Hawthorn is flabbergasted and overly excited that a player of the caliber of Matthew Crouch could slip to us so late in the draft
24. Hawthorn - Matthew Crouch (181cm, 80kg midfielder - North Ballarat)
Position: Midfielder
Height: 180cm
Weight: 78kg
Born: 21/4/95
Home club: North Ballarat Rebels
In terms of genuine inside ball winnings midfielders, Matthew Crouch is clearly the best on offer. I would rate him alongside of Oliver Wines, not quite at his brother's level yet though. He is an absolute ball magnet, only having 30 disposals in the TAC Cup would be considered a quiet match for him as he is regularly hitting the 40 mark. Always at the bottom of the packs, Crouch is a natural in winning the contested ball and getting the quick handball out to his teammates. But he also reads the packs well, and can clear the ball himself with his run. A wrist injury meant he missed the first few weeks of the U18 Championships, but he returned in excellent form. And he used his time away to really improve his fitness base, which was one area in which he did need work. The problem is that there are quite a few contested ball winning midfielders in this draft, and a number of them can play effectively in other positions - be it across half forward or half back. And that's where I think Crouch is lacking. For an inside midfielder, he uses the ball well but he isn't particularly damaging and doesn't really impact the scoreboard at all. He'll likely go top ten on draft day, but I see him being a solid rather than spectacular player.
http://www.afl.com.au/video/2011-11-01/draft-prospect-matthew-crouch