Departing Adelaide star Brad Crouch hopes the Crows won’t match St Kilda’s free agency offer
Adelaide has until Wednesday night to decide if it will force the Saints to the trade table or accept the free agency compensation for Brad Crouch.
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Adelaide’s decision whether to match St Kilda’s offer for wantaway midfielder Brad Crouch is expected to go down to the wire ahead of Wednesday’s 5pm (eastern) deadline.
The Crows have just hours to confirm their plans for the 26-year-old, who is understood to have received a four-year deal with a fifth-year trigger near $700,000 of guaranteed annual salary, plus incentives, from the Saints.
If Adelaide elects to match, it will almost certainly be to buy time to seek a trade that provides better compensation for last year’s best and fairest than the pick 23 it will get if it does not.
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There has been some suggestion another club that offers the Crows a better deal may come into the frame for Crouch, but that is a long shot because they will need to offer the same or better deal for the Victorian and convince him to join.
Adelaide has publicly left the door open for Crouch to return to West Lakes but that looms as a lose-lose-lose situation.
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Crouch loses because he wants to play for St Kilda, the Saints lose because they do not get their man and the Crows lose because they have to pay up and not get compensated for a player who does not want to be there.
After arriving back in Adelaide from Maroochydore on Thursday, Crouch told reporters he wanted the Crows to match.
CROUCH NOT THINKING ABOUT STAYING A CROW
Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Brad Crouch says he isn’t thinking about the possibility of staying at Adelaide as it becomes increasingly likely the Crows won’t match St Kilda’s bid for the free agent.
The Crows have until Wednesday night to decide whether they force the Saints to the trade table or accept what is believed to be pick 23 in compensation for the 26-year-old.
Despite head of football Adam Kelly and football director Mark Ricciuto vowing to play hardball over the midfielder, Adelaide’s reluctance to offer Crouch a five-year deal would appear the catalyst for them accepting the compensation.
Arriving back in Adelaide from Maroochydore on Tuesday, Crouch said he hoped the Crows would not match the Saints’ bid and he had not entertained the thought of staying in South Australia.
“I want them to not match the bid so I can go to St Kilda,” he said.
“I’ve told St Kilda that I’m fully committed to them and I want to see it through.
“At this stage I haven’t really thought about it, at this stage I just want to be at St Kilda, that’s the decision I’ve made and I’m fully committed to them.”
It is understood Crouch’s offer from St Kilda, for four years with a fifth-year trigger, is around $700,000 of guaranteed money plus incentives.
With the contract falling short of the at least $800,000 per season required to trigger first-round compensation the Saints have held the upper hand in negotiations and are refusing to give up their first pick (17) in this year’s draft.
Adelaide could request St Kilda’s future first-round selection next season as its Plan B to salvage something for Crouch.
Crouch said he had not spoken to Adelaide about if it would match the Saints’ bid.
“I don’t know whether they will wait until the last minute to make a decision but I’m looking forward to something being made,” he said.
“If they do match, it becomes a bit more complicated.
“It’s a bit stressful but I’m fine and looking forward to something being done.”
Crouch has played 95 games with the Crows since being drafted in 2011.
He won the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2019 after overcoming a career-threatening foot injury.
This year he played 12 games while dealing with a hamstring injury and averaged 22 disposals, which was not enough to finish in the top 10 of the club champion award.
He spoke to five rival clubs, but was sold on St Kilda’s offer after speaking with senior coach Brett Ratten.
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Adelaide could request St Kilda’s future first-round selection next season as its Plan B for Brad Crouch as it ponders matching the Saints’ free agency bid.
The Crows have privately acknowledged Crouch has played his last game at the club as they ponder whether to accept the No. 23 draft pick as compensation for the restricted free agent.
A hard-line stance pushed by Adelaide about matching any bid has softened as it has until close of business on Wednesday to make a decision.
The Crows will continue to assess their options, aware that they were never likely to secure a first-round compensation (the overall No. 2 pick) for Crouch when he left for St Kilda.
It is understood St Kilda’s 2020 first-round pick (17) is off the table as the Saints assess other trades, but they could be prepared to give up next year’s first pick.
The Crows would have to hope St Kilda does not win the flag, but with rules changing around bids for next generation academy bids next year that selection would not blow out like No. 23 will if they accept it this week.
Adelaide believes St Kilda’s four-year deal with a fifth-year trigger is worth around $700,000 of guaranteed money, plus incentives.
It means the AFL never considered handing the club first-round compensation which needs to be at least $800,000 per season.
But the club is aware if Crouch was to be traded they would ask for around pick 17 so they are not far short of his fair value if this was not a one-off free agency deal.
The AFL has not officially confirmed the second-round compensation, but the contract does not even reach end-of-first-round compensation, let alone first-round compensation.
If Adelaide did match St Kilda’s bid it believes fair value to be around pick 12-16.
That is in the ballpark of the AFL’s compensation selection at pick 23 and there is no guarantee the Saints would relent on their No. 17 pick, which would set the scene for a week of haggling.
Adelaide could still accept pick 23, package it up with other picks and get on with their business which includes secure GWS midfielder Jackson Hately.
While Adelaide football boss Adam Kelly has said the club would welcome back Crouch, he is determined to play for St Kilda next year.
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Adelaide is set to receive pick 23 as free agency compensation for the departure of star on-baller Brad Crouch.
St Kilda lodged a bid believed to be significantly less than $700,000 over four years which is expected to have a trigger for a fifth season.
The AFL on Sunday awarded Adelaide a second-round compensation pick, a disappointing outcome for the Crows, who were hoping to land pick No.2.
Adelaide will strongly consider matching the free agency bid, which will force the Saints to trade.
Adelaide released a statement from football manager Adam Kelly on Sunday which said the club was aware of the free agency offer made to Crouch.
“We will await the determination of free agency compensation by the AFL and then review our options before making a decision in the club’s best interests,” Kelly said.
Last week, Kelly told AFL Trade Radio the Crows were prepared to match an offer for Crouch in the belief that he would be happy to continue his career at West Lakes.
“We certainly are, we are obviously hopeful that the compensation would result in pick two and it’s only under those circumstances that we won’t consider matching,” Kelly said.
“Brad has been fairly open about his love of Adelaide and of the footy club, we don’t think there would be a scenario where he would not be wanting to come back to the club.
“We would certainly be looking for a better outcome if it’s not pick two.
“It will be end of first round or second round, which could push out to mid-20s after all the next generation picks, and we don’t see that as adequate compensation for a player of Brad’s calibre.”
Crouch, 26, has played 95 games with the Crows since being drafted in 2011.
He won the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2019 after overcoming a career-threatening foot injury.
This year he played 12 games while dealing with a hamstring injury and averaged 22 disposals which was not enough to finish in the top 10 of the club champion award.
He spoke to five rival clubs but was sold on St Kilda’s offer after speaking with senior coach Brett Ratten.
Meanwhile, GWS Giants have told Geelong they will match the Cats’ bid for superstar Jeremy Cameron.
In other trade news, North Melbourne spearhead Ben Brown has nominated Melbourne as his preferred new home to help significantly bolster the Demons’ scoring power.
The Demons are expected to offer a future second-round pick for Brown.
But the move will almost certainly end Tom McDonald’s time at Melbourne with the swingman set to seek a new home, potentially at either GWS or Sydney.
Adam Saad’s move to Carlton will be held up. The Blues want Saad and a draft pick back from Essendon in exchange for pick No. 8.
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