Mark Keane has been in the news lately as the subject of trade speculation for a return to Collingwood, where he played five senior games over three years but who are in desperate need of key position defenders following the forced retirement of Nathan Murphy. At Adelaide he has been played in Darcy Moore's role of coming off his man from aggressive positions to intercept, though with far less threat on the way back as he lacks Moore's toe off the mark. The Crows have a surfeit of tall defenders on their list, so they could afford to lose him... but is he a required player?
Mark Keane has been in the news lately as the subject of trade speculation for a return to Collingwood, where he played five senior games over three years but who are in desperate need of key position defenders following the forced retirement of Nathan Murphy. At Adelaide he has been played in Darcy Moore's role of coming off his man from aggressive positions to intercept, though with far less threat on the way back as he lacks Moore's toe off the mark. The Crows have a surfeit of tall defenders on their list, so they could afford to lose him... but is he a required player?
Mark off Keane's card
County Cork recruit Mark Keane spent his first season at Collingwood in the VFL, adjusting to the pace of the sport. Across his 16 matches, the Irishman was twice named in the bests. As a tall defender akin to the recently-departed Tyson Goldsack, he doesn't play the type of role that garners fantasy interest. Keane will spend year two continuing to hone his craft in the reserves. Even if given a starting berth at one stage this year or next, his scoring patterns suggest that he'll remain irrelevant.
Keen to get started
As one of two international rookies brought over from Ireland in the off season, Mark Keane will be eager to make his mark in Australia. The County Cork native looms as an athletic key defender and models his game on tall defensive teammates Tom Langdon and Tyson Goldsack. Keane is a newcomer to this great sport and will evidently take time to develop. Expect him to feature in Collingwood’s VFL team as he improves his skills and game knowledge, but don’t expect any immediate magic. Keane is a long-term prospect and shouldn’t be drafted.
