TALENTED Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch is on track to start full-scale training in January as he returns from the foot injury that ruined his 2015 campaign.
The 21-year-old sustained the injury in the NAB Challenge in March and was restricted to just two SANFL games mid-year, but is making solid progress after undergoing late-season surgery.
Crouch, who was runner-up in the 2013 NAB AFL Rising Star award, completed some light training during his off-season break and will steadily increase his workload as he builds towards an AFL return.
"'Crouchy' is progressing well. He’s pain-free now," Adelaide's general manager of high performance Brett Burton told the club website.
"He’ll be on a modified program pre-Christmas and then we’ll assess how he’s going then. We look forward to him being available for round one."
Several other Crows are also making steady progress on the road to recovery, including recruit Troy Menzel, who will next week join the start of training for Adelaide’s first-to-fourth-year players.
The ex-Blue, who recently had hip surgery, will also undertake modified training initially and Burton expects him to start full training in December.
Ruckman Sam Jacobs (elbow), former captain Nathan van Berlo (shoulder) and the promising Cam Ellis-Yolmen (finger) will each sit out the competitive work pre-Christmas but their overall conditioning won't be hindered.
Defender Matt Jaensch is midway through his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction and is aiming to return to the field around May.
Meanwhile the Crows announced on Wednesday that basketball convert Hugh Greenwood will wear No.20 for the 2016 season. Greenwood, 23, retired from a promising basketball career to sign with Adelaide as a Category B rookie in September.
