AFL: Adelaide and Port Adelaide news ahead of Round 10 of the 2021 season
Ben Keays has become an integral part of the Adelaide midfield, but it has been a rocky journey. He opens up on his rise, his time at the Lions and his haircut.
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This time 12 months ago Ben Keays was fearing his AFL career was in trouble – again.
Delisted by hometown club Brisbane at the end of the 2019 season, Keays was surprised to receive a career lifeline when Adelaide gave him a rookie deal for 2020 – at a time when he was content with playing in the VFL.
“I actually had gone down to Melbourne to speak to VFL clubs and I also caught up with Reidy (Adelaide list boss Justin Reid) at the same time,” Keays told The Advertiser.
“And I didn’t hear from him after that for a couple of months really.
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“I thought it was on ice but turns out they were trying to keep their cards close to their chest and they reckon they were always going to take me so it was a pretty good surprise to have on the day.”
But any respite for Keays was in serious danger of being short-lived when COVID hit the AFL, putting the season on ice and putting the futures of players like the now 24-year-old in danger.
“I was pretty down when that all happened,” he said.
“I was here on a one-year deal and they were talking about things like whether they would get a season away and what the next year looked like and they were going to cut the list down.
“And I was like far out, I got the chance and now it might be taken away again but I just used that COVID break to work hard and run and do weights and just got really fit and the season came back and I got the opportunity and played the rest of the season.”
Fast-forward a year later and after playing every game for the Crows after debuting in Round 2 when the season resumed from the COVID inflicted break, Keays is now one of the emerging leaders of the Adelaide midfield under Matthew Nicks.
After nine games this season Keays is averaging 27 disposals and five tackles a game after becoming one of the key cogs in the Crows engine room.
Now six years into an career, Keays said this showed that some players take longer to figure it out.
“It felt like my four years at Brisbane went by in a flash but yeah in saying that, you look back and there are lessons learnt along the way and it takes some blokes longer than others to be honest to work it all out,” he said.
“Just sort of knowing when to put the work in, it is almost that ‘train smart, not harder’ mentality.
“Also just making the most of each training session, when I was at Brisbane I had sort of gotten to a stage where I was just cruising through each session and just happy to be a footy player rather than trying to push myself.
“But then there was other times where I was pushing myself too hard and it was affecting my training and games so that’s what I’ve probably learnt over those six years.
“It takes some blokes longer than others to figure it out, some blokes come in and burn pretty bright pretty quickly but that wasn’t me I always knew I would have to put in a mountain of work early on.”
LIFE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
Keays was living the dream in Brisbane.
His family, Fitzroy supporting on his dad’s side, moved to the Queensland capital at the height of the Lions’ three-peat at the turn of the millennium.
“It was amazing to be up there as a footy fan in that city,” he said.
“Held on to those memories for a while.”
A member of Brisbane’s Academy, Keays was drafted by the club he grew up supporting with the 24th pick of the 2015 Draft and was able to work with some of his idols.
“Simon Black was my main one and I was lucky enough that in my first year at Brisbane he was the midfield coach so I got to work with him,” he said.
“He is just a model human really … I got told that apparently he has some of the biggest white line fever around.
“He is the best bloke off the field but once he got on the field it was like a bull at a gate and just ruthless and I love hearing that about him.
“Having known him personally he is just one of the best blokes ever, he will only talk about you he will never talk about himself.”
From Round 6 2016 to the end of the 2019 season Keays managed 30 games for the Lions.
But as the Lions rose from easybeats to finals contenders Keays found games in the AFL side harder and harder to come by.
“I got a little look at life after footy, which I’m really grateful that I got to look at that,” he said.
“Because for a while I knew it was going to end at Brisbane so I had a bit to prepare for life after footy.
“I think that is pretty important, some guys don’t get to experience that until they are older and they have no idea so I was pretty fortunate I got to experience it a bit younger and see what it was like.”
Keays also got to experience some of the stuff he didn’t really get the chance to get a taste of given the circumstances that started his AFL career.
“It was great to move away from my home state, I think everyone should do it at some point,” he said.
“It definitely helps you grow up a bit and mature more so yeah pretty grateful to have that opportunity while I’m young to live somewhere else.
“I was in my comfort zone so getting out of it was really good. I moved in with Paul Seedsman and his partner when I first came to Adelaide, I had never met Paul before and then I was living with him.
“It’s all the things draftees had to go through that I didn’t have to because I was able to stay at home when I was picked up.
“It’s what being in the AFL is, I think. A lot of guys have to move interstate and I think it has been pretty beneficial to me.”
REACHING FOR THE PEROXIDE
His hard-running and crash and bash style wasn’t the only thing that stood out about Keays when he forced his way into the Crows side after the season resumed last year.
Like many other AFL players, lockdown had Keays reaching for the peroxide.
But his approach, bleaching the top while leaving the back and sides seemed to work.
“Just when I went back to Queensland, it was something I did and I thought it was pretty funny so I tried to rock my own hairstyle and it was a little bit of fun,” he said.
“I was just trying to be myself.
“Not sure (if he will do it again), I’ll let it happen naturally. When I go back up north I’ll let the sun do its job and light it up.”
Quickly though, Adelaide fans weren’t talking about Keays’ hair as he emerged as a bright-spark in a woeful start to the season by the Crows.
He initially impressed as a tagger, despite the Crows getting smashed most weeks, and eventually won a place as one of Adelaide’s chief ball-winners.
Not bad given that Keays is still getting used to life as an onballer again, after playing as a forward and on the wing for Brisbane.
“I was a midfielder in under 18s but when I got to the Lions I was more of a forward flank or wing, more of that and less on-ball time,” he said.
“So I sort of felt like I was playing catch-up a little bit and had to learn that inside craft so that is something that I am still working on.”
In the space of under a year Keays has become one of the mainstays in a much improved Crows midfield, with his importance further cemented by Matt Crouch not playing this year while Rory Sloane missed matches with an eye injury.
This has left Keays and Rory Laird as the leaders of the Crows midfield at time.
“We were a bit of a rag-tag bunch in there for a while,” he said.
“Lairdy has come off the halfback flank, thrown in the midfield and I’m kind of the same.”
It’s why Nicks and Keays sometimes challenge each other.
“Nicksy drives me pretty hard,” Keays said.
“He knows that I’m a guy that has high stands and he is on my back.
“I love that and he has been great for me. He has been a fantastic coach and we have really clicked and know how to talk to each other and give each other feedback.
“And now I’m trying to contribute to the overall group and where we are trying to get to.
“I’m sort of at that age and I’ve played enough games … it has forced me to step up and help everyone out which is fine by me I love doing it.”
Nicks issues huge challenge to top Crows pick
—Nick D’Urbano
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks will deploy No.2 draft pick Riley Thilthorpe as a second-ruck this week in order to help combat Melbourne’s imposing ruck duo of Max Gawn and Luke Jackson.
Thilthorpe will partner with Reilly O’Brien in an attempt to quell the influence of the Demons captain and the returning Jackson as the Crows look to spring an upset against the undefeated Demons.
Nicks said that the use of the 18-year-old further up the ground will also help manage O’Brien’s heavy workload.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE ROUND 10 TEAMS
“We think that Thilthorpe is ready for an opportunity a little bit more up around the footy, we’ve changed our mix slightly this week … so we’ll use Riley in that second ruck position,” Nicks said.
“ROB (O’Brien) plays a lot of time in the ruck to the point we’re mindful of that and we are looking to manage that a little bit throughout the season,
“This will be one where we go up against, again, one of the best rucks in the competition so it’ll be a great challenge and we think Riley will embrace that.”
Nicks also said they’ll look to give O’Brien a rest at some point throughout the season and hopes they haven’t asked too much of the 25-year-old throughout the opening nine games.
“We’re not quite at the midway point yet but it is something we are keeping an eye on,” Nicks said.
“We’re mindful it is a tough position, it’s bash and crash, it’s wrestle, he’s an ultimate professional so he gets himself right each week,
“At times during the week it looks like he’s going to struggle and then he gets himself right to go and it’s something we are looking at,
“At some point we will have to manage ROB throughout the year.”
The Crows will welcome back leading goal-kicker Taylor Walker and Ned McHenry to the side as they look to fix their forward-half issues.
In particular, Nicks singled out their inability to lock it inside their forward 50 as their “achilles heel” but believes if they can execute they may be able to trouble Melbourne.
“It helps a little because we have a slightly smaller forward line,” Nicks said.
“We get Ned in there, Sam Berry stays forward of the ball and without giving too much away we’ve got a few smaller players in there with speed and more pressure.
“They’ve been the benchmark, they’ve obviously gone undefeated to this point, when they’re challenged in their back-half there’s some opportunity there but they’ve shown this year that not many teams have been able to do it for too long.”
Despite losing their last five and going in as massive underdogs, Nicks said his side are excited to welcome the “ultimate challenge”.
“Excitement is the feeling,” Nicks said.
“If you look at purely the data and the numbers, it’s going to be a tough night for our guys,
“We love that, we want to make it a fight and we will bring a fight to them.”
POWER LOSE ORAZIO. TEX BACK FOR CROWS
—Glenn McFarlane
Port Adelaide’s leading goalkicker from the first nine rounds, Orazio Fantasia, will join Tom Clurey on the sidelines for the clash with Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday.
But while Clurey’s broken jaw will see him miss up to six week, the Power remains hopeful Fantasia – who has booked 17.17 from nine games – won’t be sidelined for long with a minor leg issue.
They have regained Dan Houston from a shoulder injury and have named Lachie Jones in the squad after he overcame his syndesmosis injury earlier than expected.
Adelaide has made four changes for their clash with Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, with Taylor Walker a welcome return after he was managed last week.
Melbourne has dumped big-name recruit Ben Brown after only three games with his new club as the unbeaten Demons look to extend their 2021 winning streak into double figures.
The ladder leaders had to make a hard call on one of their big forwards with impressive youngster Luke Jackson cleared to return from finger surgery for Saturday’s clash with Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
It came down to a choice between Brown and Sam Weideman – who both went goalless against Carlton last week – with coach Simon Goodwin opting for the latter this week.
Brown, 28, had a difficult pre-season as he had to overcome a knee issue and was overlooked in some early games before making his debut in red and blue against his old side North Melbourne in his native Tasmania in Round 7.
He booted five goals in his three games this year, but will now have to work his way back to form in the VFL.
Collingwood caused a minor selection shock by naming vice-captain Taylor Adams for the MCG clash with Port Adelaide on Sunday, with his return from his knee injury coming ahead of schedule in a boost for the struggling Magpies.
Jordan Roughead and Nathan Murphy have proved their fitness after missing with concussion.
Richmond has named an unchanged side for Friday night’s Gabba clash with Brisbane, apart from Rhyan Mansell being an omission from last week’s 23.
Brisbane has lost defenders Darcy Gardiner and Ryan Lester to injury for the clash with the Tigers.
St Kilda will welcome back co-captain Jarryn Geary for his first AFL game of the season when the Saints take on the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.
Shaun McKernan has also been included for the clash, with Rowan Marshall sidelined, while Tom Highmore and Ben Long have been dropped.
Lachie Hunter returns for the Bulldogs, while Easton Wood and Pat Lipinski are out injured.
Tim English remains sidelined due to the effects of his concussion suffered in Round 6.
MORE: KFC SUPERCOACH TEAMS ANALYSIS, ADVICE, WHISPERS
ROUND 10 TEAMS
(all times AEST)
BRISBANE LIONS v RICHMOND
Friday May 21, 7.50pm at the Gabba
LIONS
B: Coleman, Andrews, Starcevich
HB: Rich, Adams, Birchall
C: Zorko, Bailey, McCluggage
HF: Ah Chee, Daniher, McCarthy
F: McStay, Hipwood, Cameron
FOLL: McInerney, Lyons, Robinson
I/C: Robertson, Prior, Mathieson, Madden
EMG: T.Berry, Fullarton, Ballenden, Michael
IN: Madden
OUT: Gardiner, Lester (both injured)
TIGERS
B: Broad, Balta, Grimes
HB: Short, Vlastuin, Ralphsmith
C: McIntosh, Collier-Dawkins, Pickett
HF: Rioli, Naish, Castagna
F: Lynch, Martin, Riewoldt
FOLL: Nankervis, Baker, Graham
I/C: Ross, Houli, Aarts, Astbury
EMG: Dow, Caddy, Coleman-Jones, Martyn
IN: Ross
OUT: Mansell (managed)
CARLTON v HAWTHORN
Saturday May 22, 1.45pm at the MCG
BLUES
B: Saad, Jones, Plowman
HB: Williams, Weitering, Docherty
C: Cottrell, Cripps, Setterfield
HF: Murphy, De Koning, Setterfield
F: Gibbons, McKay, Owies
FOLL: Pittonet, Walsh, Curnow
I/C: Betts, Stocker, Newman, Silvagni
EMG: Kennedy, Newnes, Honey, Casboult
IN: De Koning, Silvagni
OUT: Cuningham (injured), Casboult (managed), Parks (omitted)
HAWKS
B: Hardwick, Hartigan, Frost
HB: Greaves, Jiath, Impey
C: Shiels, Cousins, Phillips
HF: Worpel, Breust, Wingard
F: Moore, Lewis, Koschitzke
FOLL: McEvoy, Mitchell, O’Meara
I/C: Scrimshaw, Morrison, Hanrahan, Reeves
EMG: Howe, Morris, O’Brien, Hartley
IN: Greaves, Reeves
OUT: Hartley, O’Brien, Howe (all omitted)
GEELONG v GOLD COAST
Saturday May 22, 2.10pm at GMHBA Stadium
CATS
B: Henderson, Blicavs, Henry
HB: Atkins, Stewart, Bewes
C: Smith, C.Guthrie, Menegola
HF: Higgins, Cameron, Narkle
F: Close, Hawkins, Rohan
FOLL: Ratugolea, Duncan, Selwood
I/C: Kolodjashnij, Tuohy, Parfitt, Dahlhaus
EMG: Clark, Stanley, Holmes, Z.Guthrie
IN: Kolodjashnij, Dahlhaus
OUT: Z.Guthrie, Clark, Holmes (all omitted)
SUNS
B: Powell, Collins, Lemmens
HB: Lukosius, Ballard, Markov
C: Ellis, Greenwood, Atkins
HF: Weller, Burgess, Holman
F: Rankine, King, Sexton
FOLL: Smith, Swallow, Miller
I/C: Anderson, Corbett, Flanders, Graham
EMG: Ainsworth, Brodie, MacPherson, Rosas
IN: Holman, Sexton, Smith, Miller
OUT: Rosas, Ainsworth, MacPherson (all omitted), Farrar (injured), Bowes (injured)
ADELAIDE v MELBOURNE
Saturday May 22, 4.35pm at Adelaide Oval
CROWS
B: Doedee, Butts, Murray
HB: Smith, Jones, Brown
C: Sholl, Keays, Seedsman
HF: McHenry, Walker, Berry
F: Rowe, Thilthorpe, Fogarty
FOLL: O’Brien, Laird, Sloane
I/C: Schoenberg, Kelly, McAdam, Mackay
EMG: O’Connor, Hamill, Frampton, McPherson
IN: Murray, McHenry, Walker
OUT: Hamill, Frampton, O’Connor, McPherson (all omitted)
DEMONS
B: Hibberd, May, Lever
HB: Salem, Petty, Hunt
C: Brayshaw, Petracca, Langdon
HF: Jordon, McDonald, Neal-Bullen
F: Spargo, Jackson, Fritsch
FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Pickett
I/C: Harmes, Melksham, Rivers, Weideman
EMG: Sparrow, Chandler, Jetta, B.Brown
IN: Jackson
OUT: B.Brown (omitted)
WESTERN BULLDOGS v ST KILDA
Saturday May 22, 7.25pm at Marvel Stadium
BULLDOGS
B: Hunter, R.Smith, Weightman
HB: Johannisen, Hannan, McNeil
C: Scott, Liberatore, B.Smith
HF: Keath, Bruce, Cordy
F: Dale, Bontempelli, Naughton
FOLL: Sweet, Macrae, Treloar
I/C: Duryea, Daniel, Williams, Crozier
EMG: Le.Young, Khamis, Butler, Garcia
IN: Hunter
OUT: Wood, Lipinski (both injured)
SAINTS
B: Frawley, Wilkie, Geary
HB: Webster, Howard, Sinclair
C: Billings, Crouch, Hill
HF: Butler, Battle, Higgins
F: Lonie, Membrey, King
FOLL: Ryder, Steele, Ross
I/C: Clark, Bytel, Byrnes, McKernan
EMG: Highmore, Connolly, Joyce, Dunstan
IN: Geary, McKernan
OUT: Marshall (injured), Highmore, Long (both omitted)
FREMANTLE v SYDNEY
Saturday May 22, 7.40pm at Optus Stadium
DOCKERS
B: Aish, Logue, Ryan
HB: Wilson, Cox, Tucker
C: Acres, Mundy, Colyer
HF: Crowden, Lobb, Switkowski
F: Schultz, Taberner, Walters
FOLL: Darcy, Fyfe, Cerra
I/C: Treacy, Henry, Serong, Watson
EMG: Conca, Duman, Blakely, Meek
IN: Ryan, Treacy
OUT: Duman, Brayshaw, Conca
SWANS
B: McCartin, Rampe, Lloyd
HB: Hewett, Fox, Cunningham
C: Mills, Kennedy, Blakely
HF: Wicks, McLean, Hayward
F: Papley, Franklin, Heeney
FOLL: Hickey, Parker, Rowbottom
I/C: Dawson, Florent, Warner, Stephens
EMG: Clarke, McInerney, O’Riordan, Amartey
IN: Stephens
OUT: McInerney (managed), Bell (omitted0
GWS GIANTS v WEST COAST
Sunday May 23, 1.10pm at Giants Stadium
GIANTS
B: Buckley, Taylor, Haynes
HB: Buntine, Cumming, Reid
C: Whitfield, Ward, Ash
HF: Hill, Finlayson, Kelly
F: Lloyd, Hogan, Himmelberg
FOLL: Flynn, Taranto, Hopper
I/C: Idun, Green, Riccardi, Mumford
EMG: Shipley, Bruhn, Briggs, O’Halloran
IN: Haynes, Reid, Finlayson, Mumford, Sproule
OUT: Greene, Perryman, Bruhn, Briggs, O’Halloran
EAGLES
B: Edwards, Barrass, Sheppard
HB: Hurn, Rotham, Cole
C: Redden, Sheed, Cripps
HF: Brander, Darling, Petruccelle
F: Allen, Kennedy, Ryan
FOLL: Naitanui, Kelly, Gaff
I/C (from): Witherden, Williams, Ah Chee, Waterman
EMG: Jones, Langdon, O’Neil, Nelson
IN: Edwards, Hurn, Ryan, O’Neill
OUT: McGovern (injured), Langdon, Nelson, Jones
COLLINGWOOD v PORT ADELAIDE
Sunday May 23, 3.20pm at the MCG
MAGPIES
B: Mayne, Roughead, Maynard
HB: Quaynor, Moore, Noble
C: Hoskin-Elliott, Adams, Poulter
HF: Sidebottom, Cameron, T.Brown
F: Thomas, De Goey, Mihocek
FOLL: Grundy, Pendlebury, Crisp
I/C: C.Brown, Daicos, McCreery, Wilson
IN: Roughead, Adams
OUT: Henry, Madgen, Keane (all omitted)
POWER
B: Burton, McKenzie, Aliir
HB: Harlett, Jonas, Byrne-Jones
C: Houston, Wines, Amon
HF: Georgiades, Marshall, Motlop
F: Rozee, Dixon, Gray
FOLL: Ladhams, Boak, Powell-Pepper
I/C (from): Drew, Bonner, Farrell, Jones
EMG: Woodcock, Lienert, Bergman, Mayes
IN: Jones, McKenzie, Houston
OUT: Clurey, Fantasia (both injured), Frederick, Bergman (omitted)
ESSENDON v NORTH MELBOURNE
Sunday May 23, 4.40pm at Marvel Stadium
BOMBERS
B: Laverde, Stewart, Redman
HB: Heppell, Ridley, Hind
C: McGrath, Merrett, Cox
HF: Waterman, Jones, Snelling
F: Hooker, Wright, McDonald-Tipungwuti
FOLL: Phillips, Parish, Langford
I/C: Stewart, Langford, Wright, Guelfi
EMG: Ambrose, Cahill, Ham, Bryan
IN: Waterman
OUT: Smith (injured), Ham
KANGAROOS
B: Hall, McKay, Atley
HB: Ziebell, Walker, Menadue
C: Dumont, Cunnington, La.Young
HF: Turner, Larkey, Zurhaar
F: Taylor, Campbell, Thoas
FOLL: Goldstein, Davies-Uniacke, Simpkin
I/C: Mahony, Garner, Powell, Lazzaro
EMG: Scott, Xerri, Bosenavulagi, Phillips
IN: Nil
OUT: Phillips (omitted)
INJURED CROWS STAR FORCED TO GO UNDER KNIFE
—Russell Gould and Liz Walsh
Luckless Crows midfielder Matt Crouch will undergo surgery after suffering persistent groin pain, which has not responded to treatment.
Crows football boss Adam Kelly said surgery to stabilise his tendon was now the best option after his groin soreness flared again this week.
He said Crouch had been making good progress rebuilding his training loads after hip and groin complaints and had joined in Adelaide’s main training session early last week, but had now suffered the setback.
“Unfortunately, Matt’s groin injury has not responded as well as we had hoped,” Kelly said.
“We had managed his training loads accordingly and he had progressed to joining main training with the group last week.
“But he has continued to present with persistent groin pain which has led to the decision to have surgery.”
Crouch, who is out of contract at the end of his season, hasn’t played a game this year after undergoing an off-season operation on his right hip, and then reporting groin soreness after playing in a pre-season game against Port Adelaide at Noarlunga in early March.
Teammate Harry Schoenberg said even though Crouch remained on the sidelines, he was still a vital cog in the Crows’ engine because he was urging the team’s emerging midfield stars to find the level needed to become a regular winning outfit.
“He’s vice-captain of the club and is always around, he’s been a great model,” Schoenberg said on Tuesday.
“For me personally we sit down a lot and discuss how my game went, viewing stoppages, all different sorts of stuff. He’s been great.
“And last year during that COVID period I trained with him one-on-one and he showed me what the level to train at was like.
“He’s been awesome for me.”
Kelly said no time frame had been set on when the 26-year-old would return to the field, with more information would be known post-surgery.
“Matt is an important player and one of our leaders so we look forward to him recovering and returning to play the quality football we know he is capable of,” he said.
Meanwhile, Adelaide will wait for further clinical assessments before making a call as to whether small forward Ned McHenry will be available for selection for Saturday’s game against top-placed Melbourne at Adelaide Oval.
McHenry missed the club’s Round 9 loss to West Coast after he was concussed a week earlier in the Showdown.
Adelaide is hopeful, however, that young midfielder Luke Pedlar will play against Norwood in the SANFL on Saturday after overcoming groin soreness.
‘ELITE’ LAIRD PONDERS WHEN CROWS’ LOSING STREAK WILL END
Adelaide might be in the midst of a five-game losing streak and staring down the barrel of top 8 teams Melbourne then Richmond in the next fortnight, but Crows midfielder Rory Laird says his side is relishing the learnings that come from taking on the league’s best teams.
After a bright 3-1 start, the Crows haven’t won a game since Round 4, and are now languishing at 3-6 and sitting 15th on the ladder.
“Obviously we’re in a tough period at the moment, but we’re in a good space in terms of adapting our game and learning how to fine tune it so we can be competitive, and hopefully beat a couple of these higher teams,” Laird said after the Crows 30-point loss to West Coast in Perth on Sunday.
“We are such a young team and playing especially against these really strong premiership-contending teams it’s really good for our growth.
“We’re in a bit of a tough patch of opponents, but we relish that.”
The Crows’ early wins came against Geelong (+12 points), Gold Coast (+10 points) and North Melbourne (+41 points).
But their past three games have been substantial losses at the hands of West Coast (-30 points), Port Adelaide (-49 points) and Greater Western Sydney (-67 points).
According to Champion Data, the major change in the Crows game has come about in their ability to score when going inside their forward 50: for the first four rounds of the season, Adelaide ranked #1 in the league for score per inside-50 (51.8 per cent). But from Rounds 5-9, they’ve slumped to worst (33.8 per cent).
That inability to maintain offence pressure meant that on Sunday from their 56 inside-50s against West Coast, the Crows managed a score of 11.10.
But positives are still there for Adelaide and chief among them is how well Laird has adjusted to his new role as an inside mid.
So far this season, Laird is rated by Champion Data as elite for disposals (30.4), ground ball-gets (10.4) and clearances (6.9). He’s rated above average for uncontested possessions (16.1), score involvements (6.1) and tackles (5.6).
On Saturday, he had his second-straight game of 36 touches, and kicked his first goal for the season.
Laird said he’d been working closely with new assistant coach, and former teammate, Nathan van Berlo on his transition from a defensive role in the middle.
“He’s putting me in a position around stoppages to be able to go and find the football and he’s giving me a lot of confidence in what I’m doing,” he said.
“And I’m still learning the position.
“I’ve only played it for about 15 or 16 games (starting late last season), so I’m still learning the ins and outs of it but when you’re around the ball that much, it’s nice to be involved in the game and I will keep trying to adapt my game.
“(But) I’m really enjoying my role and hopefully I can keep building on it.”
Laird is also enjoying working in tandem with his captain, Rory Sloane, and emerging talent Ben Keays.
“When we started the season with Keaysy and Sloaney and I in the middle, we had a bit of a thing going and unfortunately Sloaney had that horrible injury to his eye … (but in his second game on return), he’s a contested beast and around stoppages his leadership and his talk is really strong for us, crucial part of our midfield.
“Keaysy’s taken his game to another level, it’s a credit to him and his fitness and the way he covers the ground.”
Keays is now in his second season at Adelaide after being delisted by Brisbane and has enjoyed a rebirth in the middle and it shows on the stats sheet.
In his first season with the Lions in 2016, Keays played 16 games and gathered a total 182 touches for the entire season.
In 2020, he played 16 games for the Crows, for 265 disposals.
In 2021, he’s played nine games and has already amassed 243 touches to his season tally, so far. Keays had a career-best 32 touches against the Eagles, 11 of those contested, 10 inside-50s and six clearances.
“He’s super strong through his core and his hips, very diligent in his role and he’s been able to use that workrate to find the football and he works up and down the ground really strongly,” Laird said of his fellow midfielder.
“We work really well together.”
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