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Matt Crouch (footballer)

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Australian rules footballer

Australian rules footballer
Matt Crouch
Crouch playing for Adelaide in April 2017
Personal information
Full name Matthew Crouch
Date of birth (1995-04-21) 21 April 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Original team(s) Ballarat Football Club (Junior Football)
Beaufort (CHFL)
North Ballarat Rebels (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 23, 2013 national draft
Debut Round 3, 2014, Adelaide vs. Sydney, at Adelaide Oval
Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Adelaide
Number 5
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
2014– Adelaide 158 (30)
Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Matt Crouch (born 21 April 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club with pick 23 in the 2013 national draft. Crouch won the Malcolm Blight Medal in 2017, a year where Adelaide finished first on the ladder. He is the younger brother of former teammate Brad Crouch.

AFL career

Crouch made his AFL debut for the Crows in round 3 of the 2014 season, collecting 18 disposals in a heavy loss to Sydney. Crouch earned a nomination for the AFL Rising Star after having 28 disposals to three quarter time against Greater Western Sydney, at which point he was substituted out of the game. In total Crouch played eight matches in his first year in the AFL, and averaged 33 possessions and 8 clearances in ten matches for Adelaide's reserves side, polling 12 votes in the Magarey Medal.

Crouch had an interrupted 2015 pre-season due to an ankle injury suffered just prior to Christmas. He recovered to have a breakout year, playing 17 games including Adelaide's two finals and averaging 21 possessions. At the end of the season he was rewarded with the club's Mark Bickley Emerging Talent Award. He also signed a three-year contract with Adelaide after the 2015 season, keeping him at the club until 2018.

In 2017, Crouch lifted his game to a new level, averaging 33 disposals per game and finishing second in the AFL for disposals after the regular season, and during the finals broke Dane Swan's AFL record for most disposals in a complete season with 825. He was selected in the 2017 All-Australian team and nominated by his club for the AFL Players Association MVP Award. In late August, Crouch was named The Age's Player of the Year and won the Malcolm Blight Medal as Adelaide Football Club's best and fairest winner for 2017. In January 2018 Crouch re-signed with the Crows until the end of 2021.

Crouch sat out the 2021 AFL season due to a groin injury. After speculation that Matt Crouch would depart the Crows with his free agency rights, Crouch re-signed at Adelaide for two years, keeping him at the club until the end of 2023. Crouch returned to the AFL in round one of the 2022 AFL season against the Fremantle Dockers and did so with great success, collecting a cool 30 disposals.

In 2024, Crouch was back to his best form, averaging 30 disposals for the year. His season looked to be cut short after requiring shoulder surgery from an injury sustained in the round 12 loss to Hawthorn. However, Crouch made a miraculous recovery and returned to the side in round 21 against Geelong. Following the Crows' loss to Port Adelaide in the round 23 Showdown, Crouch was seen on video knocking off the hat of a supporter. A police investigation was conducted regarding allegations that the interaction could be classed as assault, but all charges were dropped.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to end of 2024.
Legend
  G   Goals   K   Kicks   D   Disposals    T   Tackles
  B   Behinds    H   Handballs    M   Marks
  †   Led the league for 
the season
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2014 Adelaide 44 8 3 2 63 69 132 26 26 0.4 0.3 7.9 8.6 16.5 3.3 3.3 0
2015 Adelaide 44 17 2 6 145 212 357 45 57 0.1 0.4 8.5 12.5 21.0 2.7 3.4 0
2016 Adelaide 44 22 5 3 250 359 609 75 100 0.2 0.1 11.3 16.3 27.6 3.4 4.5 7
2017 Adelaide 44 25 7 7 345 480 825 76 119 0.3 0.3 13.8 19.2 33.0 3.0 4.8 11
2018 Adelaide 5 18 2 3 249 331 580 69 70 0.1 0.2 13.8 18.4 32.2 3.8 3.9 8
2019 Adelaide 5 19 7 4 270 350 620 77 65 0.4 0.2 14.2 18.4 32.6 4.1 3.4 8
2020 Adelaide 5 16 2 3 162 256 418 44 74 0.1 0.2 10.1 16.0 26.1 2.8 4.6 3
2021 Adelaide 5 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
2022 Adelaide 5 11 0 0 115 186 301 39 44 0 0 10.5 16.9 27.4 3.6 4.0 0
2023 Adelaide 5 7 2 0 55 132 187 18 35 0.3 0.0 7.9 18.9 26.7 2.6 5.0 0
2024 Adelaide 5 15 0 2 155 294 449 62 79 0.0 0.1 10.3 19.6 29.9 4.1 5.3 4
Career 158 30 30 1810 2669 4479 531 669 0.2 0.2 11.5 16.9 28.4 3.4 4.2 41

References

  1. ^ "Crouch crowned Club Champion". afc.com.au. 6 October 2017.
  2. Capel, Andrew (22 November 2013). "Brothers Matt and Brad Crouch join forces for the Adelaide Crows". The Advertiser.
  3. Capel, Andrew (7 April 2014). "Winless Adelaide vows to make statement for Patrick Dangerfield against St Kilda". AdelaideNow.
  4. "Matt Crouch earns NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for performance against GWS". The Advertiser. 22 April 2014.
  5. "Matt Crouch - AFC.com.au". AFC.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
  6. "Matt Crouch suffers pre-season setback as Adelaide midfielder undergoes ankle surgery". The Advertiser. 6 January 2015.
  7. "Matt Crouch wins Mark Bickley Award". AFC.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  8. "Junior Crouch commits to Crows". AFC.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  9. McNicholas, Aiden (8 September 2017). "AFLPA MVP nominees announced". afc.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  10. "Brownlow Tracker: Round 23 — Dustin Martin odds shorten to season-low, boosts chances again". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  11. "Crouch signs - AFC.com.au". AFC.com.au. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  12. "Player Stats". afl.com.au. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  13. "Crows mid out for season, uncertainty over key duo". afl.com.au. 3 June 2024.
  14. "Season over? Star Crow in mix for stunning return". adelaidenows.com.au. The Advertiser. 23 July 2024.
  15. Reid, Harrison (21 August 2024). "Adelaide player Matt Crouch at centre of police investigation into alleged fan altercation as new vision emerges". Seven Network.
  16. "'Hatgate' investigation against Crows star dropped". adelaidenow.com.au. The Advertiser. 17 September 2024.
  17. "AFL Tables - Matt Crouch statistics". AFL Tables.

External links

Adelaide Football Club – current squad

* denotes rookie listed players

Malcolm Blight Medal · Adelaide Football Club best and fairest winners
2017 All-Australian team
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Centre
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Full-forward
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Showdown Medal
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2014 AFL Rising Star nominees
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