Adelaide open to sign-and-trade for Brad Crouch if free agency compensation doesn’t meet expectations

Brad Crouch left his exit interview with the Crows with no deal on the table. What does that mean for his future? There are plenty of moving parts in these negotiations, involving at least six clubs from across the league.

Crow Lachlan Sholl is this week’s AFL Rising Star nomination. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

Adelaide will now wait and see what offer Brad Crouch can get in the free agency market and have not ruled out a sign-and-trade scenario for the star midfielder if they initially don’t get adequate compensation.

The reigning club champion left his exit interview at West Lakes on Thursday with no deal from the Crows on the table.

Crouch and his manager Garry Winter will now test the free agency market, with more than five clubs interested in the prolific midfielder.

The Crows did have a contract offer on the table to Crouch, who flirted with the idea of seeking a move to the Gold Coast Suns last trade period, on the eve of the season the COVID-19 shutdown quelled that.

Crows head of football Adam Kelly said the club would now wait and see what type of offer Crouch can command on the open market.

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Brad Crouch talks with his brother Matt after the club’s loss to Richmond. Picture: Sarah Reed

“As is his right in free agency they will go out and explore any deals that might be available to them and we understand that,” Kelly said.

“As he is an unrestricted free agent we have the right to match any bid that comes our way.

“That’s how it will move forward, we’ll see what the market dictates and then we will have a chat about that.”

Should a suitor offer Crouch enough money over those five-years, then it could trigger a compensation for the Crows that would be Pick No. 2 in the upcoming Draft.

This would be in addition to Adelaide’s existing arsenal of Pick 1 and 8 as it stands, and Kelly said if the compensation for Crouch wasn’t what the Crows wanted they would be prepared to look at a sign-and-trade scenario to get an adequate pick.

“We will let Brad and his manager do that (test the market), so that will give us more information so we can make a good decision,” he said.

“There are those opportunities (sign-and-trade) and we need to look at that and do what is in the club’s best interests.”

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While Crouch enjoys living in Adelaide, fuelling speculation of a stunning move to rivals Port Adelaide, the main factor is getting what he views as a career contract – in the vicinity of five years.

Port Adelaide football manager Chris Davies said knowing where players would end up was a competitive advantage but the club had “bigger fish to fry”.

“We have a finals campaign that we are totally invested in,” Davies said.

“To suggest we have interest in X or Y player right now … is probably a stretch.

“If you need information on trades, you’re probably better off asking the Crows right now.

“I think whoever gets him (Brad Crouch) … is going to get a good player.”

Outside of Crouch, and Rory Atkins last month, Kelly said no other Crow had informed the club they would explore free agency or any of the contracted players would seek a trade.

After delisting Riley Knight, Ayce Taylor and Patrick Wilson on Wednesday Kelly said the Crows would now wait for list sizes to be finalised before other players were cut.

This leaves David Mackay and Kyle Hartigan somewhat in limbo.

The Crouch brothers talk to Matthew Nicks. Picture: Sarah Reed

Senior coach Matthew Nicks said last week he thought Mackay had done enough to get a new deal while Adelaide told Kyle Hartigan at his exit interview that they want him to stay following an impressive end to the season, but at the moment won’t offer him more than a one-year contract.

Hartigan’s representatives are confident he can get a two-year deal on the open market, with numerous teams interested in the key defender.

Whether Daniel Talia stays at the Crows, amid speculation he may seek a trade to Essendon, could lead to Adelaide offering Hartigan the two-year deal he desires but Kelly said he did not envisage Talia departing.

“He’s contracted so (I) can’t see any reason why not,” Kelly said.

Meanwhile Davies said the Power would not talk about the possibility of Orazio Fantasia coming to Alberton – after talk that the Essendon player could again look to return to Adelaide.

“I’ve never spoken more about a guy I’ve never actually spoken to in my life,” he said.

“Orazio is an Essendon player and until he suggests that’s different, Port Adelaide won’t be talking any more about Orazio Fantasia, whether he’s got a golf membership, whether he’s got a local DVD store, if those still exist.

“We have an interest in every good South Australian player who wants to come home but until those players tell us they want to come home, I’m done talking about those prospective people while we’ve got a really important four weeks to come.”

Where will Orazio Fantasia be in 2021? Picture: Michael Klein

JUSTICE FOR YOUNG CROW AFTER RISING STAR SNUB

His Adelaide teammates will feel like the right decision has been made, albeit it a week late, but Crows young gun Lachlan Sholl says he wasn’t at all fazed by having to wait to get a 2020 Rising Star nomination.

Despite a best on ground performance against Carlton, in which he had 24 disposals and two goals, Sholl missed out to Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor for the Round 17 nomination.

Sholl’s teammates took to social media with their disbelief that the 20-year-old had not received the nomination despite his stunning game, only for it to be revealed that towards the end of the season selectors for the Rising Star look at a player’s body of work not week-to-week performance.

Sholl had a huge game against Carlton in Round 17, but eyebrows were raised when he was overlooked for the Rising Star nomination. Picture: Getty Images

But while he missed out in Round 17, Sholl wasn’t to be denied in Round 18 with his 19 disposal, six mark and three clearance game against Richmond helping him getting a nomination many would still think should have come earlier.

Tom Doedee, one of those who pushed Sholl’s case last week, tweeted “we got there in the end …” but the defender turned wingman doesn’t feel wronged at all.

“I reckon I’m the only person who didn’t mind (about getting snubbed last round),” he said.

“It was very humbling, I suppose, to see the reaction it got, especially from teammates who I respect a lot.

“It didn’t bother me (last week) but to get the nod this round and bit of recognition for what I did on the weekend is extremely humbling and something I don’t take likely.

“Calling my parents (with the news) was pretty cool, they are over there in Victoria and like everyone else have been doing it pretty tough so to be able to give them some good news for once was pretty awesome.”

Sholl has become one of the most exciting parts of the Crows rebuild, which ended the season on a high with three wins in the last four games, with the son of former Carlton player Brett impressing in his eight-games this season for Adelaide.

Before he had even made his debut, Crows leadership group member Brodie Smith said Sholl was one of the best kicks off both sides of his body that he had ever seen.

And after Sholl’s starring role against Carlton, dual premiership Kangaroo David King declared he could possess the best kick in the AFL by 2022.

“That was very cool to get a complement from that, especially from someone who has done it before at the highest level,” he said.

“But there are a lot of good kicks out there, I’m not going to get that mantle but it is nice to get the compliment.

“Growing up I just used to love kicking and would go out to the park with dad or mates back home and kick for hours, eventually you build up a capacity where you can explore a bit more with different kicks.”

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Even if Sholl, who lives with Jordon Butts, doesn’t get the mantle of the best kick in the competition, the No. 64 pick of the 2018 Draft looms as a serious steal by the Crows – who got the pick through a trade with Carlton on the night.

Sholl went in the fourth round despite starring for the Calder Cannons at Under 18 level, and even though he has put eight to nine kilos on his 186cm frame since coming to Adelaide he is still looking to bulk up over the off-season even though there is no start date for pre-season.

“I still haven’t filled out my jumper,” he said.

“At the moment what is happening with Victoria it might be a bit too hard to get back but I’m loving it here.”

Originally published as Adelaide open to sign-and-trade for Brad Crouch if free agency compensation doesn’t meet expectations