Adelaide and midfielder Matt Crouch have agreed to a new two-year contract extension that will keep the Crows ball magnet at West Lakes until the end of the 2025 season.
Crouch's late-season form might be what led to the new deal, with the 28-year-old having only managed one appearance in 2023 prior to Round 19 as he faced an uncertain future and was a common feature at SANFL level.
A two-year contract signed in 2021 as Crouch neared free agency was set to expire at the cessation of this season, spelling uncertainty for the Victorian product as he found minutes hard to come by.
A return under senior coach Matthew Nicks with six rounds to go against Melbourne sparked a resurgence for the Beaufort junior, who was among the best-performing Crows across their late push for a finals spot.
Crouch recorded 31 or more disposals in four of his last five appearances this year and would be a key figure in Adelaide's Round 20 Showdown victory.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Crows confirmed a new multi-year extension for Crouch, who expressed his delight in being able to continue to call Adelaide home.
“Adelaide is home and I love the footy club so I'm really pleased to be sticking around for the next two years,” Crouch said in a club statement.
“The direction the team is heading in and the relationships I've got with my teammates is really strong so I'm excited by what the future holds.”
The new contract will take Crouch into a 12th season with the Crows, with the midfielder looking to add to his 143 career matches in the navy blue, red and yellow.
Adelaide list manager Justin Reid said the contract call comes after a "challenging year" for Crouch, who is deserving of the extension.
“As an experienced midfielder who knows what it takes to perform on the big stage, we are really pleased that Matt will continue his career with us,” Reid said.
“We acknowledge that it has been a challenging year for him before his opportunity showed itself in the second half of the season, but his attitude and approach to continually working on his game and helping others around him has been first class.
“We look forward to Matt continuing to be an important member of the team as his career extends to at least a 12th season with the Club.”
Crouch joined Adelaide as the 23rd selection in the 2013 National Draft.
