1. Ben Keays was born on 23 February 1997 and is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League.
23 Facts About Ben Keays
1. 2.
Ben Keays's great-grandfather Fred Keays represented both Fitzroy and Collingwood in the Victorian Football League.
3.
Ben Keays moved to Brisbane at five years of age and continued playing Auskick at the Morningside Australian Football Club.
4.
Ben Keays attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace throughout his schooling years.
5.
Ben Keays began playing junior football for the Morningside Panthers and was placed in the Brisbane Lions Academy at the age of 14.
6.
Ben Keays was selected to represent Queensland in the 2014 and 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships, and was selected in the 2014 and 2015 All-Australian teams.
7.
Ben Keays captained Queensland to their first division 2 title in nine years at the 2015 AFL Under 18 Championships and won the 2015 Hunter Harrison Medal for his performances across the three games.
8.
Ben Keays was recruited by the Brisbane Lions with their third selection and 24th overall in the 2015 national draft.
9.
Ben Keays was the second academy selection for Brisbane after they matched a bid by the Western Bulldogs.
10.
Ben Keays made his AFL debut for Brisbane in Round 6,2016, against the Sydney Swans.
11.
Ben Keays won the Andrew Ireland Medal as best afield in the 2017 NEAFL Grand final, amassing 30 disposals, 9 tackles and 2 goals.
12.
Ben Keays was delisted at the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season.
13.
Ben Keays was later picked up by the Adelaide Crows at pick 7 in the 2019 rookie draft.
14.
Ben Keays enjoyed a breakout 2020 AFL season, playing 16 games for the Crows.
15.
Ben Keays finished 5th in the Malcolm Blight Medal and won the Players' Trademark award.
16.
Ben Keays received competition-wide recognition with an impressive 2021 AFL season which was rewarded with a 2nd-place finish in the Malcolm Blight Medal.
17.
Ben 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.
18.
Ben Keays became one of three vice-captains of the Adelaide Crows prior to the 2024 season, joining Brodie Smith and Reilly O'Brien.
19.
In July 2024, Ben Keays broke Adelaide's club record for the most consecutive games played with 100 games, overtaking the record 99 games previously held by Scott Thompson.
20.
Ben Keays has not missed a game since his club debut in 2020.
21.
Just two weeks after a career-best four goals against his former side Brisbane, Ben Keays bested himself by kicking five goals from 22 disposals in what was a clear best-on-ground performance in a two-point victory against Essendon.
22.
Ben Keays shared the award with club captain Jordan Dawson, with both players polling 107 votes.
23.
Ben Keays won the Members' MVP Award and the Dr Brian Sando, OAM Trophy.