EFNL 2024: Retired AFL Saint and Crow Brad Crouch signs as Noble Park senior assistant coach

Less than 24 hours after his AFL retirement, Brad Crouch has unveiled his next move. Latest here.

Ex-AFL Saint and Crow Brad Crouch will move into the coaches’ box at local level next season. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Less than 24 hours after confirming his AFL retirement, Brad Crouch has unveiled his next move.

The former Crow and Saint hung up the boots on Tuesday following a 161-game, 12-year career plagued by chronic knee issues – but he’ll move into the coaches’ box next season, taking up a role as senior assistant at Eastern league Premier Division club Noble Park.

Noble Park senior coach Steve Hughes said a connection to Adelaide’s national recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie – a former reserves coach at the Bulls and senior player – helped land Crouch’s signature.

Crouch was placed on the Saints’ rookie list just days before his retirement to allow them to make another selection in the national draft.

“He’s (Ogilvie) a good friend of all of us at the footy club … he recruited Brad originally to the Crows and has stayed in contact with him,” Hughes said.

“It’s been in the pipeline for a fair portion, about the last five or six weeks but nothing could become official.

“We had to respect the process Brad had to go through with St Kilda in relation to post-draft where he was going to get re-rookied.

“We just had to let all of that run its course.”

Hughes said the 30-year-old, who featured in Adelaide’s 2017 grand final side and won the Crows’ best and fairest in ’19, would provide invaluable mentoring to a young Bulls outfit.

A host of experienced stars – including nine-time best and fairest Kyle Martin and 2023 Chandler medallist Jackson Sketcher – have moved on this off-season.

“I think he’ll fit in like a glove,” Hughes said of Crouch.

“There’s not a skerrick of ego about him – he’s one of the lads, a funny guy and has already connected with the young group. He’s very likeable – first and foremost, that’s what you want – good people.

“The added layer is coming directly out of the AFL system with his intelligence around stoppage craft and his understanding of the modern game.

“Those layers he’ll add to us will be invaluable, no doubt.”