Adelaide was made to wait until the ‘mini-draft’ at Etihad Stadium on Monday afternoon to officially unveil prized recruit Brad Crouch, but the club has been wooing the North Ballarat teenager for weeks. 

Crouch, who doesn’t turn 18 until January, is too young to nominate for next month’s national draft, but was able to be selected as one of up to four eligible 17-year-olds that can be on-traded by newcomers Greater Western Sydney.

The Crows gave their first pick (No.10 overall) in the 2011 draft and the compensation pick they received for defender Phil Davis to GWS to secure Crouch, tipped to be a top-five pick in next year’s draft, and another would-be first-round selection in Norwood midfielder/defender Luke Brown.

Crouch first learned of Adelaide’s interest in recruiting him when he was invited to join club officials at the MCG to watch the preliminary final between Geelong and West Coast.

“I went to the game with (list manager) David Noble, (recruiter) Hamish Ogilvie and Patty Dangerfield,” Crouch told afc.com.au.

“I sat next to Patty and he seemed like a great fella. I had a good chat with him. He’s come across to Adelaide from Geelong, so I could relate to him a little bit in that way.

“We also went to a café beforehand so I could meet the new coach Brenton Sanderson.

“The club was saying I was in its calculations, but didn’t indicate I was the one it was going to go for in the mini-draft up until late last week when it all happened.

“I was a bit uncertain about what was going to happen, but now I’m rapt.”

Crouch will complete his Year 12 studies and exams at St Patrick’s College before moving to Adelaide on a full-time basis in late-November.

The fancied midfielder from Beaufort near Ballarat in Victoria said he had no hesitations about relocating interstate to follow his AFL dream.

“I know it could be a bit of an issue in Adelaide, with people saying, ‘He’ll go back to Victoria’ and that sort of thing,” Crouch said.

“It might’ve happened with a couple of blokes at the club lately, but I’d like to see myself as a loyal person and player. I’ve always been prepared to move interstate to play AFL footy.

“Adelaide isn’t a huge city. I’m told it’s like a big country town, so I’m confident I’ll adapt pretty well.

“Hopefully, I can fall in love with the club and have a long career at the Crows.”

Despite only joining Adelaide on Monday, Crouch has already played in the Crows’ colours.

The 184cm, 83kg, onballer made his senior debut for the Beaufort Crows as a 16-year-old under his coach and father, Phil.

“The Beaufort Crows wear the same colours as Adelaide,” he said.

 “I said to the Adelaide boys (recruiters) when they picked me, ‘I’ll save you a bit of money on socks and bring some of my own over’.”

Crouch earned All-Australian honours at the Under-18 Championships and also in the TAC Cup despite missing two months of the season with a broken fibula.

The tough and skilful midfielder worked diligently in his rehabilitation, running sprints at three-quarter time of North Ballarat’s final minor-round game and making a comeback in the club’s first final the next week.

Despite spending eight weeks on the sidelines, the laidback teenager impressed at the draft combine finishing sixth in the 3km time trial and ninth in the 30m repeat sprint test.

“My leg is pretty close to 100 per cent now,” Crouch said.

“I did alright at the combine. I was a bit unfit because I was pretty sore after two months out and wasn’t able to do as much training as I would’ve liked in the lead up.

“Hopefully, I can build on that fitness base when I get over to Adelaide.”

Crouch, who models his game on Crows star Scott Thompson, is ineligible to play AFL in 2012 and will spend his first season at West Lakes in the SANFL under the watchful eye of Adelaide’s development staff.

He will be aligned to a local club in the SANFL mini-draft in December, where wooden-spooner Sturt has the first pick.

“I was speaking to some of the kids from SA, who I’ve met through the AIS, like Ben Kennedy,” Crouch said.

“They all play in the SANFL and they’ve talked it up as a good competition, so I’m looking forward to getting over and playing for whichever team I end up with.

“I want to play to develop for 2013 when hopefully I can get a game with the Crows if I’m lucky.”