AFL 2025: How Adelaide fended off Collingwood to re-sign Mark Keane

It was the purported trade to Collingwood that had Adelaide supporters concerned. But the Crows fended off Mark Keane from the Magpies’ clutches. Go inside the negotiations here.

It was the purported trade that had Adelaide fans worrying, but Matthew Nicks was “shocked” it was even a discussion.

Collingwood was coming hard to get Mark Keane back in a black and white guernsey and fill the defensive void left after Nathan Murphy medically retired.

Keane had played 21 games in Adelaide’s poor 2024 season, but the key defender was a strange omission from the final game of the season against Sydney.

The Crows granted the 25-year-old personal leave so he could return to Ireland for family reasons.

Collingwood came calling for Mark Keane. Picture: Getty Images

But a call into an Adelaide radio station claiming Keane had walked out on the club had fans, already jaded from a bottom-four finish, panicking one of the few shining lights of the campaign wanted out.

Nicks knew the rumours about Keane, who went down in Showdown folklore with his game-saving mark in his last game, weren’t true.

Mark Keane takes the match-saving mark

“I hadn’t really thought about it to be honest, Keaney and I were in constant conversation,” he said.

“He went back to Ireland and we were chatting right through it.

“I would have been shocked (if he left for Collingwood), put it that way.

“But it was an early part of us getting to know each other and building a relationship, so you just never know with that sort of stuff but I was confident he was enjoying Adelaide.

“He was enjoying the group here and the culture that we have built and I think that has showed through now.”

It didn’t take long after he returned to Ireland for Adelaide to announce a three-year extension for Keane, improving their offer to ward away rival interest.

But it wasn’t as simple as that.

The Crows were able to hold on to the defender. Picture: Getty Images

The Magpies thought they were in the running to lure Keane back to Melbourne and partner him with captain Darcy Moore.

He played five matches for the Pies after being drafted as a Category B rookie in 2018.

But after becoming homesick, with Covid isolation and travel restrictions exacerbating his issues, Keane travelled to Ireland for the 2021 Christmas break and did not return to Melbourne.

The Magpies had rated Keane highly during his first stint in the AFL.

He returned to Australia in 2023 and quickly impressed at West Lakes following Fischer McAsey’s retirement, with the Crows having a vacancy on their list.

Keane during his time at the Magpies. Picture: Getty Images

But despite his impressive training form, Crows high performance boss Darren Burgess was worried about Keane’s level of conditioning from his time in Ireland.

A player agent, who had seen Keane playing in the SANFL, said Adelaide had found a talented prospect but there were doubts he would fully commit to AFL and that Keane could again move home to Ireland.

But those doubts were put to bed after his club debut in a Showdown was quickly followed by a new contract.

He didn’t return home in the off-season, instead putting in a strong training block and securing a key defensive post for the Crows’ senior side.

Keane‘s Showdown-saving mark. Picture: Getty Images

But while Keane was finding a home in Adelaide, a lot of his friends lived in Melbourne, which Collingwood used in its negotiations.

Despite being contracted until the end of 2025, Keane strongly considered his former club’s pitch.

Collingwood’s offer was considered a strong financial deal, but Adelaide raised its initial offerings to get him over the line.

But that wasn’t the only reason for Keane.

“I have a lot of friends and stuff in Melbourne, but I asked myself why I’m here, I’m here to play AFL, so that’s the reason why I’ve stayed here,” he said on the Crows Show last month.

Adelaide knew Keane loved playing Gaelic sports when he returned home, and allowing the defender to participate could only help keep him happy.

Despite the injury risks, the Crows approved Keane to play hurling for Cork and Gaelic football for Mitchelstown during the season breaks.

He is one of the few people who has played both sports at a senior level for Cork.

Keane said being allowed to scratch his itch during the AFL off-season helped keep him grounded in Australia.

“I don’t think I would be able to do it if I couldn’t go home at least once a year just to go back and refresh and see my friends and family and just recharge the battery,” he said.

Nicks said he was mindful of Keane’s desire to play the Gaelic sports, however limited the appearances might be.

“He was playing a bit of hurling over there as well and I knew that was going on as well,” he said.

“So we were trying to balance what exactly was it we were happy for him to go into a risk a bit of injury but we know there’s a balance between life and footy and I think he did that really well.

“It is a footy life balance which you need to get right because if footy is everything and it is the only thing and things aren’t going right there it is tough to get out of.

“So we have always focused on... there are bigger things in the world than footy, and our guys who have found that balance we find play a lot better.”

So don’t be surprised to see Keane running around on a pitch in Ireland.

And after a group of his Crows teammates went and watched one of his hurling matches, this time Nicks said he might go and check it out.

“I might spend my time in Ireland this break.”