Brad Crouch was one of the big stories of the trade period, with his move from Adelaide to the Saints becoming official on November 4.

In season 2021, he will play alongside fellow Ballarat exports Dan Butler, Rowan Marshall and Seb Ross as well as former Melbourne and Hawthorn footballer James Frawley, who was a shock pick-up last week after announcing his retirement.

Household names such as Tony Lockett and Danny Frawley were among those lured to St Kilda from Ballarat when the city was part of the club's recruiting zone and before the introduction of the national draft.

Crouch was quoted on saints.com.au saying the club's connection to his home region was an important one.

"I spoke a little bit about that (connection) to James Gallagher and Ratts (senior coach Brett Ratten)," Crouch said.

"Back in the day it was the region for St Kilda. There were a lot of great players from Ballarat. I still have a lot of friends and older mates from Ballarat who are St Kilda supporters, so I have a lot of support from them."

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Crouch was born in Beaufort and even played for the town's Central Highlands Football League club, which his father Phil would later go on to coach.

He went to school at Ballarat's St Patrick's College and was part of the successful football program there before being drafted to the Crows via the North Ballarat Rebels.

Crouch played 95 games and kicked 34 goals for Adelaide between 2013 and 2020 and won the club's best and fairest award - the Malcolm Blight Medal - in 2019.

Crouch said the shift to St Kilda was the right one.

"A couple of years ago, it would have been one of those things where you go, 'Oh, I'm not sure about St Kilda'," Crouch told saints.com.au.

"But then the way they've gone over the last few years, and the way they are going, (it is) not just the form of those players, but the whole way the club's going. Led by Ratts, it seems like it's going in the right direction.

"It got to the stage for me where it was just a complete no-brainer. The decision was just made and it was really clear for me."

While Crouch has joined St Kilda, his younger brother Matt remains with the Crows. He has played 109 games there after being drafted in 2013.

There had been even more Ballarat influence at St Kilda last season, but Nathan Brown retired and Nick Hind recently re-joined Essendon.