Player Watch Ben Keays - Signs on til 2027

[beartoo]

Good signing. Important cog in the team. Durable, great tank, good goal awareness. Occasional iffy disposal about the only weak part of his game. Love his passion for the club and the game.

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[happy_knackers]

I reckon I saw him kick on the right at one stage on the weekend!

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[FR0GGY]

He loves how he runs all day. He said if Rory Laird did that he would be shocked.

Pretty sure Laird covers more kms than most I reckon.

 

[Soggy2112]

I can live with a Keays in the side as a pressure forward. It's when we add Murphy and McHenry in too that it's too much.

He's performed that role at a high level and is one we can deploy in a defensive role up forward who has the work rate to still hit the goals too. 2 would have been preferable, but 3 probably stops him testing free agency and takes him to he's 30.

Keays is definitely the best of the 3. When he plays that defensive forward/tagger role on the opposition’s most damaging half back he can be really effective.

I don’t understand why 3 years was necessary though. If he tests free agency so be it, we’re really not losing a huge amount if so.

At the moment it seems like he’s locked in to the best 22 and we’re trying to find him a role each week when it should be the other way around.

 

[jackster83]

Anyone who repeatedly causes misery to Carlton supporters is fine by me.

 

[Sanders]

Keays is definitely the best of the 3. When he plays that defensive forward/tagger role on the opposition’s most damaging half back he can be really effective.

I don’t understand why 3 years was necessary though. If he tests free agency so be it, we’re really not losing a huge amount if so.

At the moment it seems like he’s locked in to the best 22 and we’re trying to find him a role each week when it should be the other way around.

He’s an unrestricted free agent everytime he’s out of contract.

Because he’s been delisted he’s a permanent unrestricted free agent, so length of contract doesn’t matter - there’s no milestones to hit

 

[StickerMan]

I reckon if we are smart, we restructured his contract for this year by front loading it, hopefully meaning that we are freeing up some cash further for another crack at a monster target.

 

[rocket18]

Well deserved contract, one of our better performed senior players who busts his gut every week. Perhaps one year too long but wouldn't quibble about it.

Surprisingly his goal kicking is pretty good, I wouldn't have thought that was going to be the case before his move out the middle to the forward line.

 

[Slime Roy]

He came to the club in its darkest days, he's improving year on year, he loves the club & 'most' fans love him, he's helped us win more games than cost us losses, he's marketable as he stands out in the league..(for better or for worse) & just tonight K.Cornes coined him, the hardest working man in show-biz! (on national television) honestly, reckon we're pretty lucky to have each other

 

[adelaidecrows]

He came to the club in its darkest days, he's improving year on year, he loves the club & 'most' fans love him, he's helped us win more games than cost us losses, he's marketable as he stands out in the league..(for better or for worse) & just tonight K.Cornes coined him, the hardest working man in show-biz! (on national television) honestly, reckon we're pretty lucky to have each other

He is remarkably fit. One of the fittest players we've probably ever had.

 

[NSolis]

Keays is underrated in a few ways but one thing I haven't seen lauded much is that he's effectively re-invented himself in terms of his role in the team over the last year and a bit. Up until the end of 2022 he was a core midfielder, but with Dawson moving into the middle he lost that spot. It wasn't clear he'd be much good at anything else, and since then he's done some tagging and a few other roles but has effectively slotted in as a half-forward and improved his goal sense, kicking and I think also his hands in close to become quite good in the role.

Keays has 24 goals in his last 18 games, which makes him our third most productive forward in the period (for reference Rankine has 25 in that time and Fogarty 23, Walker has 60) while still averaging 19.6 disposals. Also creates a lot of issues for opposition with his run and is a capable defensive player if needed. Also should have kicked us into a finals spot last year.

Definitely has built an ongoing role for himself.

 

[skam85]

He's been pretty alright this year, has ironed out a lot of the very, very, very dumb things he tended to do.

3yrs is the new 2 in this economy anyway. Pretty inoffensive signing and overall he's been a net positive to the group.

Plus, if mick hates it then it must be a good thing

 

[Jarman3]

Don't mind this at all. Classic example of a guy who isn't going to win a Brownlow etc, but works his butt off to extract the absolute maximum from his abilities. In an ideal world he'll get pushed out by some of our younger developing players, but even then he would be more than handy depth.

 

[dogs105]

Don't want to argue about contract length, but love the attitude of this guy!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Keays is underrated in a few ways but one thing I haven't seen lauded much is that he's effectively re-invented himself in terms of his role in the team over the last year and a bit. Up until the end of 2022 he was a core midfielder, but with Dawson moving into the middle he lost that spot. It wasn't clear he'd be much good at anything else, and since then he's done some tagging and a few other roles but has effectively slotted in as a half-forward and improved his goal sense, kicking and I think also his hands in close to become quite good in the role.

Keays has 24 goals in his last 18 games, which makes him our third most productive forward in the period (for reference Rankine has 25 in that time and Fogarty 23, Walker has 60) while still averaging 19.6 disposals. Also creates a lot of issues for opposition with his run and is a capable defensive player if needed. Also should have kicked us into a finals spot last year.

Definitely has built an ongoing role for himself.

This is exactly right

Has been able to find the ball outside the centre square. Frees up space in there for others. Now plays in that half forward role a lot of our younger players get lost in.

Would be nice if some of our other senior guys could ease themselves into a slightly different role and still be effective.

He's stopped taking pot shots from everywhere too. Playing the percentages, showing more composure. The handball to Berry for the match winner showed good peripheral vision. Even 12 months ago he wouldn't have given it off.

This deal takes him to 30 years old which is absolutely perfect. Can't imagine it's a top dollar gig either.

 

[daniel_4tw]

I know he is the whipping boy here, but I really like Keays. Gives everything he has every contest and has a habit of bobbing up when the team needs something.

Let’s not forget his clutch goal that should have had us playing finals.

While may never be a superstar of the comp, deserves to be in the best 22 each week.

 

[Soggy2112]

Don't mind this at all. Classic example of a guy who isn't going to win a Brownlow etc, but works his butt off to extract the absolute maximum from his abilities. In an ideal world he'll get pushed out by some of our younger developing players, but even then he would be more than handy depth.

Is he being paid depth player money though?

I doubt it.

 

[thebirdman 24]

I like Keays.

3 years is a lengthy contract, but I suspect he will remain best 22 for a few years to come.

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[Coopers]

This is exactly right

Has been able to find the ball outside the centre square. Frees up space in there for others. Now plays in that half forward role a lot of our younger players get lost in.

Would be nice if some of our other senior guys could ease themselves into a slightly different role and still be effective.

He's stopped taking pot shots from everywhere too. Playing the percentages, showing more composure. The handball to Berry for the match winner showed good peripheral vision. Even 12 months ago he wouldn't have given it off.

This deal takes him to 30 years old which is absolutely perfect. Can't imagine it's a top dollar gig either.

It's almost like it's a bloody hard position to excel in, and we shouldn't use it as a graveyard for young kids?

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

Keays is an obvious upgrade target in the side. Short term, sure he's in the 22. Two or three years from now? Hopefully he's a depth player

A three year contract for that sort of player is crazy, so I assume we overrate him internally

To be honest, if there was any other club offering him a three year deal I would have let him walk and banked the free agent compensation

He's one of the vice captains, of course they overate him.

Probably one year too many, but really no that bad. Out of the list of regular players we need to replace, he'd be last on it.

 

[hugecannon]

Don’t mind the 3 years, for his limitations he’s the type of structural player our coaches think Murphy is but actually isn’t, and it SHOULD allow us to stop picking Murphy (or McHenry for that matter) in the side and give those games to younger players with more potential.

 

[DJ75]

I reckon if we are smart, we restructured his contract for this year by front loading it, hopefully meaning that we are freeing up some cash further for another crack at a monster target.

The first part of your statement is where we might have an issue.

 

[StickerMan]

The first part of your statement is where we might have an issue.

I would imagine restructuring deals and moving cap space around would be common occurrence to maximise cap space at any point.

If we were prepared to pay top dollar for Petty then there's space available this year to fill.

 

[cmndstab]

Is he being paid depth player money though?

I doubt it.

Probably not, but then he's not depth at the moment. He's a starting player every week and in our leadership group.

He's probably not on big coin, either. Middle-of-the-road player on a middle-of-the-road salary. You need those in a team.

 

[DJ75]

I would imagine restructuring deals and moving cap space around would be common occurrence to maximise cap space at any point.

If we were prepared to pay top dollar for Petty then there's space available this year to fill.

Having watched Petty closely this year, if we are willing to pay top dollar then we definitely aren’t smart