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 (age 25)
Place of birth	Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s)	Morningside Australian Football Club/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
Club information
Current club	Adelaide
Number	2
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2016–2019	Brisbane Lions	30 (11)
2020–	Adelaide	40 (15)
Total		70 (26)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 3 2022.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Keays was named captain of the Adelaide Crows in 2022 due to a long term injury to Rory Sloane.[1]

Early life

Born in Melbourne, Keays participated in the Auskick program at Hampton, Victoria.[2] Keays moved to Brisbane at five years of age[3] and continued playing Auskick at te Morningside Australian Football Club.[2] He attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace throughout his schooling years.[4] His great grandfather, Fred, played football for Fitzroy and Collingwood between 1919-1922 and served in both World War I and II.[5] His great uncle, Desmond, also played football for Fitzroy[6] while his uncle, Terry, played for Collingwood and Richmond. Ben began playing junior football for the Morningside Panthers[7] and was placed in the Brisbane Lions talent academy at the age of 14.[8] He was selected to represent Queensland in the 2014 and 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships,[9][10][11] and was selected in the 2014 and 2015 All-Australian teams.[12][13] He also captained Queensland to their first division 2 title in nine years at the 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships[14] and won the 2015 Hunter Harrison Medal for his performances across the three games.[15][16][17]

Keays was recruited by the Brisbane Lions with their third selection and 24th overall in the 2015 national draft.[18] He was the second academy selection for Brisbane after they matched a bid by the Western Bulldogs.[19]

AFL career

Keays made his AFL debut for Brisbane in round 6, 2016 against the Sydney Swans.[20] He won the Andrew Ireland Medal as best afield in the 2017 NEAFL Grand final, amassing 30 disposals, 9 tackles and 2 goals.[21] 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. [22]

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. [23] 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. [24] In October of 2021, he signed a contract which would keep him at the Adelaide Crows until the end of 2024. [25]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ben Keays.

• Ben Keays's profile on the official website of the Brisbane Lions
• Ben Keays's playing statistics from AFL Tables