Jeff Crouch

{{Short description|Australian rules football field umpire}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Jeff Crouch

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|08|07|df=y}}

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| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|08|05|1934|08|07|df=y}}

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| club1 = Sandringham

| umpireleague1 = VFL

| umpirerole1 = Field umpire

| umpireyears1 = 1961–70

| umpiregames1 = 186

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Jeff Crouch (7 August 1934 – 5 August 1994) was a leading Australian rules football field umpire in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in the 1960s and 1970s.

Crouch played in the 1953 Melbourne under-19s grand final and for Sandringham in the Victorian Football Association before switching his focus to umpiring. He was known for his excellent rapport with players. He became the VFL umpires advisor after retiring. His umpiring career spanned from 1961 to 1970 and in total he umpired 186 games, including 15 finals matches. He umpired grand finals in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969.

He was named Victorian Father of the Year in 1989 and was a director of the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal for 20 years.

Crouch was inducted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.{{cite web | url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/hall-of-fame/umpires | title=The Australian Football Hall of Fame - Umpires Inducted | publisher=Australian Football League | access-date=2 August 2014}}

Crouch died on 5 August 1994 from cancer.{{cite news | url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&docID=news940805_0287_6640 | title=Jeff Crouch dies after cancer fight | work=The Age | date=5 August 1994 | access-date=2 August 2014 | author=Oldfield, Stewart}}