In this special “Grand Final Rebels” series, we’ll profile the six former Rebels players set to take part in the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final, looking back at the path that has led them to that One Day In September. Today in our fourth of six profiles, we take a look back at the pathway of Adelaide’s Matt Crouch
Being drafted to an AFL club is any boy’s dream, to be drafted to the same club as your brother is like a dream come true, but running onto the MCG for a Grand Final with your brother is the stuff that not even the wildest of dreams can conjure up.
But for Beaufort’s Matt Crouch, that dream will come true in around 48 hours time as his 72nd game of AFL football will be the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final, in which he will play for the Adelaide Crows alongside brother Brad.
Crouch was a standout at Under 18 level, winning TAC Cup Team of the Year selection in both 2012 and 2013 – the latter a year he spent as the Rebels’ full-time administration trainee – and he certainly made a mark on Rebels Talent Manager Phil Partington.
“[Crouch] was with our program for three years, and our club captain in his draft year”, Partington recalled.
“He was an inside midfielder that was, like his brother, tough, but he had a bit more grunt about him [than Brad].”
“Brad had the finesse, whilst Matt had a bit more grunt”.
That grunt was on display in the 2017 AFL season, as Crouch won his first All-Australian berth, was in the top three in the competition for disposals and is one of the favourites to walk away with the Norm Smith Medal this Saturday afternoon – which would be something that not even the biggest dreamer could have dreamed up.
Our Grand Final Rebels schedule for the week looks like this, click on the name for past articles…
Monday – Shaun Grigg
Tuesday – David Astbury
Wednesday – Brad Crouch
TODAY – Matt Crouch
Friday – Dan Butler
Grand Final Day – Daniel Rioli
Being drafted to an AFL club is any boy’s dream, to be drafted to the same club as your brother is like a dream come true, but running onto the MCG for a Grand Final with your brother is the stuff that not even the wildest of dreams can conjure up.
But for Beaufort’s Matt Crouch, that dream will come true in around 48 hours time as his 72nd game of AFL football will be the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final, in which he will play for the Adelaide Crows alongside brother Brad.
Crouch was a standout at Under 18 level, winning TAC Cup Team of the Year selection in both 2012 and 2013 – the latter a year he spent as the Rebels’ full-time administration trainee – and he certainly made a mark on Rebels Talent Manager Phil Partington.
“[Crouch] was with our program for three years, and our club captain in his draft year”, Partington recalled.
“He was an inside midfielder that was, like his brother, tough, but he had a bit more grunt about him [than Brad].”
“Brad had the finesse, whilst Matt had a bit more grunt”.
That grunt was on display in the 2017 AFL season, as Crouch won his first All-Australian berth, was in the top three in the competition for disposals and is one of the favourites to walk away with the Norm Smith Medal this Saturday afternoon – which would be something that not even the biggest dreamer could have dreamed up.
Our Grand Final Rebels schedule for the week looks like this, click on the name for past articles…
Monday – Shaun Grigg
Tuesday – David Astbury
Wednesday – Brad Crouch
TODAY – Matt Crouch
Friday – Dan Butler
Grand Final Day – Daniel Rioli
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