Keays made his AFL debut for Brisbane in Round 6, 2016, against the Sydney Swans.[19] He won the Andrew Ireland Medal as best afield in the 2017 NEAFL Grand final, amassing 30 disposals, 9 tackles and 2 goals.[20] He was delisted at the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season. Keays was later picked up by the Adelaide Crows at pick 7 in the 2019 rookie draft.[21]
Adelaide Crows
Keays enjoyed a breakout 2020 AFL season, playing 16 games for the Crows. He finished 5th in the Malcolm Blight Medal and won the Players' Trademark award.
He received competition-wide recognition with an impressive 2021 AFL season which was rewarded with a 2nd-place finish in the Malcolm Blight Medal.[22] 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.[23] In October 2021, he signed a contract which would keep him at the Crows until the end of 2024.[24] Following the 2022 season, Keays was awarded with the Dr Brian Sando, OAM Award, given to the Adelaide Crow most professional and prepared throughout the season.[25]
In an August 2023 match against Sydney, Keays had a shot for goal late in the game that was controversially adjudged to hit the post, but video evidence, which was only reviewed after the decision was made, deemed this incorrect. The goal would have given the Crows the lead with just a minute left, but the Swans were able to run down the clock and win by a point. This result eliminated Adelaide from finals calculations with one round of the regular season remaining.[26] Keays' kick has become a benchmark for what the AFL is attempting to avoid, with an increasing number of scores being reviewed throughout every game.[27]
Keays became one of three vice-captains of the Adelaide Crows prior to the 2024 season, joining Brodie Smith and Reilly O'Brien. Just months later, he extended his contract with the club until the end of 2027.[28] In July 2024, 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. Keays has not missed a game since his club debut in 2020.[29] Just two weeks after a career-best four goals against his former side Brisbane, 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.[30] His efforts throughout the 2024 season were rewarded with him winning the Malcolm Blight Medal, the award for the player deemed best and fairest of the Adelaide Football Club. He shared the award with club captain Jordan Dawson, with both players polling 107 votes. Keays also won the Members' MVP Award and the Dr Brian Sando, OAM Trophy.[31]
^The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
^Sport, City South News (17 July 2014). "Ben has Keays to big future in AFL". Quest Newspapers. Queensland, Australia. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2015.