Player Watch Ben Keays - Signs on til 2027

[Golumless]

My issue with Keays is his midfield work has stagnated/regressed over the last 20 or so games. His in close work is not actually that good and he often fails to do the first give.

As a half forward I prefer him to Murphy and McHenry however.

Yup, I think we're done with the days of Keays being a midfielder. Crouch coming back is a pretty big signal with that.

He does the defensive forward role rather well though, and if his current performance keeps up, we're likely in a position that it isn't worth upgrading unless we get lucky with a rookie pick or something along those lines.

He's not really a 20 disposal a game half forward. He's had around half a dozen almost entirely midfield games where he's racked up close to 30 touches that skew those numbers. It's closer to 15 disposals a game, but whatever.

I'm not convinced it's hard to find someone who can play his role at least as well as him, without the same flaws in their game. If I'm wrong, I guess we won't be replacing him for a while!

I lean the other way, it is hard to find players who play that role well. Bottom of the rotation forwards can be a graveyard for footballers, especially younger lads.

The other thing to factor is ideally we're not spending a lot of money on Keays, and we really shouldn't be anyway seeing how top-heavy our forward line is. We're not built in a way that you want good forwards here because of a lack of elite talent. It's the opposite, where it's just gap-filling because you have the elite forwards.

 

[skam85]

Whenever he has the ball, he's such a boner killer.
All this stuff about Greene, Heeney, Bolton blah blah blah, they don't countlessly ruin momentum of a forward play when they get the ball.
Keays with the ball has cost us a certain goal at least 15 times this year, a lot of them in close games which if we won has us pushing top 4.

 

[Coopers]

Whenever he has the ball, he's such a boner killer.
All this stuff about Greene, Heeney, Bolton blah blah blah, they don't countlessly ruin momentum of a forward play when they get the ball.
Keays with the ball has cost us a certain goal at least 15 times this year, a lot of them in close games which if we won has us pushing top 4.

The game vs brissy was really strange.

Couple of great crumbing goals, sweet checkside pass to Tex, great pressure.

Then a couple of absolute Howlers, missing Fog who had good separation, without any real excuse.

 

[BACCS]

Whenever he has the ball, he's such a boner killer.
All this stuff about Greene, Heeney, Bolton blah blah blah, they don't countlessly ruin momentum of a forward play when they get the ball.
Keays with the ball has cost us a certain goal at least 15 times this year, a lot of them in close games which if we won has us pushing top 4.

Can you just at least admit your bias here? He’s had 19 disposals, 10 score involvements, one goal assist and kicked multiple goals for the 7th time this season. You’re saying he cost us the game because of maybe one or two mistakes, but Tex or Laird’s misses from 20m out weren’t more costly? What is your angle here, that an AFL player can never make a mistake? I’ve never seen such dislike for a player that contributes 20 touches, multiple score assists and a goal per game.

If he’s cost us 15 goals this year, name them, should be easy given you’ve said a number. Or, you could just look at stats that matter and acknowledge he’s actually contributed 40 goals for the season.

 

[BACCS]

The game vs brissy was really strange.

Couple of great crumbing goals, sweet checkside pass to Tex, great pressure.

Then a couple of absolute Howlers, missing Fog who had good separation, without any real excuse.

Was he the only player to miss a pass inside 50? I would have thought the rest of his game significantly outweighs a couple of missed kicks I50

 

[skam85]

Can you just at least admit your bias here?

 

[BACCS]

I just present the facts, you seem to be basing your opinion on something you can’t even quantify and just plucked a number out of nowhere. Why can’t you name the 15 missed chances?

 

[rabidcrow]

This is a question that can be answered without stats. Streaming forward, or in fact in almost any possession chain, would trust the ball in Bolton, Bailey, Heeney, Elliott, Papley, Greene's hands to dispose of the ball in a manner that positively impacts your side?

Yes.

Keays? no.

Clearly Keays is a no. He has been better at understand his limitations and working within then this year but still does that 1-2 horrible turnovers per game.

However at the moment he is the best option for us in that role. So behind Rachele, Rankine and Pedlar - in front of Murphy, McHenry

Rightly or wrongly the club don’t see it in Newchurch - I don’t watch enough Sanfl to comment

Cook completely different type of player and would not provide the good that Keays does even if he wouldn’t do the bad!


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[adelaidecrows]

If Cook had just half of Benny's energy levels and gut busting competitiveness he could be an out and star but sadly that's lacking currently.

Needs a decent go.

 

[skam85]

I just present the facts, you seem to be basing your opinion on something you can’t even quantify and just plucked a number out of nowhere. Why can’t you name the 15 missed chances?

and yet you keep banging on about a forward that averages 20 touches a game when clearly he plays many midfield minutes

 

[Coopers]

Was he the only player to miss a pass inside 50? I would have thought the rest of his game significantly outweighs a couple of missed kicks I50

No he wasn't but the two I can think of where he missed Fog were terrible.

Does the good outweight the bad? Yeah probably.

Were they still absolute shithouse howlers, yes too.

 

[Coopers]

Can you just at least admit your bias here? He’s had 19 disposals, 10 score involvements, one goal assist and kicked multiple goals for the 7th time this season. You’re saying he cost us the game because of maybe one or two mistakes, but Tex or Laird’s misses from 20m out weren’t more costly? What is your angle here, that an AFL player can never make a mistake? I’ve never seen such dislike for a player that contributes 20 touches, multiple score assists and a goal per game.

If he’s cost us 15 goals this year, name them, should be easy given you’ve said a number. Or, you could just look at stats that matter and acknowledge he’s actually contributed 40 goals for the season.

Laird's misses were the ones. Holy shit those were awful.

Tex's as well, although that was q2. wow.

 

[BACCS]

and yet you keep banging on about a forward that averages 20 touches a game when clearly he plays many midfield minutes

That's your issue? Papley just played the most recent game as a full time midfielder and has been playing far more midfield time this season. Bailey goes into the midfield, so does Bolton and many others who play the half forward/mid role. You made up a random stat and can't back it up, at least own it.

 

[hugecannon]

Not whole he's been so average in the SANFL. Needs to lift, looks to me like he really lacks the hunger required to be a good AFL player currently. It would help IMO if we reverted back to what got him drafted in the first place. Half forward where his overhead prowess can be utilised better and the fact he's so dangerous around goals.

If Macadam does move in then maybe his role gets filled by Cook next year.

Not that I want us to lose macadam, but hopefully someone with Cook’s talent we can get him in the side .

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

If Macadam does move in then maybe his role gets filled by Cook next year.

Not that I want us to lose macadam, but hopefully someone with Cook’s talent we can get him in the side .

Gollant would take McAdams role.

 

[maxlilly]

I think an in form Brayden Cook is a lot more like for like than Lachie Gollant when played forward personally.

It would be great to see these two guys given a good crack at it up forward next year.
I think Cook is a class player that would be great up forward, he isn't an accumulating mid like they are trying to make him to be.

 

[maxlilly]

I think Cook can more easily be accommodated in our forward line than Gollant who I see more as a chance to come on for a KPF role most likely if any of our KPF's get injured.

I'd actually like to see Lachie reassigned to defence with our current situation with tall defenders both now and next season remembering he played mostly a defensive winger/half back for the Calder Cannons before we drafted him. Could be his best chance at least in the short term to play regular AFL.

Yeah, it's a bit of a squeeze up forward. I wonder if Gollant could play that Tom Lynch role on HFF ?

 

[Peter Doherty]

Bearded Clam Your delivery address, please?

Adelaide Crows Keays Poster Tee (No Refund or Exchange)

For Official Guernseys, Training Gear, Apparel, Accessories and more. Support your club with each purchase. Shop Now!

shop.afc.com.au

 

[cleanhands]

View attachment 1776082

Bearded Clam Your deliveryaddress, please?

Adelaide Crows Keays Poster Tee (No Refund or Exchange)

For Official Guernseys, Training Gear, Apparel, Accessories and more. Support your club with each purchase. Shop Now!

shop.afc.com.au

If the delivery is like his kicking it won’t find Bearded Clam

 

[BACCS]

skam85 I assume you can’t back up your claim, given you went the route of laughing at my post?

 

[BRL121]

Ben got a great shout-out from Kingy tonight on 360.

 

[jamesclean]

View attachment 1776082

Bearded Clam Your delivery address, please?

Adelaide Crows Keays Poster Tee (No Refund or Exchange)

For Official Guernseys, Training Gear, Apparel, Accessories and more. Support your club with each purchase. Shop Now!

shop.afc.com.au

this is actually sick hahaha

 

[Danger in Texas]

this is actually sick hahaha

I’d buy it

That said, I’d buy a Tony Armstrong Crows t-shirt

 

[Danger in Texas]

Look, Keays has averaged 18 touches and over a goal a game in games where he's played under 30% CBA time this year

He's EASILY better than Murphy and McHenry

 

[BACCS]

Ben got a great shout-out from Kingy tonight on 360.

He’s the 2nd highest rated forward behind Curnow over the last 7 weeks. King also showed some brilliant clips from the Brisbane game of how hard he runs to earn his goals or provide score assists. His goal assist to Tex in our goal square came from a gut run down the middle from D50 as soon as we had turned the ball over. There’s a reason he gets so many open goals, it’s because he burns off his opponent and reads the play so well.