Player Watch Matt Crouch - Wanted For Hat Crimes

[1970crow]

Yep we need his 25 handballs.

I didn't see the game but his stats suggested he was a bit more inside. But you'd think he could get a few more kicks given the lesser competition at the level. Look at soligo's k:h ratio and not too different clearance numbers. That's what crouch should be at that level, but fair to revert at AFL level assuming majority of work heavy inside.

 

[LeftyLuke]

I didn't see the game but his stats suggested he was a bit more inside. But you'd think he could get a few more kicks given the lesser competition at the level. Look at soligo's k:h ratio and not too different clearance numbers. That's what crouch should be at that level, but fair to revert at AFL level assuming majority of work heavy inside.

Laird already does that inside work. We need some legs on the outside which Crouch doesn't have. Taylor who should be back in the SANFL this week is the player I would be pushing into our midfield asap. He has speed, good skills and composure.

 

[Mutineer]

I didn't see the game but his stats suggested he was a bit more inside. But you'd think he could get a few more kicks given the lesser competition at the level. Look at soligo's k:h ratio and not too different clearance numbers. That's what crouch should be at that level, but fair to revert at AFL level assuming majority of work heavy inside.

You really should watch the game then because a lot of those handballs were to the team's advantage in aggressive running chains of handball where unlike the AFL team the players seem more motivated to take the game on.

Seems he can't win whatever he does, plenty of those handballs he could have chucked the ball on the boot and hoped it found a teammate but instead he handballed to an outside runner to the team's advantage.

It's very noticeable how often players stream past looking for the handball on the run in the SANFL compared to the AFL, perhaps that's a lack of Oppo pressure at that level, nonetheless it's very noticeable.

 

[1970crow]

Laird already does that inside work. We need some legs on the outside which Crouch doesn't have. Taylor who should be back in the SANFL this week is the player I would be pushing into our midfield asap. He has speed, good skills and composure.

Matt has done it in the past and you can’t have Laird at every stoppage contest. Matt at his physical best and Laird sharing the first possession dish out work with Keays and the junior guys rotating around in the other stoppage spots.

But Matt is a fair way back from his physical best, but he may find it again. Confidence in your power when you don’t trust your upper leg muscles is debilitating. Once we’d given him a 2 year deal, we shouldn’t have been forging forward with the stock ‘be ready for round 1’ mindset. But that’s just how we roll.

 

[LeftyLuke]

Matt has done it in the past and you can’t have Laird at every stoppage contest. Matt at his physical best and Laird sharing the first possession dish out work with Keays and the junior guys rotating around in the other stoppage spots.

But Matt is a fair way back from his physical best, but he may find it again. Confidence in your power when you don’t trust your upper leg muscles is debilitating. Once we’d given him a 2 year deal, we shouldn’t have been forging forward with the stock ‘be ready for round 1’ mindset. But that’s just how we roll.

I would have traded Crouch 2-3 years ago.

 

[Redleg Crow]

What a stupid title for the thread

 

[jo172]

Not sure now is the time, but what the **** happened to this bloke.

Made to look good in a dominant side?

Game evolved past him?

Regressed?

Some combination of the three?

 

[glengowan]

He just doesn’t have the penetration to take the ball forward. Maybe it’s even more noticeable with the ‘stand rule’. His leg isn’t powerful and he doesn’t run with the ball. He doesn’t play any other position than on-ball.

His elite ability to find the ball and shoot out quick handballs is still there. But we have no one running past. He has the mentality of a winner and that is why he’ll dominate SANFL where his flaws aren’t exposed.

He worked brilliantly with his brother when we were competing. Those home finals in 2017 they were, as a pair, as good as anyone in the AFL. Combined with Sloane at his peak and Jacobs feeding them in Ruck - Matt Crouch

5

Matt Crouch

Age

31

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

28.4

5star

K

12.0

4star

HB

16.4

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.8

5star

D

24.9

5star

K

9.7

4star

HB

15.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

CL

4.4

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

10.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

3.4

5star

CL

2.0

4star

was an important cog in that midfield.

He’s depth now until his contract expires, unless some other club is willing to take him on prior. I don’t think we’d be looking at anything for him re trade value.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Not sure now is the time, but what the * happened to this bloke.

Made to look good in a dominant side?

Game evolved past him?

Regressed?

Some combination of the three?

Matt has served the club well, but he's done now. I'd put it down to a few things.

- Limited preseason, guys are hitting the ground running while he is just trying to get his body right. Fair play to him for getting over OP, its a horrible injury to have.

- Laird and Keays do his job on the inside and out. These guys are strong first possession winners/clearance players who don't do damage by foot. Laird is strong defensively and Keays can burst. Crouch can't do anything except win first possession or take an easy make at HB.

- He cannot play anywhere except inside, and he doesn't excel at it (terrible defensively). More and more midfielders now are rotating forward or spending time on a wing Walsh, Dunkley, Bont, B.Smith, Parker, Petracca, Merrett, Mills, J.Kelly, Coniglio, Taranto, thats just off the top of my head. Matt has always been low TOG because its bench or centre bounce.

- Game has gone passed his style, handball happy. Pies & GC have adopted more of a Richmond "territory gaining" style of play. Dogs and Carlton can play high possession in the midfield because they have AA calibre midfielders, can spread well most are good users.

- He panics with the ball, constantly picking the wrong option. Also gets caught HTB a lot. 3 ball hunters in the midfield doesnt work. He only looks to give it off or hack kick.

Our best midfield games where when we put Hately+Berry inside and we beat Geelong/Saints at stoppages comfortably.

Take whatever we can get at the trade table.

 

[spenze]

If he lines up this weekend in the SANFL, give him another role besides in the guts ( we won't because we are hell bent on going deep in the SANFL finals as something to hang our hat on). Let him play HFF and see what happens

 

[SellarStardom]

If he lines up this weekend in the SANFL, give him another role besides in the guts ( we won't because we are hell bent on going deep in the SANFL finals as something to hang our hat on). Let him play HFF and see what happens

He's actually the better kick out of Laird and himself. Could Crouch do a better job than McHenry at HF...I believe so

 

[MarcusP2]

If he lines up this weekend in the SANFL, give him another role besides in the guts ( we won't because we are hell bent on going deep in the SANFL finals as something to hang our hat on). Let him play HFF and see what happens

Well we won't because hardly any of our AFL players will be eligible.

 

[Thetrader15]

Matt has served the club well, but he's done now. I'd put it down to a few things.

- Limited preseason, guys are hitting the ground running while he is just trying to get his body right. Fair play to him for getting over OP, its a horrible injury to have.

- Laird and Keays do his job on the inside and out. These guys are strong first possession winners/clearance players who don't do damage by foot. Laird is strong defensively and Keays can burst. Crouch can't do anything except win first possession or take an easy make at HB.

- He cannot play anywhere except inside, and he doesn't excel at it (terrible defensively). More and more midfielders now are rotating forward or spending time on a wing Walsh, Dunkley, Bont, B.Smith, Parker, Petracca, Merrett, Mills, J.Kelly, Coniglio, Taranto, thats just off the top of my head. Matt has always been low TOG because its bench or centre bounce.

- Game has gone passed his style, handball happy. Pies & GC have adopted more of a Richmond "territory gaining" style of play. Dogs and Carlton can play high possession in the midfield because they have AA calibre midfielders, can spread well most are good users.

- He panics with the ball, constantly picking the wrong option. Also gets caught HTB a lot. 3 ball hunters in the midfield doesnt work. He only looks to give it off or hack kick.

Our best midfield games where when we put Hately+Berry inside and we beat Geelong/Saints at stoppages comfortably.

Take whatever we can get at the trade table.

IMO, one of his development opportunities is improving his right side, which is so poor, it means he gets caught with the ball to often when he turns around in a circle to get his left side, or he gives the ball to players in poor positions because he can't kick on his right. There was a prime example coming from a kick out v the Eagles, where he handballed to Keays who was facing backwards instead of kicking on his right. Keays subsequently was caught HTB.

He also seems to have lost his defensive action in close. In 16, 17, 18 he was good at tackling, this year, (bar the last game), his tackle numbers have been at a all time low.

 

[Redleg Crow]

Not sure now is the time, but what the * happened to this bloke.

Made to look good in a dominant side?

Game evolved past him?

Regressed?

Some combination of the three?

Game went past him because alas all the midfielders can run past him.

Was brilliant in our GFinalist year, and anyone is stupid to say otherwise. But not every player can adapt to every change of the game

 

[Velvet George]

If he's got a suitor he is a lock to go, next year he'd be even further back in the pecking order.

 

[StonesThrow]

Can't come back in from here.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Can't come back in from here.

That's what I thought last time they dropped him.

 

[arrowman]

If he's got a suitor he is a lock to go, next year he'd be even further back in the pecking order.

I think he and his manager are / should be well aware of that. We only gave him 2 years, there was a reason for that, and it beggars belief that we would be offering him longer (or more $) than another club, with a need for his type, would offer him.

I mean - much as we've got issues with selection policy, isn't Matt the only senior player who has been dropped twice this year for performance-related reasons? And what are the chances that Berry / Pedlar / Schoenberg / Hately / etc will all (or mostly) fail to come on to the point where Matt remains a first-choice mid? Laird & Keays are fixtures, at least for now, but Matt's position is looking wobbly.

 

[Houston]

Don't come back.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

The AFL's website says "Gun Crow Axed"

 

[jamesclean]

The AFL's website says "Gun Crow Axed"

I reckon we've bribed someone on the social media to prop up his trade value. FREE MONEY.

 

[MRB37]

 

[cmndstab]

I mean, he couldn't possibly be blindsided by it, could he? He only recently returned from being dropped after turning in similar performances.

 

[MRB37]

I mean, he couldn't possibly be blindsided by it, could he? He only recently returned from being dropped after turning in similar performances.

You'd hope not, but again, there was supposedly grumbling when he was dropped the first time, so it could be a bit more of players just expecting their spots because they're senior players.

Probably shows you a bit of difference in attitudes that not a peep comes out when Brown was dropped, but both times Matt has been dropped this year there's been complaints about it.

 

[Sanders]

Hope that’s not true. That he has been getting honest feedback