Injury-prone Adelaide Crow Brad Crouch on track to play in practice matches next week

Key Crow Brad Crouch is “ready to go’’ in his comeback from long-term injury and could play in next week’s under-23 trial game against Port Adelaide at Thebarton Oval.

Brad (left) and Matt Crouch come to grips with Geelong’s Tom Hawkins. Picture: MICHAEL DODGE (Getty Images).

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Key Crow Brad Crouch is “flying’’ in his comeback from long-term injury and could play in next week’s under-23 trial game against Port Adelaide at Thebarton Oval.

The midfield ball magnet did not make an AFL appearance last season because of a chronic groin condition that ultimately required surgery.

Crouch was also restricted to modified training last month after a minor footy injury.

But his younger brother, Matt, said Brad had ticked every box this pre-season and was “fully fit’’.

He said the injury-prone 25-year-old, who has been restricted to 61 games in six years but is so important to Adelaide’s make-up, was on track to play “a couple of practice matches’’ before the Crows’ round one premiership season match against Hawthorn on March 23.

If Brad is kept out of the under-23 match, he will almost certainly play in Adelaide’s opening JLT Community Series clash with the Power in Port Pirie on March 2.

“He’ll play a couple of practice matches and might even play in the under-23 game, depending on how he’s feeling,’’ Matt said.

“Obviously living with him it’s not great when he’s not playing footy and it’s good that he’s fit, feeling good and is ready to go.

“His confidence levels probably took a bit of a hit last year but he’s got that back with the pre-season he’s had.

Brad Crouch evades Taylor Walker at training on Thursday. Picture Sarah Reed

“He’s a lot more positive than last year and I’m looking forward to playing with him again.

“Hopefully he can have a very good year again because he’s an important player for us, gives us more depth and makes players around him better.’’

The last time the brothers, who are both on-ball ball magnets, played a full season together was in 2017 when Adelaide made the grand final, illustrating their importance to the side.

Matt Crouch made the All-Australian team that year.

Adelaide, which endured a horror injury run last year as it slumped from grand finalist to 12th, is on track to have its best team available for round one.

Small defender Luke Brown (Achilles/ankle), key defenders Daniel Talia and Kyle Hartigan (knees) and big-bodied midfielder/forward Hugh Greenwood (abdominal strain) are all in doubt for the club’s first JLT match but could see some action in the second against GWS in Canberra on March 8.

Matt and Brad Crouch in the Grand Final Parade ahead of the 2017 big dance against Richmond. Picture Sarah Reed

Matt Crouch, meanwhile, said the Crows were continuing to have more fun and lighten their often-grinding meetings load this pre-season.

He revealed the player/coaches meetings that had been a regular before all training sessions were now a thing of the past.

“We’ve stopped the team meetings before training, which has been a really big one,’’ Crouch said.

“It can drain a few guys when you sit around before training for 30-to-45 minutes before you get out there. I’m a big fan of that one (going).

“Now we get an email the night before to tell us about training and it’s our responsibility as players to be on top of that.’’