ADELAIDE looks set to receive a second-round pick as compensation for losing Brad Crouch after St Kilda lodged free agency paperwork for the Adelaide midfielder on Sunday.
With Crouch a restricted free agent, the Crows have the option to accept the compensation from the AFL or match the deal which would then force a trade.
The Crows now have three days to decide, with a deadline of 5pm AEDT on Wednesday.
Crouch will accept a five-year deal, but compensation will be dependent on the monetary value of the contract – as highlighted by Essendon receiving a first-round pick (currently No.7) for restricted free agent Joe Daniher's move to Brisbane on a three-year deal.
If Crouch's deal was upwards of $700,000-$750,000 per season, the Crows would likely have received a pick after their first-round selection, which would fall at No.2.
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However, Adelaide believes it is now set to be offered pick No.23 for the 26-year-old, with St Kilda's bid believed to be significantly less than the reported figure.
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FROM 7am-7pm AEDT"We will await the determination of free agency compensation by the AFL and then review our options before making a decision in the club's best interests," Crows head of football Adam Kelly said on Sunday.
Kelly indicated to Trade Radio on Wednesday that if the compensation was anything less than pick No.2 then the Crows would likely match the deal.
Adelaide set to be offered second-round compensation pick for Brad Crouch (currently No.23).
— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) November 1, 2020
They gave every intention last week they would match if no pick No.2... big 72hrs coming up @AFLcomau @traderadio
The Crows are confident Crouch would return to the club if they matched the bid and a trade could not be agreed.
"We would certainly be looking for a better outcome if it's not pick No.2," Kelly told Trade Radio.
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"Fortunately, in this situation, Brad's been fairly open about his love of Adelaide and of the footy club, so we don't think it would be a scenario where the player would not be wanting to come back to the club."
A compensation pick at the end of the first round could drift out to the mid-20s after other compensation picks and Next Generation Academy bids are factored in.
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Greater Western Sydney has already indicated it will match Geelong's offer for restricted free agent Jeremy Cameron.
It will be the first time a club has matched a bid in the nine years of AFL free agency.
