Player Watch Matt Crouch - Re-Signed to End of 2025

[BrissyCrow]

I think most believe that the Crouch brothers are going to be special. Slowly the Vic commentators are realising it too.

This year we are all going through hell with the thought of losing Sloane and Danger. By the end of this year that will all be behind us. We will know if they are staying or going. That will be a relief but then will it all start again because we will have fears of losing the Crouch boys. I hope not. I hope the club has these two lads tied up.

 

[Mattrox]

I suspect as crouch begins to play consistently without the vest his DPM will staggeringly fall. It'll still be excellent as that's the kind of player he is and always will be - but not next level kinda stuff perhaps because Junior Crouch just isn't a next level prospect.

In the GWS game where he amassed 28 disposals at 89.3% DE for 59% game time. He was subbed off.

 

[Campbell's Chunky]

I think most believe that the Crouch brothers are going to be special. Slowly the Vic commentators are realising it too.

This year we are all going through hell with the thought of losing Sloane and Danger. By the end of this year that will all be behind us. We will know if they are staying or going. That will be a relief but then will it all start again because we will have fears of losing the Crouch boys. I hope not. I hope the club has these two lads tied up.

We don't past next year (is M Crouch this year?) but they won't be going anywhere.

 

[FantasticShirt]

We don't past next year (is M Crouch this year?) but they won't be going anywhere.

Matt Crouch's contract runs out this year, Brad Crouch's runs out in 2016 (if the club is smart they'll stagger those contracts so they don't come up at the same point in time!). They seem like they're reasonably close mates and the chances of them both making it to the same club again are pretty slim, especially if they continue to progress. Add to this that they're really close with the Tex crew. Honestly can't see them going anywhere anytime soon. Sign them both up to long term contracts!

 

[dylan123]

Crouch stats are interesting although at the same time, it's hard to know whether the green vest games should be looked upon differently given these guys come on are fresh against guys that have already played 3 quarters so in theory they should be getting plenty of it - although as we've all seen, that isn't always the case.

Harvey is probably a good example. The work he does 'apparently' goes a long way to increasing the likelihood his team should score. More so 'apparently' then the other names you listed.

That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, every time he gets the ball he's just looking for the goals and if he can't kick it from where he is, he'll do his best to run with it until he's within scoring range!

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Was impressed the way Crouch creates good positive play from a clearance.

As do BC, CEY and Lyons. Grigg also can though also damaging in space.

I'm continually frustrated by more experienced players who do not use clearances constructively when the opportunity is there.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Pardon the intrusion. Can't wait to see Matt's brother back & in full flight. One of my favourite non-Saints players.

I've seen a bit of Matt for you guys. Can't think of a good player comparison. Certainly a natural footballer and accumulator.

 

[Allefgib]

Crouch stats are interesting although at the same time, it's hard to know whether the green vest games should be looked upon differently given these guys come on are fresh against guys that have already played 3 quarters so in theory they should be getting plenty of it - although as we've all seen, that isn't always the case.


That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, every time he gets the ball he's just looking for the goals and if he can't kick it from where he is, he'll do his best to run with it until he's within scoring range!

Which is tremendously valuable.

 

[dylan123]

Which is tremendously valuable.

Find him very annoying to watch personally but at least he's got the talent to convert most of the time.

 

[Geoffa32]

As do BC, CEY and Lyons. Grigg also can though also damaging in space.

I'm continually frustrated by more experienced players who do not use clearances constructively when the opportunity is there.

Agree with this, and noted as such when I suggested if we lose Danger all is not lost.

If he stays I would prefer to see some of these guys in the middle more, their clearance work is of a better standard and will get better with experience.

 

[Mike Smyth]

Pardon the intrusion. Can't wait to see Matt's brother back & in full flight. One of my favourite non-Saints players.

I've seen a bit of Matt for you guys. Can't think of a good player comparison. Certainly a natural footballer and accumulator.

If he becomes half the player i will be excited but he reminds me of a younger Sam Mitchell. Slowish, good skills, hard at it and seems to have a ton of time when he's got the ball in hand.

 

[cmndstab]

Reminds me of Scott West, personally. Gets a tonne of the ball, does reasonably well with ball in hand.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I dunno about this one. Sando fast tracked Crouch and only dropped him from the side after it was clear he had burned out. Walsh on the other hand was willing to wait until round 5 or 6 to play him. I realise he was recovering from injury but it still felt like Walsh was being hesitant for some reason.

 

[Bicks]

Who said he was a bad kick pre-draft? The club's recruiters said that they rated his kick higher than his handball. The only knock I heard about him pre-draft was his pace and endurance.

Both of which were fixable due to the fact his fitness levels were always a bit average because of his junior cricket commitments and restricted pre-seasons, Matt is also a seriously good wicket-keeper/batsman and brother Brad is no slouch either, bowls a very good fast ball by all reports.

 

[Paladin]

I dunno about this one. Sando fast tracked Crouch and only dropped him from the side after it was clear he had burned out. Walsh on the other hand was willing to wait until round 5 or 6 to play him. I realise he was recovering from injury but it still felt like Walsh was being hesitant for some reason.

Walsh was just waiting for him to get match fit I wouldn't read anything more into it. He missed nearly all the preseason.

 

[Hendersloane]

Throw in any other names you think worth comparing and I'll update the table when I get the time. (Of course if they come out better than Bob I'll have to pretend I couldn't find the time )

Be interested to see Treloar's comparison if you have time

 

[Allefgib]

Reminds me of Scott West, personally. Gets a tonne of the ball, does reasonably well with ball in hand.

Diesel with less ability.

 

[Stiffy_18]

The boy can gind the footy. One particular passage of play was all class...elite as Walshy would say. Coming out of the centre square with ball in hand and 2 or 3 St. Kilda players coming at him from different directions and about to get him but the junior didn't panic, steadied and kicked Tex on the lead straight on the chest down the Riverbank Stand end. Many other players would have panicked and kicked it long.

 

[dylan123]

How joyful was it seeing our players kick it in front of our forwards so they actually have something to lead to? It's a surprise that it's the younger guys that seem to be far better at doing this.

As someone that picked up Tex in my fantasy teams after a few rounds of footy, I've been pulling my hair out even more so than usual with the crappy deliveries he gets, the Crouch one was gold.

 

[Cap]

How joyful was it seeing our players kick it in front of our forwards so they actually have something to lead to? It's a surprise that it's the younger guys that seem to be far better at doing this.

As someone that picked up Tex in my fantasy teams after a few rounds of footy, I've been pulling my hair out even more so than usual with the crappy deliveries he gets, the Crouch one was gold.

Seriously it feels like I've seen more sucessful kicks to leads this year than the last decade.

Not sure if that is a reflection of the forwards or mids

 

[dylan123]

Seriously it feels like I've seen more sucessful kicks to leads this year than the last decade.

Not sure if that is a reflection of the forwards or mids

Never feels like it's enough, but I have enjoyed seeing the likes of CEY, Crouch and Grigg actually kick it to Tex's advantage.

I guess before that we had Tippett with Craig's plan of kick it high and long, hope for the best, how painful that used to be to watch.

I just wish we could get guys like Dangerfield kicking it shorter or something for a change, he really seems to burn it when he gets that quick clearance into the forward 50 (at least all the ones I can remember of late).

 

[Redleg Crow]

I'd be interested to see Crouch's disposal per minute stats in games where he was the sub vs in games where he wasn't. My guess is that it's stark.

I suspect as crouch begins to play consistently without the vest his DPM will staggeringly fall. It'll still be excellent as that's the kind of player he is and always will be - but not next level kinda stuff perhaps because Junior Crouch just isn't a next level prospect.

Maybe - I did note this in my OP. But also in the 6 games (yeah , small sample) where he averages more than 50% of game time, his 100% game time average is 33.2. So he is doing pretty well even when he is not coming on fresh as the sub.

 

[Redleg Crow]

Hate creating work for others... but Jarryd Lyons would be interesting given that he's been on the pine almost every game

Have updated. Lyons 100% game average is 23.5 from 56.7% of game time; Grigg is 23.8 for 56.8% of game time! Almost twins!

 

[headache1]

Loving your work Redleg Crow!

 

[Redleg Crow]

Be interested to see Treloar's comparison if you have time

Done (now in the table) - avge per game 21.1, game time 83.6% for a 100% game time average of 25.2 - around the same as Boak and Heppell. Not too shabby.