Alex Keath’s Showdown Medal triumph highlights a major gain for Don Pyke’s new defensive game
Novice defender Alex Keath said he was surprised as he modestly collected the Showdown Medal. But the win was testament to the team-first mentality of the strongest defensive unit in Crows’ history.
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ALEX Keath missed very little in Showdown 46, as highlighted by his 12 intercept marks in the Crows defence that was bombarded with a derby-high 69 inside-50 entries by Port Adelaide.
But there will be many of his fellow AFL defenders who will take issue with Keath being so hesitant and modest in accepting the Showdown Medal that has elevated many Crows and Power midfielders’ reputations.
As Keath, in just his 20th AFL game, had his name called as the best-afield in the derby, the former first-class cricketer was standing at the back of the victorious Crows pack milling in the north-west pocket at Adelaide Oval. He even seemed reluctant to step forward to claim his medal … a moment many other big-name defenders from Showdowns past would not have pass in such an unassuming way.
“I’m pleased with the way I’m playing, but …,” said Keith, “we had a number of great contributors tonight.”
Team man first stands out as Keith’s calling card as much as his well-noted ability to frustrate opposition teams with his read of the play and effective marking.
“It did surprise me,” Keath said of joining the roll call of Showdown Medallists. “I’ll take it … I am very humbled and I feel very honoured.”
Crows coach Don Pyke has built the strongest defensive unit in Crows history with Keath and back-six colleagues conceding just 67 points on average in eight games this season. The rise of Keath to draw attention as an All-Australian contender is built, in part, from a change of fortunes on the training track.
“For the first time he has been at the club,” said Pyke of Keath, a 2016 rookie draftee, “he has been able to get a full pre-season and stay on the track. And from that you build confidence in your body — and real understanding of how you want to play. You start mastering some of your craft.
“Talent has never been the question. To his credit, he has done the work — and we’re seeing him blossom into a good player for us.”
Keath was part of a defensive unit that denied Port Adelaide’s start-up key forwards — Todd Marshall, Justin Westhoff, Patrick Ryder and Scott Lycett — a goal. It also had to withstand the Power’s last-quarter rush of five unanswered goals that took a 44-point game to 12.
“They were coming really hard in the last quarter … and when they got some ball movement in the middle of the ground, they were looking really dangerous,” Keath said. “We tried to keep our composure as best as we could.
“In the past, we probably did not do that quite to (that) level.”
Adelaide’s stocks for extending its winning streak to five — by beating Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night — are expected to regain midfielder-defender Bryce Gibbs, who missed the derby as the Crows put a no-risk policy on his back complaint.
Richard Douglas (ankle) and Paul Seedsman (knee) are expected to become available for selection again this week.
Adelaide lost midfielder Matt Crouch (corked hip) early in the third term of the derby.
“We expect him to make sufficient progress to be available for next week’s game,” said club fitness coach Steve Saunders.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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