Adelaide Crow Brad Crouch remorseful over drug failings – but rival clubs still circling the star free agent
Brad Crouch has apologised for a ‘massive error in judgment’ during what was a ‘massive night’ which ended with him being handed a cocaine charge. But what has the controversy done to his free agency value?
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Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch says there is no widespread issue of drug use at the Crows and has apologised for a “massive error in judgment” on a “massive night” out while declaring he would still love to stay at the club next year.
It comes as six rival clubs continue to circle the free agent should he decide to leave West Lakes.
Speaking for the first time since he and teammate Tyson Stengle were caught by police with drugs in the city at 5am on September 28, and subsequently banned for two games by the AFL for conduct unbecoming, Crouch told FIVEaa he felt like he was living a “nightmare” for days afterwards.
“The end of the season is obviously a dangerous period for all players in the AFL and the first week or so where you have a chance to go out and have drink together,” Crouch said.
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“It was a massive error in judgment and you’re very cloudy because I had a massive night and you’re not thinking at that stage when you’re heavily intoxicated about what could happen in the future.
“The timing was absolutely terrible, I’m still not sure how much of an affect it’s going to have on that (contract) stuff.
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“(But) you also think about the impact it has not just on my footy stuff but long-term, it’s always going to be there but I just want to make sure it doesn’t define me as a person at all.”
Despite the run-in with police, Crouch still has six live suitors interested in securing his services as his escape from what he considers the Adelaide fishbowl becomes more certain by the day.
His manager Garry Winter last night told the Herald Sun Crouch was considering all options despite being heavily linked with a move to Geelong.
Crouch is understood to realise he can not secure anywhere near the five-season, five-year deal he was attempting to pull off last season given the COVID reductions being applied to contracts.
But Winter says no club has pulled out of the race for Crouch despite his cocaine charge, which saw him suspended for two weeks by the AFL.
“There is significant interest from a number of clubs and there are open lines of communication with them. We continue to talk to clubs so they all remain in the mix,” Winter told the Herald Sun.
He would not discuss interested parties but it has been reported clubs including Port Adelaide, Richmond, Geelong and St Kilda are involved in the chase for Crouch.
Another interstate club has also registered interest given the extremely thin free agency market, with Zac Williams (Carlton), Aidan Corr (North Melbourne) and Joe Daniher (Brisbane) already finding new homes.
Crouch, who wants to find a new long-term deal at a club that fits his skill-set and is prepared to sacrifice money to be at a midfield where he feels he can thrive, said he has taken full responsibility for his recent poor behaviour.
“Across society there is obviously issues with illicit substances but from my experiences a lot of the time bad stuff happens with the alcohol, you have an error in judgment and things don’t generally happen that are good after (midnight) let alone 4 or 5 in the morning,” he said on FIVEaa.
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“It’s definitely not an issue at the footy club from my experience, a lot of members would be very disappointed in what’s happened and I totally understand that, I’ve taken responsibility for what I’ve done and so has Tyson.
“I felt like I let down everyone, it was a really tough couple of days and through the first few days I got a lot of support from people, which has been really uplifting because I’m struggling with it.
“I guess it has sort of inspired me to put it behind me and make it a point in my life where instead of going the way it was last week, going the opposite way and making it a real positive thing.”
Asked whether this was his first experience with drug use and to comment on details of the night out, Crouch said “I don’t even want to talk about the specific stuff”.
At 26, the Crows’ reigning club champion said he did feel added guilt for being a senior player out with 21-year-old Stengle when they were caught.
“I definitely do, I take a fair bit of responsibility for what happened because I was a senior guy there,” Crouch said.
“I feel bad for Tyson because he had an incident earlier in the season as well, so I’ve tried to make sure I’ve spoken to him a lot over the last couple of weeks and help him out as much as I can and put a lot of support around him.”
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While clubs will be concerned about Crouch’s conduct and two-week suspension, they are realistic enough to concede all clubs have players who will have used illicit drugs in the off-season.
A report that Port Adelaide had offered only a three-season “take-it-or-leave-it” offer was strongly denied by the Crouch camp yesterday.
Ideally, Crouch’s free agency status would have sparked a frenzied bidding war that saw him command seven-figure contract per season.
But many clubs are now making clear the days of crazy money are over, even worried about their club’s capacity to pay the entire salary cap given constraints on finances.
Free agent Crouch said he was not aware of any deal on the table from the Power, but he would like to stay in Adelaide.
“At the end of the day I’ve still got my brother here and best mates and a footy club I’ve loved my whole life and a place in Adelaide that I love very much,” he said.
“I’d love to be here, and that’s where it is at the moment.”
“He (Winter) sat down with the footy club (Crows) last week but hasn’t presented anything to them at the moment.
“I’d love to know what’s happening before the trade week starts, you want that little bit of certainty, and in my mind I want something to happen reasonably soon.
“But at the same time it’s so tough in these situations because with respect to teams in finals some players might be leaving that haven’t told the club until after the grand final.
“And if they lose a midfielder all of a sudden they need one.”
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