Tigers reportedly eyeing Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch but Crows showing no interest
ACE Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch has been linked with a move to Richmond. But the Crows are understood to have no interest in parting with their injury-prone ball magnet.
ACE Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch has been linked with a move to Richmond.
But it is understood the Crows have no intention of entertaining any offers for their midfield ball magnet, who did not play an AFL game this year because of the chronic groin condition osteitis pubis.
While Adelaide on Monday stuck to its policy of not commenting on list management speculation, it is believed it has no knowledge of any move from the Tigers and considers 24-year-old Crouch to be a key part of its future, despite his horror run with injuries.
Crouch has played just 61 games for the Crows since being selected by the club as a 17-year-old access player following a trade with GWS in 2011.
He has two years remaining on a four-year contract he signed with Adelaide late in the 2016 season that ties him to the club until the end of 2020.
That deal was reportedly for $2.2 million over four years.
Reports from Melbourne suggest Richmond, which is almost certain to land star Gold Coast key forward Tom Lynch as a free agent, is eyeing Crouch to beef-up its on-ball brigade after the shock preliminary final loss to Collingwood.
Crouch has been training privately with some of his Crows teammates since the club’s season ended last month.
Born at Beaufort in country Victoria and a product of the North Ballarat under-18s, Crouch
said he considered returning to Victoria before he signed his last contract because of his bad injury run and the death of former Crows coach Phil Walsh.
“When things weren’t going so well (with injury) and obviously the death of Phil there were some things that have been very hard to deal with,’’ he said at the time.
“So there’s definitely been times when I have thought I might be better off back home in Victoria.
“Mum and dad are at home in Ballarat so when things weren’t going so well for me here I thought maybe a change of club could be good but I never really got serious with that.
“We (the Crows) are a really strong club, I’ve got good friendships here, a bond with the playing group and coaches and think there is something special we can achieve.’’
Runner-up for the AFL Rising Star award in 2013, Crouch’s younger brother Matt also is at Adelaide, winning the best and fairest award in 2017 when the Crows lost the grand final to the Tigers.
The grand final was Brad Crouch’s last game for the club.
andrew.capel@news.com.au