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crouch is a 26 yr old AA player and beat and fairest winner. The last part of 2020 (8 rounds) he was one of the best mids in the comp
Assuming he gets over this injury could easily be playing for 6-7 more years - so highly unlikely we would be cutting our losses



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We tried our hardest to move on Matt at the end of this year.

The only reason he's really here is the league didn't think that highly of him either.
 
Sep 3, 2018
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We tried our hardest to move on Matt at the end of this year.

The only reason he's really here is the league didn't think that highly of him either.

Did we try our hardest? Or did we just offer a solid deal that he could take or leave?

Assuming he gets over his groins Matt still has a lot to offer.


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Did we try our hardest? Or did we just offer a solid deal that he could take or leave?

Assuming he gets over his groins Matt still has a lot to offer.


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When you offer a free agent less money and only two years, you are actively trying to get rid of them. After all, that is a rather damning statement that the club would rather you elsewhere unless there is an extremely friendly club deal in place.

We put the free to a good home sign on Matt and the league responded that they couldn't be bothered with him either.

Odds are, right now, we're parting ways in two years. I also don't know if Matt will even be in the league after we do, afterall, the league is beginning to move away from his type of player. Especially ones who become crabs when things aren't 100%.
 

hey shorty

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When you offer a free agent less money and only two years, you are actively trying to get rid of them. After all, that is a rather damning statement that the club would rather you elsewhere unless there is an extremely friendly club deal in place.

We put the free to a good home sign on Matt and the league responded that they couldn't be bothered with him either.

Odds are, right now, we're parting ways in two years. I also don't know if Matt will even be in the league after we do, afterall, the league is beginning to move away from his type of player. Especially ones who become crabs when things aren't 100%.
He'll have a place with the right types around him, but he's limited by legspeed.
 
May 29, 2011
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Crouch is a good inside mid. What concerns me other than his recent injury history, is that he's not the kind of player we plan to build our new midfield around. Nicks said in his presser yesterday that they're targeting strength and pace. Everybody can see where the game is going right now. The days of the slow accumulator are at an end.
 
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hey shorty

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Crouch is a good inside mid. What concerns me other than his recent injury history, is that he's not the kind of player we plan to build our new midfield around. Nicks said in his presser yesterday that they're targeting strength and pace. Everybody can where the game is going right now. The days of the slow accumulator are at an end.
For now.

I think our midfield needs to move away from him, Laird did the accumulation role and provided more albeit with similar average foot skills.

But a 2 year deal on our terms was a no brainer in the short term.
 
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For now.

I think our midfield needs to move away from him, Laird did the accumulation role and provided more albeit with similar average foot skills.

But a 2 year deal on our terms was a no brainer in the short term.
I am the other way on Matt if Burgess can get the best out of him fitness and injury prevention wise. We all know he is a great accumulator, but he is also a hard inside player that has been AA before so knows what it takes to be in elite company. I think he could have a real renaissance if a few things go right for him physically
 
I am the other way on Matt if Burgess can get the best out of him fitness and injury prevention wise. We all know he is a great accumulator, but he is also a hard inside player that has been AA before so knows what it takes to be in elite company. I think he could have a real renaissance if a few things go right for him physically
Agreed.

You don’t just lose your ability to find the ball.

It's just a matter of fitness for Crouch & we now have one of the best in the business.
 
Sep 19, 2010
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Crouch is a good inside mid. What concerns me other than his recent injury history, is that he's not the kind of player we plan to build our new midfield around. Nicks said in his presser yesterday that they're targeting strength and pace. Everybody can see where the game is going right now. The days of the slow accumulator are at an end.

Wouldn't say they're dead, Tom Mitchell had a really good year, probably would have given Wines a run in the Brownlow if he was fit in the first half of the year. There is low demand and having more than one of these types can be detrimental though
 
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I haven't "studied" the film but I remember Beane's motivation to use analytics to find bargains essentially revolved around not having enough money to compete with the payroll of larger, more well resourced sides. How would that angle play out in the AFL where they have a salary cap?

I can tell you that we give a large majority weighting to analytics after a certain cutoff point in the draft (roughly pick 40), to the point analytics almost pick the player itself. Earlier picks its flipped and in the hands of our recruiting teams' eyes.
 
Sep 2, 2015
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If Ned and Jones weren't pretenders we wouldn't be so reliant on Crouch having to be something he's not.
A bloke getting 30+ disposals a game is an advantage NOT a disadvantage it's not his fault other numptys aren't stepping up to what they were drafted to be.
Ned and Jones were drafted because of run..run run run is all we heard.
The fact they aren't in the midfield running is the problem not crouch.
 

StickerMan

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Matt’s problem isn’t finding the ball, the problem is how slow he is to move it on

everything grinds to a halt when it’s in his hands
And the fact he demands the footy when he is repeatedly in the wrong position to receive

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StickerMan

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That said we haven't seen him play much without his brother, they'd just give the ball to each other regardless.
Agreed. They did always look for each other in shut positions to give and receive.

For me, he's in the same bucket as Milera in that I don't hold out much hope of returning to their best football, and if they so then that us a bonus.

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hey shorty

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Agreed. They did always look for each other in shut positions to give and receive.

For me, he's in the same bucket as Milera in that I don't hold out much hope of returning to their best football, and if they so then that us a bonus.

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I don't see a reason why Milera won't, Crouch too for that matter.

Its just that Matt's style is less important in this day and age.
 

StickerMan

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I don't see a reason why Milera won't, Crouch too for that matter.

Its just that Matt's style is less important in this day and age.
I just have a feeling we will never see the best of Milera unfortunately.

With Laird coming on, and the emergence of Keys, I suspect you are correct. It's not like he can play another position and would be criminal if Laird is shifted back again to allow Matt to clog up the midfield.



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May 29, 2011
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yeah, none of that is true
The first round is often so obvious, even media commentators can pick out the top picks with a reasonable hit rate. It becomes a crap shoot when you're all the way down the order. It seems logical to me why the club might lean harder on their analytics team with later picks.
 
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