Crows star Brad Crouch calls for better midfield mix after poor Round One performance against Swans
Adelaide’s new midfield mix has plenty of improvement to come after being upstaged by Sydney last weekend, according to Crows ball magnet Brad Crouch.
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Brad Crouch has labelled some of Adelaide’s midfield work against Sydney in Round One as a “debacle’’ and warned the club’s new-look on-ball brigade was very much a work in progress.
With new coach Matthew Nicks looking for an injection of speed and game-breaking ability in the middle, long-time halfback Brodie Smith, long-kicking wingman Paul Seedsman, fellow outside player Rory Atkins and youngster Chayce Jones were given more centre square time against the Swans with mixed results.
And Crouch – an inside midfield ball magnet – said it would send the Crows back to the drawing board.
Adelaide – after bursting out of the blocks with six of the first nine goals before conceding eight of the next 10 – was smashed 20-5 in centre clearances as Sydney veterans Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy dominated to lead the underdog to a fighting three-point win at Adelaide Oval.
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“We’ll definitely reflect on that a fair bit,’’ said Crouch, as the Crows join the rest of the league in taking a two-month hiatus from matches because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The first half was a debacle really.
“They had a fair bit of dominance in the ruck (Swan Sam Naismith beat Crow Reilly O’Brien) but we just couldn’t shark anything they were doing.
“It’s obviously very hard at the moment because we are spinning so many different guys through there, so sometimes you can’t get a read on what’s actually happened beforehand.
“Sometimes you go in there, other blokes are panicking and you’re thinking, ‘what are you panicking about’.
“There were a lot of different things that went on.’’
Reigning club champion Crouch was one of Adelaide’s regular centre square starters who was forced out of the middle to make way for Nicks’ new game plan.
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After averaging 17.5 centre bounce attendances last season, he had just 11 against the Swans
as Smith and Seedsman (both 11) and Jones and Atkins (seven) were given increased on-ball time.
Crouch’s brother, Matt, was also pushed more to the outside, starting in the centre square just 12 times compared to an average of 18.8 last year.
Only new sole skipper Rory Sloane averaged as much time at centre bounce attendances as last year, with 19.
Brad believes the Crows still need to get their inside-outside midfield balance right after being taught a lesson by the experienced Swans group.
Its centre bounce clearance differential of -15 was its worst since against Geelong in Round 17, 2018.
“There’s definitely got to be the balance,’’ Crouch told FIVEaa.
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“We’ve obviously spent a lot of time in the pre-season getting a lot of people through the midfield and a lot of our outside players in there.
“We’ve got to find the right balance of having them in there with at least a couple of the insiders because they haven’t had the experience with the centre bounces.
“There’s a lot that goes into it, a lot of study over the years and working on things like bodywork and body positioning.
“We’ve got to get the balance right with how much time they play in there and how much time we play outside as well.’’
Crouch said the Crows players only had time for a “quick review’’ of their Round One loss on Monday morning before they left the club following the AFL’s decision to postpone all matches until at least May 31.
He and Matt Crouch – both Victorians – have opted to stay in Adelaide during the enforced lay-off but Brad said a lot of the club’s younger players who were drafted from interstate had opted to return home.
Originally published as Crows star Brad Crouch calls for better midfield mix after poor Round One performance against Swans
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