Free Agency Brad Crouch [joins St Kilda as a RFA for pick 23]

Jul 13, 2012
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Who would have though Ablett would go to GC? Who would have thought Franklin would go to Sydney?

It takes innovation to win, not just multiple tickets in the draw. I'd rather 15/18 tickets in 1 year than 1 ticket a year for 15 years.

If players don't come here, then you need to find out why and do something about it. I think it we offered Grundy $1.5m for 7 years, he's coming over, but you don't wait for Collingwood not to do the deal. You work on it aggressively as soon as you realise you need a ruckman (for example)

Gold Coast as i said paid more to Ablett than any other team couldve paid. They gave him the captaincy, an ambassador role and a bunch of other incentives.
Ones that no club could compete with.
Then he left after 2-3 good years and 2-3 years where he couldnt give a stuff.
I'm sure you'd be stoked if we paid soemthing like $9m over 6 years and got 3 good years out of him.

I dont think comparing Sydney and Adelaide as living destinations is really a smart thing to do.
Put it this way. Can you see Jascinta Franklin packing up her career and trying to do it from Adelaide?

You're in dream land if you think either Adelaide team will be able to recruit someone like Buddy Franklin, unless theyre South Australian.

Why would players not come to Adelaide if theyre at the top of their game? Simply there are far less off-field opportunities here than in any of the other capital cities, even non-afl cities like Sydney and Brisbane.

We could have a Hawthorn-like dynasty and top players would still be loathe to join.

I guess the question is do you really think our recruiting staff arent asking the question of these players managers? Think we're just not trying to get anyone good?
 
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BronCrow

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Gold Coast as i said paid more to Ablett than any other team couldve paid. They gave him the captaincy, an ambassador role and a bunch of other incentives.
Ones that no club could compete with.
Then he left after 2-3 good years and 2-3 years where he couldnt give a stuff.
I'm sure you'd be stoked if we paid soemthing like $9m over 6 years and got 3 good years out of him.

I dont think comparing Sydney and Adelaide as living destinations is really a smart thing to do.
Put it this way. Can you see Jascinta Franklin packing up her career and trying to do it from Adelaide?

You're in dream land if you think either Adelaide team will be able to recruit someone like Buddy Franklin, unless theyre South Australian.


Why would players not come to Adelaide if theyre at the top of their game? Simply there are far less off-field opportunities here than in any of the other capital cities, even non-afl cities like Sydney and Brisbane.

We could have a Hawthorn-like dynasty and top players would still be loathe to join.

I guess the question is do you really think our recruiting staff arent asking the question of these players managers? Think we're just not trying to get anyone good?
On the bolded parts, you are right, Adelaide is not considered a destination for professional athletes like Sydney is, despite the fact that I know where I would rather live personally. On Jesinta Franklin though, my understanding is that Buddy didn't meet her until he moved to Sydney. I doubt she would even move to Melbourne and carry on her career.

On the second part, we have never been able to recruit top South Australians back to Adelaide, going all the way back to Stephen Kernahan and John Platten. Darren Jarman is really the only exception to this. Brodie Grundy is a very recent example of this. My understanding is that his partner is still based in Adelaide, and his brother is on the Power's list, and he still didn't want to come back. The only other top South Australian that has come back to Adelaide is Gavin Wanganeen, and he has even said that he regretted leaving the Bombers.
 
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On the bolded parts, you are right, Adelaide is not considered a destination for professional athletes like Sydney is, despite the fact that I know where I would rather live personally. On Jesinta Franklin though, my understanding is that Buddy didn't meet her until he moved to Sydney. I doubt she would even move to Melbourne and carry on her career.

On the second part, we have never been able to recruit top South Australians back to Adelaide, going all the way back to Stephen Kernahan and John Platten. Darren Jarman is really the only exception to this. Brodie Grundy is a very recent example of this. My understanding is that his partner is still based in Adelaide, and his brother is on the Power's list, and he still didn't want to come back. The only other top South Australian that has come back to Adelaide is Gavin Wanganeen, and he has even said that he regretted leaving the Bombers.

I agree with you on everything.
Adelaide clubs will always find it very hard to recruit gun players, regardless of whether theyre from here.

West Australian clubs have a similar problem.

Clubs from WA and SA have to build premiership teams not buy them.
 

Mego Red

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I agree with you on everything.
Adelaide clubs will always find it very hard to recruit gun players, regardless of whether theyre from here.

West Australian clubs have a similar problem.

Clubs from WA and SA have to build premiership teams not buy them.
I agree with you, but I'm not sure the WA clubs have the problem.

Both clubs seem to bring back quality WA footballers every year.
 
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I agree with you, but I'm not sure the WA clubs have the problem.

Both clubs seem to bring back quality WA footballers every year.

Buddy and Cripps are both from WA and i cant see either of them ever heading home.
I'm talking top top tier.

If Fyfe had been drafted by a victorian club I doubt he'd be in WA either.
 
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Mego Red

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Buddy and Cripps are both from WA and i cant see either of them ever heading home.
I'm talking top top tier.

If Fyfe had been drafted by a victorian club I doubt he'd be in WA either.
If you're only saying that level, I don't think there are any South Australians the quality of Cripps now or Buddy five years ago.

Both WA teams have brought home a LOT of talent though. Tim Kelly, Yeo, Jesse Hogan, Jetta, Matera, Lobb, Conca, Acres, McCarthy. Not all have worked, but they've got them home year after year.
 

Mego Red

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Personally, I'd like to keep Crouch and find a taker for Tom Lynch and Rory Laird.

This won't happen - Lynch is too well respected as a leader and Laird is well liked by the playing group.

I'm not sure a ruthless club wouldn't move them on, but I don't think the Crows will.
 
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If you're only saying that level, I don't think there are any South Australians the quality of Cripps now or Buddy five years ago.

Both WA teams have brought home a LOT of talent though. Tim Kelly, Yeo, Jesse Hogan, Jetta, Matera, Lobb, Conca, Acres, McCarthy. Not all have worked, but they've got them home year after year.

There arent at the moment, except for Grundy.
Who surprise surprise we threw the kitchen sink at and he still wouldnt budge.

A lot of those players are average at best. Matera, Conca, Acres were barely even wanted by their old clubs.
Hogan is cooked and everyone knew it.

Kelly wanted to go back before he was top tier and requested it a year earlier.

Yeo went home after 2 seasons as a nobody. Developed into a top tier player at West Coast definitely.

I dont think WA clubs are as badly off as SA clubs in recruiting top tier, but they also produce a lot more top tier players at the moment.
 
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Personally, I'd like to keep Crouch and find a taker for Tom Lynch and Rory Laird.

This won't happen - Lynch is too well respected as a leader and Laird is well liked by the playing group.

I'm not sure a ruthless club wouldn't move them on, but I don't think the Crows will.
Why would you want to get rid of lynch ?his one of your hardest working players especially considering how up and down your other key forwards are
 

Mego Red

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Why would you want to get rid of lynch ?his one of your hardest working players especially considering how up and down your other key forwards are
I would have Sloane in that connector role - he has the stamina and is as good above his head. Lynch rarely works as a forward inside 50; he's more often working as a connector with the mids and defenders.

Lynch is a tremendous team man so I can't see them trading him.

Our other key forwards haven't been bad. Tex had almost exactly the same season as Hawkins last year - he just cops an extraordinary amount of undeserved s**t.
 
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I would have Sloane in that connector role - he has the stamina and is as good above his head. Lynch rarely works as a forward inside 50; he's more often working as a connector with the mids and defenders.

Lynch is a tremendous team man so I can't see them trading him.

Our other key forwards haven't been bad. Tex had almost exactly the same season as Hawkins last year - he just cops an extraordinary amount of undeserved s**t.

Lynch would be up there with the last people id trade.
At his age his value to us is far more than to another club.

Nobodys going to give us anything worthwhile for him.

We did the cleanout last year. At least let this group have a go and see if the imrpovement can come.
 

Mego Red

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Lynch would be up there with the last people id trade.
At his age his value to us is far more than to another club.

Nobodys going to give us anything worthwhile for him.

We did the cleanout last year. At least let this group have a go and see if the imrpovement can come.
Fair enough. I'm just trying to open up spots and roles for younger players, so we don't ruin them like Gallucci.
 
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Fair enough. I'm just trying to open up spots and roles for younger players, so we don't ruin them like Gallucci.

Not sure we ruined galucci as such or his skillset didnt transfer to afl standard.
He doesnt look quite good enough in any area to justify getting too many games in our old half-decent side.

I still think he'll be a very good player but he needs to find something.
 

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Interesting Craig Cameron on Road to the Draft suggested the interest in Brad was real last year and we didn't get there because Adelaide would have never let him go, which all sounds about right.
So Crouch approached Gold Coast.

Gold Coast were set on their draft strategy, which would have gone out the window if they were to sign Crouch.

Crouch is decent, but Adelaide would have been asking for overs.

He’s not quite at Lachie Neale level, so it was fair for Gold Coast to walk away from that asking price.
 

Mego Red

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Crouch wouldn't have approached Gold Coast.

I'm sure his management gave them and every club a call however, to gauge interest in acquiring Brad. That's how you get a sense of market value.
 

Mego Red

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It'll be interesting what Brad does this year. 2017 Bead Crouch was better than Lachie Neale; last year was good, but he took a step back and Neale a step forward. He seems in excellent shape, but wasn't great week one.
 

TigerTime88

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Is it bad that I actually want us to finish low this year to maximize our draft hand in order to get the talent we will need to get back to the top?

Common sense. Particularly if Crouch bets two top 5s.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 

Harro59

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Is it bad that I actually want us to finish low this year to maximize our draft hand in order to get the talent we will need to get back to the top?
The way things are at the moment, nobody knows what sort of a year they are going to have.
 

TheKITC

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It'll be interesting what Brad does this year. 2017 Bead Crouch was better than Lachie Neale; last year was good, but he took a step back and Neale a step forward. He seems in excellent shape, but wasn't great week one.

Wow, I've seen some bias from posters before on here but that is a pearler... The 2017 stats show they had a pretty similar output. Crouch averaged one more disposal and an extra tackle or two. He also turned the ball over more often, was almost 10% worse in disposal efficiency, took one or two less marks and got less clearances. Not better.

Neale has been far more consistent at a high level and farrrr more durable. Crouch has put together one, maybe two at a stretch, very good season(s) and outside of that been either inconsistent or injured. Nice try though...
 
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Mego Red

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Wow, I've seen some bias from posters before on here but that is a pearler... The 2017 stats show they had a pretty similar output. Crouch averaged one more disposal and an extra tackle or two. He also turned the ball over more often, was almost 10% worse in disposal efficiency, took one or two less marks and got less clearances. Not better.

Neale has been far more consistent at a high level and farrrr more durable. Crouch has put together one, maybe two at a stretch, very good season(s) and outside of that been either inconsistent or injured. Nice try though...


Maybe start reading what I actually posted.

I compared 2017 Crouch to Neale. Crouch had MASSIVELY more impact than Neale that year, and was a key part of the Crows storming to a Grand Final.

I only compared them in one other year, which was last year, when Neale was better.

I've not compared their durability in the past, or the period that they've previously sustained it. You're the person who raised that. I just comparted them in two seperate seasons.
 

TheKITC

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Maybe start reading what I actually posted.

I compared 2017 Crouch to Neale. Crouch had MASSIVELY more impact than Neale that year, and was a key part of the Crows storming to a Grand Final.

I only compared them in one other year, which was last year, when Neale was better.

I've not compared their durability in the past, or the period that they've previously sustained it. You're the person who raised that. I just comparted them in two seperate seasons.

No need to get so up in arms about it... I addressed the 2017 call and to claim that he had massively more impact is simply hyperbole. I note you've used 'impact' probably because it's somewhat unquantifiable to try and prove your point, but there is absolutely nothing to suggest that he was better than Neale in 2017 (or any other season) both statistically and anecdotally. I watched plenty of both of them and Crouch's ball use detracts massively from his 'impact' IMO, as does his inability to kick goals as a mid (something neither do very well). So where does his 'impact' come from that seperates him so much from Neale?

Why was Neale brought into the conversation btw? I suspect it was because you were attempting to show that BC has a similar trade value? I could be wrong... That is why I raised durability and longevity of performance, because his value would be nowhere near that level based on multiple factors.
 
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