With a number of experienced players moving on at the end of the 2012 season, Crouch said the club’s newest players stepped up in the reserves’ first contest, which saw the Swans take out the match 20.10 (130) to 8.4 (52).
“We were very pleased with their performance first up,” Crouch told SwansTV.
“For some of the guys it was their first run of the year, while some had a bit of a taste in the NAB Cup.
“It was just pleasing with such a new, young side, just to see how they fit and work together in their first hit out.
“We played against the Hills Eagles who actually had more AFL experience when you think that Amon Buchanan – a former team mate of mine – was running around with them.”
Crouch said the club’s new recruits were right amongst the action in the team’s first match of 2013, with Brandon Jack (three goals), Tim Membrey (three) and Harry Marsh (two) all finishing the match as multiple goal scorers.
“The boys spread the load very well. Brandon and Tim certainly got amongst the goals,” he said.
“It was also really pleasing to see Matty Dick have his first hit out for the club off half-back and he showed some very good signs.
“We had Xavier Richards down at full-back and Harry Marsh had a bit of a run through the midfield and Jake Lloyd was another one in the midfield.”
It was not only the new recruits who impressed in the reserves practice match, with third-year Swan Jed Lamb showing maturity in his first reserves game for the season.
After two years playing under the guidance of experienced Swans reserves players, Crouch said Lamb, who also finished the game with three goals, has emerged as a leader within the squad.
“It was good to see some of the older development players like Jed Lamb, showing a bit of leadership out there,” Crouch said.
“He’s probably benefitted from having Jarred Moore and Nathan Gordon, who had played quite a bit of reserves in previous years, playing alongside him, so this year is his opportunity to stand up.
“It was pleasing to see him show some leadership on the field.”
With a new look reserves team on field this season, Crouch said he was looking forward to assisting in the development of the club’s newest players.
He added that fitness and an understanding of the game plan would be the two key areas the reserves would be focusing on ahead of the NEAFL season.
“It’s a different dynamic this year, but it will hopefully evolve throughout the season,” Crouch said.
“We need to sit back and see how they go when we give them a game, but it’s as much about them coming into the club during the week, analysing the game, and seeing what areas we really do need to work on to educate them.
“We just want that improvement each week, game-to-game, and building up that match fitness.
“When you’re fitter you actually make better decisions, so what I want to see is for their fitness to improve and that will help their decision making.
“If that decision making doesn’t (improve), then I really need to step in and educate them and get back to the whiteboards and the slides and show the boys what they are supposed to be doing.”
The Swans reserves will play their second and final practice match under lights on Friday evening against Sydney Uni at Lakeside Oval from 6:30pm, before taking on the UWS Giants in a curtain raiser to the Swans opening round match at ANZ Stadium next Saturday night.
