Universal Love Matt Crouch Retires

[Redline]

Great work Matt.

Berry breaths a sigh of relief

Matt has barely been able to run without pain and was being delisted at seasons end. I don't think he was ever a threat to Berry.

 

[King Elvis]

Great player at his best.

Feel like he was harshly treated in our down years, but he kept fighting and made it back to AFL level, probably didn't get the respect he deserved for being elite for a couple of years (AA etc).

Surprised he retired, I'd 100% take him at a lower ladder Club, for both his on and off field qualities; either the body is broken or there is more to life for him than footy.

Either way, wish him the best.

 

[Betts are off]

Wow, that's a bit of a shock, but congrats on the career MCrouch.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Fantastic club man. Stuck it out, fought to come back during that 2022/2023 period. Deserved a chance at this finals series but injury cruelled him.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Great player at his best.

Feel like he was harshly treated in our down years, but he kept fighting and made it back to AFL level, probably didn't get the respect he deserved for being elite for a couple of years (AA etc).

Surprised he retired, I'd 100% take him at a lower ladder Club, for both his on and off field qualities; either the body is broken or there is more to life for him than footy.

Either way, wish him the best.

People only wanted him gone because they always want their shiny new toys playing.

I suspect he retired because his hip is just no good. woud take a long recovery and even then it probably is at a stage he couldnt be a certainty to make it back to AFL.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Gutted. Big fan of Mrouch. In his prime days his clearance work to players forward of the ball was pivotal to our 2017 success.

Thought he still had a lot more to give.

 

[Rotayjay]

I'm quite sad about this. Matt has become a depth player, but calling time on your career effective immediately at a time like this - at the start of a finals campaign - must hurt.

At his peak, he was a reliable weapon and let's not forget he broke the record for most disposals in a season in 2017.

He gave his all. Thanks Matt - go well.

 

[NSolis]

Elite hands in close, very good player at his best. His comeback to the AFL team in 2023 was truly remarkable. I think almost everyone felt his career was completely done, out of contract and playing in the SANFL for half the season. Came back due to injuries and was basically our best player for the last two months of the season.

Seems like good retirement timing as well - was probably right on the margins of selection if he was fit, but would be a tough road back.

 

[Redleg Crow]

Injuries are brutal things, and a sore hip is not a fun life. Hope he is able to live pain free.

 

[cleanhands]

Injuries are brutal things, and a sore hip is not a fun life. Hope he is able to live pain free.

Highly doubt it will be pain free

 

[GreyCrow]

Thank you Matt

You gave us all you could

I hope the rest of your life is well lived

 

[Hobbes]

A lot of people have been vehemantly opposing Crouch’s hypothetical return to the first team.

I take a different perspective - he is/was very good and it speaks tremendously well of our recruiting and development that we have been able to afford to leave him out.

 

[moogerfooger]

Sad way to end when, had his hip come good, he might have played a final or two. As soon as it seemed his hip wasn't coming good very quickly it looked like his season was probably gone. Seems like he's at peace with his decision which is a much better outcome than hanging around waiting to be delisted.

Good on him for fighting his way back into the side when a lot of players would have taken the easier option and looked elsewhere. Speaks to his character.

 

[Cromulant]

Bad loss, needed him at the moment. we’ve been rolling out some spuds lately.

Well..... no

 

[whattagun07]

Very good player. Was thrilled when we drafted him. It felt like the only bit of positivity after the Tippett saga.
Great to have a pair of brothers, and both could absolutely play.
At a guess, I'd say Matt sits around the 25-30th all time for the Crows.

 

[moses]

All the best Crouchy. Great team man and in his prime was a very fine midfielder. Enjoy retirement!

 

[LoBu]

Impressed that Crouch is leaving on his terms and will always be a crow, well done son

 

[skam85]

Impressed that Crouch is leaving on his terms and will always be a crow, well done son

Has a very Luke Brown feel about it which is a nice way to go

 

[Firewalker]

As much as his sort of game style maybe became slightly more obsolete post 2018 which led to some uglier output and coincided with the Crows dark years where he crabbed & became a ball movement handbrake you have to say like with Brad injuries played a big part in really cutting down a lot of his effectiveness as a player.

For a few years there he really played a big role, his connection with Jacobs and his brother in 2017 was great and took the club to a GF after Sloane went MIA due to tagging in the 2nd half of that year and thought him & Scotty Thompson really 1-2 punched opposition in the contest in those 2015/2016 seasons.

Post-2017 I think he may have only had 1 season where he didn’t miss multiple games with injury and overall played over 20 games in a season only twice (2016 & 2017)

Never should’ve changed from number 44, was never the same after that. Biggest compliment is I always saw the comparison to Chris McDermott, so hard at the ball off the rucks hands and if there was one Sherrin in the Sahara desert they’d find it.

 

[JP Sauce]

Seedsman: To my best mate, Crouchy

Seedsman: To my best mate, Crouchy

The former Crow penned a heartfelt letter to Crouch upon the midfielder’s retirement

www.afc.com.au

 

[Minor Threat]

Seedsman: To my best mate, Crouchy

Seedsman: To my best mate, Crouchy

The former Crow penned a heartfelt letter to Crouch upon the midfielder’s retirement

www.afc.com.au

Love Seed and miss him. Peak Seed would thrive so much in this current team