crouch: 10, Sloane: 10, Lynch: 10, Betts: 10, Gibbs: 10, Talia: 9, Brown: 7, Milera: 7, Mackay: 6, Douglas: 6, Otten: 6, Kelly: 5, Murphy: 5, Fogarty: 5, Knight: 4, Atkins: 3
ROUND 21: West Coast 13.12 (90) d Adelaide 12.8 (80) at Optus Stadium
M. Crouch: 15, Talia: 15, Fogarty: 15, B. Crouch: 8, Laird: 8, Mackay: 8, Brown: 7, Knight: 6, Walker: 5, Gibbs: 5, Douglas: 5, Jacobs: 5, Murphy: 4, Sloane: 3, Smith: 3, Atkins: 3, Kelly: 2, Hartigan: 2, Milera: 2, Lynch: 1, Betts: 1, Otten: 1
ROUND 22: Collingwood 17.12 (114) d Adelaide 6.12 (48)
Mackay: 15, Seedsman: 10, Talia: 9, Fogarty: 8, Smith: 7, Laird: 6, Hartigan: 6, Betts: 5, Jones: 4, M. Crouch: 3, B. Crouch: 2, Sloane: 2, Walker: 2, Douglas: 2
ROUND 23: Western Bulldogs 18.13 (121) d Adelaide 13.9 (87) at Mars Stadium
Sloane: 15, M. Crouch: 13, Walker: 13, Jones: 12, Smith: 11, Jacobs: 8, Laird: 7, Talia: 6, Lynch: 6, Mackay: 5, Knight: 5, Seedsman: 5, Betts: 4, Brown: 4, Douglas: 4, B. Crouch: 3, Milera: 3, Greenwood: 2, Fogarty: 2