Full name Rory Laird Nominations AFL Rising Star Career start 2012 | Name Rory Laird Nickname(s) Dos | |
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Date of birth (1993-12-29) 29 December 1993 (age 22) Draft Pick #5, 2011 Rookie Draft, Adelaide
Pick #86 (RP), 2013 National Draft, Adelaide Debut Round 4, 2013, Adelaide
v. Western Bulldogs, at AAMI Stadium Height/Weight 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) / 77 kg (12 st 2 lb) Role Australian rules football player Original team Golden Grove, West Adelaide Football Club Profiles | ||
Rory laird mark of the year nomination round 16
Rory Laird (born 29 December 1993) is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 5 in the 2011 Rookie Draft. Rory has no relation to Central District coach Roy Laird.
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Rory laird 50 games
AFL career
In his first season in the AFL, Laird did not play for Adelaide. He played 18 consecutive games for West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), including three finals, but was dropped from the team that played in the SANFL Grand Final.
The Crows elevated Laird to the senior list as a replacement for the injured Sam Shaw in April 2013, and he made his AFL debut against the Western Bulldogs in round 4 of the season. He immediately became a regular in the side, missing only one further game in the season through injury, and averaging 18.5 disposals per game as a small defender. Laird received the Round 20 nomination for the 2013 AFL Rising Star award, following a 24-possession game against North Melbourne, and signed a two-year contract with the club in the same week. Laird played 16 games in 2014 despite injury issues, playing in defence and occasionally in the midfield. He was dropped to the SANFL late in the season but responded with a 42-possession game to earn a recall.
Laird had a breakout year in 2015, playing every game and averaging 24.4 disposals in defence while blanketing his opponents, which earned him a place on the 40-man shortlist for the All-Australian team. During the year, he signed a three-year contract extension with the club. In 2016, he was named in the 40-man All-Australian squad but did not make the team. He improved even more on his form in 2017, starting the season with a 40-possession game against Greater Western Sydney. His form continued to stay at an elite level throughout the season, including a 34-possession game against St Kilda in Round 12. His consistency was reward with both All-Australian selection and being nominated by his team for the AFL Players' Association MVP Award.
Statistics
