AFL trade news 2023: Adelaide Crows midfielder Matt Crouch re-signs for two years

Adelaide has rewarded reborn midfielder Matt Crouch with a new deal, but only after haggling on a key detail which dragged out negotiations over his future at the Crows.

Matt Crouch handballs.

From out of favour for most of the season to a contract extension.

Matt Crouch’s remarkable turnaround at Adelaide has continued by signing a new two-year deal.

Crouch, a 2017 All-Australian and best-and-fairest winner, seemed destined to leave the club when he was languishing in the SANFL for the majority of this season.

The 28-year-old played just one AFL game until late July — as the substitute in round 8 — before finishing with six consecutive matches at the top level and impressing.

Settled in Adelaide with his fiancee and eight-month-old daughter, Crouch, 28, contemplated interest from interstate teams but had hoped to stay at the Crows as long as he could get a multi-year contract.

The club announced news of his re-signing on Tuesday.

Matt Crouch appeared destined to leave Adelaide before a late-season resurgence. Picture: SANFL Image/David Mariuz.

Crouch said Adelaide was home and he loved the club.

“The direction the team is heading in and the relationships I’ve got with my teammates is really strong so I’m excited by what the future holds,” Crouch said.

Crouch has featured in 143 games for the Crows since joining the club via North Ballarat with pick 23 in 2013.

He won the Malcolm Blight Medal after Adelaide’s 2017 grand final campaign then was runner-up the following season.

Crouch played 16 of 17 matches in the first year of Adelaide’s rebuild in 2020 before missing all of 2021 because of hip and groin issues.

Since then, he has struggled to cement a spot at AFL level.

Last year he was in the side for the opening seven rounds but just four more times after that as the Crows opted to blood younger on-ballers.

Recalled after playing 11 SANFL matches this season, he averaged 29.2 disposals, 5.5 clearances, 7.5 score involvements and 5.5 tackles from rounds 19-24.

His form brought Adelaide back into the frame to offer a contract extension as the unrestricted free agent weighed up his future.

Crows list manager Justin Reid acknowledged it had been a challenging year for Crouch before getting his late-season opportunity.

“His attitude and approach to continually working on his game and helping others around him has been first class,” Reid said.

“We look forward to Matt continuing to be an important member of the team.”

Originally published as AFL trade news 2023: Adelaide Crows midfielder Matt Crouch re-signs for two years