BRAD Crouch's debut season has been a lot tougher than his average of 23 possessions a game would suggest.
Last year, he was too young to play for Adelaide and watched on as his AFL teammates enjoyed a bumper season, missing out by just a kick on a Grand Final berth.
His West Adelaide side played off in the SANFL grand final, but got smashed by Norwood.
Crouch's hopes were high as he completed his second AFL pre-season; a senior debut in a team expected to push for a top-four finish was just around the corner.
But a circumspect Brenton Sanderson opted not to blood the Under-18 All Australian in round one and as Crouch fought for a senior berth while the Crows struggled in the early part of 2012, injury struck.
He strained a hamstring in the lead up to round five and was forced to spend a month back with the Bloods earning his senior spot.
For a high achieving junior footballer who was drafted so young he couldn't immediately play senior football, it was an unfamiliar experience.
"You don't realise how lucky you've got it until you go through the ups and downs and I experienced a fair bit of down when I was injured and struggling to get back in the side," Crouch told AFL.com.au.
"I guess I'd never really felt that too much – it was pretty hard to deal with.
"A lot of people have said that you do need to deal with things like this early in your career otherwise it can be harder down the track.
"So I've seen that as the positive."
The hype that's surrounded Crouch's first AFL season at West Lakes has been extensive.
Yet the 19-year-old has proven he's destined for big things with a number of mature, hardened performances, including a brilliant 22-disposal, seven-tackle performance against Collingwood in round 16.
Crouch had already picked up a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in round 14 for a 31-possession game against the Giants.
Remarkably though, Crouch hasn't been overly impressed by his debut season – he certainly hasn't exceeded his own expectations.
"I had pretty high hopes and expectations coming into the season and when I was injured I was pretty frustrated. I didn't feel like I was living up to my own expectations," he said.
"That's all that really matters to me.
"I'm happier that I've played a few good games in a row, but I'm keen to get better and have a bigger year next year."
He already has one eye on 2014 and is keen to avoid a case of the sophomore slump.
With possible rule changes meaning players will need to cover more ground next year, Crouch wants to ensure he's prepared.
"With the rotations maybe being capped next year I'll probably focus a lot more on my aerobic running and maybe trim down a kilo or two," he said.
Harry Thring for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
