Matt Crouch (footballer)

Matt Crouch
Crouch playing for Adelaide in April 2017
Personal information
Full name	Matthew Crouch
Nickname(s)	Crouchy
Date of birth	21 April 1995
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	182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Adelaide
Number	5
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2014–	Adelaide	143 (30)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023.
Career highlights
All-Australian team: 2017 Malcolm Blight Medal: 2017 Showdown Medal: Round 22, 2016 22under22 team: 2017 2014 AFL Rising Star nominee
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. He is the younger brother and former teammate of 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 2017 he 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 Matthew 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.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to end of 2021