Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch to attract interest from Victorian clubs as well as Gold Coast
Victorian clubs are set to join Gold Coast in the chase for Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch in a move which could leave the rebuilding Crows with a swag of top-25 draft picks. Would he fit at your club?
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Melbourne clubs will join Gold Coast in circling Brad Crouch as his free agency status significantly adds to his appeal as a target this off-season.
Adelaide could reboot with four picks in the top 20 — and a potential Taylor Walker replacement with its first selection — if Crouch decided to walk to greener pastures at season’s end.
Depending on his asking price the Crows might even get a compensation pick in the top five of the 2020 national draft.
Gold Coast and rival Melbourne clubs will continue to watch Crouch’s progress this year, aware he will want a large contract as a restricted free agent.
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Club director Mark Ricciuto’s warning the Crows were in for short-term pain as it rebuilt has been proven correct, with early indications the Crows are heading for a bottom-three finish.
The Crows have already taken six picks within the top 30 of the draft in the past two years.
But as the rebuild continues they also have the first-round selection from Greater Western Sydney as they go down the draft route to again secure elite talent.
Crouch won the best-and-fairest last year but clearly considered leaving, even dropping his price as he tried to get to Gold Coast.
The Suns weren’t prepared to pay his asking fee and while they will build their midfield around Matt Rowell, they believe Crouch has real star power and haven’t lost interest.
He and the Crows are content to let the season unfold before they discuss what a potential deal would look like.
Some Melbourne clubs who have considered a trade for Crouch believe he does not kick the ball well enough or kick enough goals (33 in 85 games) to command a massive long-term deal.
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Champion Data statistics show in the last 27 games while his disposal rate is elite (29.8 per cent) but his kicking efficiency is rated poor.
From the start of 2019 onwards he has posted a kicking efficiency of 49.3 per cent that ranks him 47th out of the top 50 ball-winners in the competition.
If Adelaide were happy to let Crouch go for a first-round compensation pick they would have three first-rounders then one of the earliest picks in the second round of the 2020 national draft.
The Crows not only have three potential NGA academy selections, they would consider potential No. 1 pick Riley Thilthorpe, a 202cm ruck-forward who played senior football for West Adelaide last year.
He will push for one of the early draft selections alongside NGA selection Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, tied to the Western Bulldogs.
Thilthorpe kicked three goals in his SANFL debut and despite comparisons to Brodie Grundy given his ball-winning abilities is more of a forward than a ruckman.
Other NGA and father-son selections include small forward Tariek Newchurch, Tyson Edwards’ son Luke, and James Borlase.
His father Darryl Borlase played 246 games with the Port Adelaide Magpies but because he was born in Egypt while Darryl was working with the Australian Wheat Board he is eligible for Adelaide as an overseas-born player.
Originally published as Adelaide free agent Brad Crouch to attract interest from Victorian clubs as well as Gold Coast