Crows club champion Brad Crouch has reiterated his desire to stay at Adelaide despite speculation he could move to the Gold Coast
As Adelaide’s prolific midfielder Brad Crouch celebrates his excellent 2019 season by taking out the club champion award, he’s once again addressed his playing future with the Crows.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Crouch caps epic comeback to win Blight Medal
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
The Crows’ newly crowned club champion, Brad Crouch, has reiterated his love of Adelaide and his hope to continue playing in the tricolours next season, despite speculation he could leave the club for a long-term deal elsewhere.
After the prolific midfielder capped off his remarkable comeback-from-injury season by taking out his first Malcolm Blight Medal on Thursday night, he said he hoped to remain at the club in 2020.
“I’m hoping so at the moment,” he said.
“I’m just at that stage at the moment where I’m really hoping to, I love it in Adelaide here.
“But also it’s just so tough with the footy club because we don’t have a coach … and they’re pretty busy getting a coach and sorting out the review as well, so hopefully I can get something done soon.”
Replay the 2019 Toyota AFL Grand Final in full on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
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.
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.
He said he was thrilled to put his injury behind him and emerge from 2019 niggle-free.
“Obviously it was a very frustrating time in 2018, but the more and more I played footy, the more confident I felt in my body and I’m just happy to get through a season unscathed and hopefully I can get through a few more now,” he said.
“I haven’t needed to have any (post-season) surgery and we’re back training already with our own personal programs, we don’t get too much time off these days, so I’m feeling really good.”
As his mum and dad — who’d journeyed from Ballarat — looked on, Crouch was crowned best and fairest with 208 votes, five votes clear of runner-up Rory Sloane (203).
He received his award from former coach Don Pyke — who attended after a last-minute change of heart — with Crouch saying afterwards, it was tinged with sadness.
“I was really happy (Pyke) could come and present it to me as well,” he said.
“It is sad, you only have to be here in the room tonight to know how highly the people talk about him.
“I’m really hoping that whatever he does next he really enjoys and can get some fulfilment with that.”
But Crouch admitted that despite a head coach change, and a significant rejuvenation of the playing list still to be fully determined, the core playing group was still feeling “pretty good”.
“The place is going to change a lot because there will be so many new faces, with a lot of players leaving and a lot of changes in our coaching as well,” he said.
“I think that new freshen up will give us a good look going into the pre-season.
“From us players, we know there’s going to be change and that excites us.”
But he had no preference over who coached the group next, with an announcement expected as early as next week.
“You hear a lot of stuff, but I don’t know who it’s going to be, a lot of names get bandied around, it could be anyone … I’m looking forward to finding out who it’s going to be and meeting him,” he said.
Crouch singled out his performance in the Crows come-from-behind, two-point win over Melbourne in Darwin in June as one of the standouts of his 2019 season.
“I kicked a goal that got us in front and it was probably our best win we had all year, but it wasn’t a season of too many highlights,” he admitted.
He is now headed to New Zealand for a 10-day holiday before returning for pre-season starting on November 18.