Ben Keays

Ben Keays (born 23 February 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). His great-grandfather Fred Keays represented both Fitzroy and Collingwood in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Ben Keays
Keays in April 2018
Personal information
Full name Ben Keays
Date of birth (1997-02-23) 23 February 1997
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) Morningside(QAFL)/Redland (NEAFL)
Draft No. 24, 2015 national draft (Academy selection)
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 89 kg (196 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder / forward
Club information
Current club Adelaide
Number 2
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2016–2019 Brisbane Lions 30 (11)
2020– Adelaide 81 (46)
Total 111 (57)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 22, 2023.
Career highlights
  • 2017 NEAFL premiership
  • 2019 NEAFL premiership
  • 2020 Adelaide Player's Trademark Award
  • 2021 Malcolm Blight Medal Runner-Up
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Born in Melbourne, Keays participated in the Auskick program at Hampton, Victoria.[1] Keays moved to Brisbane at five years of age[2] and continued playing Auskick at the Morningside Australian Football Club.[1] He attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace throughout his schooling years.[3] His great grandfather, Fred, played football for Fitzroy and Collingwood between 1919 and 1922 and served in both World War I and II.[4] His great uncle, Desmond, also played football for Fitzroy[5] while his uncle, Terry, played for Collingwood and Richmond. Ben began playing junior football for the Morningside Panthers[6] and was placed in the Brisbane Lions Academy at the age of 14.[7] He was selected to represent Queensland in the 2014 and 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships,[8][9][10] and was selected in the 2014 and 2015 All-Australian teams.[11][12] He also captained Queensland to their first division 2 title in nine years at the 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships[13] and won the 2015 Hunter Harrison Medal for his performances across the three games.[14][15][16]

Keays was recruited by the Brisbane Lions with their third selection and 24th overall in the 2015 national draft.[17] He was the second academy selection for Brisbane after they matched a bid by the Western Bulldogs.[18]

AFL career

Keays made his AFL debut for Brisbane in round 6, 2016 against the Sydney Swans.[19] He won the Andrew Ireland Medal as best afield in the 2017 NEAFL Grand final, amassing 30 disposals, 9 tackles and 2 goals.[20] He was delisted at the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season. Keays was later picked up by the Adelaide Crows at Pick 7 in the 2019 AFL Rookie Draft.[21]

Keays enjoyed a breakout 2020 AFL season, playing 16 games for the Crows. He finished 5th in the Malcolm Blight Medal and won the Players Trademark award.

He received competition-wide recognition with an impressive 2021 AFL season which was rewarded with a 2nd place finish in the Malcolm Blight Medal. [22] Keays shocked the AFL with an elite disposal average of 28.1 throughout the home and away season, as well as polling 11 votes in the 2021 Brownlow Medal. [23] In October of 2021, he signed a contract which would keep him at the Crows until the end of 2024.[24]

In an August 2023 match against the Sydney Swans, Keays had a shot for goal late in the game that was controversially adjudged to hit the post, but video evidence deemed this incorrect. On top of this, a video review wasn't called for. The goal would have given the Crows the lead with just a minute left but the Swans were able to run down the clock and win by a point. This result eliminated Adelaide from finals calculations with one round of the regular season remaining.[25]

References
  1. AFL Record. Round 9, 2022. pg 72
  2. Ben Keays has plenty of footballing history in his family as he makes his AFL debut
  3. Ben Keays says a surprising selection in a state team turned him into an AFL prospect
  4. Tough love: The lasting legacy of Fred Keays
  5. My ANZAC Story: Ben Keays
  6. 18 days until the draft: Ben Keays
  7. Proud young Lion wants the Gabba rocking again
  8. Sport, City South News (17 July 2014). "Ben has Keays to big future in AFL". Quest Newspapers. Queensland, Australia. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  9. "Queenslander Keays thrills in five-goal win over Tassie". 21 June 2014.
  10. Quayle, Emma (24 January 2015). "Academy teens get a taste of life in the AFL". The Age.
  11. Landsberger, Sam (27 January 2015). "AFL clubs to pay higher draft price for father-son, academy stars". Herald Sun.
  12. "Exciting draft prospects Christian Petracca and Patrick McCartin among 12 Victorians to earn All-Australian honours". Herald Sun. Victoria, Australia. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  13. "Division Two champions – Queensland vs. NSW/ACT recap". Brisbane: AFL Queensland. 2 July 2015. p. 5. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  14. "2015 Under 18 All Australians". Fox Sports. Melbourne. 4 July 2015. p. 5. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  15. "Ben Keays wins Hunter-Harrison medal". Fox Sports. Melbourne. 2 July 2015. p. 5. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  16. "Queensland U18s win title against wayward NSW/ACT". Melbourne: Australian Football League. 2 July 2015. p. 5. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  17. "Profile: Ben Keays". lions.com.au. Bigpond. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  18. "The Day Ben Keays Had Waited For". lions.com.au. Bigpond. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  19. Ben Keays is set to make his AFL debut for Brisbane Lions against Sydney Swans
  20. "Around the state leagues: Who's staking a finals claim?". afl.com.au. Bigpond. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  21. "Lions make further list changes".
  22. "Transformed Crow edges ex-Lion to win second Malcolm Blight Medal".
  23. "Brownlow Medal results - Every AFL club, every player, every vote". 19 September 2021.
  24. "Keays extends at West Lakes".
  25. "Gillon McLachlan blames 'human error' in controversial Crows behind call, admitting Ben Keays shot should have been a goal". ABC Australia. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
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