Brad Crouch says he’s still shaking off the rust in his comeback from a long-term foot injury.

Crouch, who didn’t play an AFL game last season, made his long-awaited AFL return in Adelaide’s Round One clash with North Melbourne.

In his first senior match for premiership points in 573 days, the 2013 Rising Star runner-up admitted he found it difficult to adjust to the frenetic pace of the tight contest at Etihad Stadium.

“I found it very hard last week adjusting to the tempo,” Crouch said.

“It was definitely a step up, especially, in the first half. I was really rusty. I’m still a little bit rusty, but I guess the last two games will help me and hold me in good stead.

“I’m still getting my fitness up. I’m not playing a heap on the ground, so I’ll keep working on that.”

On Saturday, in just his second AFL game since Round 23, 2014, Crouch took another step forward.

The promising midfielder, who topped Adelaide’s tackle count last week with nine, collected 23 possessions, six clearances and three inside 50ms in his team’s emphatic 58-point Showdown win.

He was involved in a total of seven Crows scores, including his first goal at the level in 18 months.

Crouch ran from half-back to kick a goal early in the final quarter. The 22-year-old jammed a quick kick to the advantage of Tom Lynch on the wing, and kept pushing forward. He finished the play by swooping on the ball off hands inside attacking 50m and running into an open goal.

The goal was brilliant, but the celebration was not! Captain Taylor Walker, who was also involved in the great passage of team play, ran over to congratulate his former housemate, but his overzealous approach saw both players crash to the turf.

“It was good to kick the goal, but then ‘Tex’ tried to tackle me and we both hit the deck!” he said.

“We looked like idiots. We were lucky to both come through unscathed!”

The Crows were able to generate a lot of attack from their defensive half.

Crouch said the Adelaide defenders, who conceded only 11 goals from 70 entries, deserved credit.

“I think a lot of our goals were sort of the ‘slingshot’ goals,” he said.

“I know Port still had a fair few forward 50m entries themselves, which shows how good our defenders were at coming off (their opponents), helping each other out and using it to attack from there.”

Adelaide led from start to finish in an uncharacteristically lopsided Showdown contest.

The Crows kicked their highest-ever half-time score in a Showdown – 13.5 (83) – on their way to equalling the Club’s best score against Port Adelaide, 22.12 (144).

Crouch said it was an important win on the back of the narrow loss to the Kangaroos last weekend.

“It’s always a tough game, the Showdown,” Crouch said.

“It was great to get the four points and hold onto a lead that we got early on. We did the work (early) and it stayed like that for the rest of the game.

“It was obviously very disappointing (to lose) last week. Knowing we’ve got a reasonably tough draw especially early on it’s great to get a win and we can build from there.”