Adelaide Crows best-and-fairest 2024: Jordan Dawson, Ben Keays tie for Malcolm Blight Medal

Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson joined an exclusive club as a back-to-back winner of the Malcolm Blight Medal as the count finished in a historic tie for the first time.

Matt Turner

@mattturner1986

less than 2 min read

October 5, 2024 - 11:30PM

News Sport Network

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 19: Jordan Dawson of the Crows celebrates a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 06 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Essendon Bombers at Adelaide Oval on April 19, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

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Captain Jordan Dawson and hardworking forward Ben Keays have become the first joint winners of Adelaide’s best-and-fairest award.

The duo tied on 107 votes to each take home Malcolm Blight Medals — the second in two years for Dawson and a breakthrough honour for Keays.

In a thrilling count at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Saturday night, the 27-year-olds were level going into the last game of the season against Sydney before polling five votes each.

They finished 14 votes clear of runner-up Jake Soligo, who had a breakout season in the midfield.

Second-year defender Max Michalanney (89) and key forward Darcy Fogarty (87) were also in the top five.

Crows captain Jordan Dawson took home the Malcolm Blight Medal for the second year running.

Dawson shared the award with Ben Keays after his career-best campaign. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Dawson becomes just the fifth Crow to win the award in successive seasons, joining Mark Ricciuto (2003-04), Simon Goodwin (2005-06), Scott Thompson (2011-12) and Rory Laird (2021-22).

For Keays, it is reward for his remarkable consistency since joining Adelaide as a delisted free agent from Brisbane five years ago.

He has had top-five finishes in all bar one season at the club – fifth in 2020, runner-up in 2021, third in 2022, ninth last year – and not missed a game.

Keays booted a career-high 34 goals this past season while averaging 16 disposals.

Dawson made his move in the count during the middle part of the season, then Keays stormed home over a nine-game stretch when he kicked at least one major, averaged 18.5 disposals and had hauls of five and three goals.

Jordan Dawson's left leg in all it's glory ðŸ™Œ pic.twitter.com/qgRxi3mBOC
â€” Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) May 26, 2024

Keays was also recognised as the members’ most valuable player and received the Dr Brian Sando OAM Trophy for outstanding professionalism.

Dawson claimed the Players’ Trademark Award, while Soligo collected the emerging talent gong, named for dual premiership skipper Mark Bickley.

In other honours, ruckman Reilly O’Brien won the Crows Foundation Community Award for helping to deliver resilience training to thousands of school students across the state via the Open Parachute program.

It followed his national recognition at the Brownlow Medal when he received the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

Fogarty’s career-best 41-goal haul landed him his first leading goalkicker title.

Ruckman Kieran Strachan was crowned the club’s SANFL best-and-fairest for a third time.