Gerard Whateley believes Adelaide restricted free agent Brad Crouch isn’t the “rolled-gold commodity” some view him as, but would be still be a worthy fit for plenty of sides in the competition.
The Crows midfield is still unsigned heading into next season, with Geelong one of several reported clubs interested in securing his services.
Whateley says Crouch remains a “very good midfielder” but wasn’t worth enough to see Adelaide gain a first-round compensation pick if he left.
He vales Crouch around $500,000 per season and on a deal fewer than four years.
“There was an extravagance around the amount of money and the length of (contract) that Brad Crouch might demand,” he said on SEN's Whateley.
“He’s a very good midfielder but he’s not a star of the game and the right club could use him in the right way. I wouldn’t be mortgaging my club to sign him and I wouldn’t be giving a lot to get him.
“The first idea that was being entertained was that he was (worth) north of $750,000 and somewhere around (a) five-year (contract) and it somehow gets the Crows the compensation pick as number two. That was pure nonsense when it was raised, and it was shown to be so.
“We’re about to find out how clubs’ value and I would think that somewhere between $500-600,000 perhaps and not a four or five-year (deal).
“Then what the Crows get for him on the compensation equation or whether they look to match and trade, that’s the mechanisms from there.
“He’s not the rolled-gold commodity that some were fitting him up to be at the start of this conversation. They’d be plenty of midfields who would be happy to have him but on their terms rather on his terms.”
Crouch has played 11 games for the Crows this season, averaging 26 touches and three tackles.