Rory Laird


Rory Laird is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League. He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 5 in the 2012 Rookie Draft.

Early life

Laird grew up in the suburb of Eden Hills, South Australia. He attended Colonel Light Gardens Primary School and Scotch College, Adelaide in his teenage years, where he was coached by Brownlow Medalist Gavin Wanganeen and future Crows coach Matthew Nicks.
Laird played soccer until making the switch to Australian rules football at age 10. Only two years later, he was invited to join the West Adelaide Football Club's junior program.
Laird played club football for the Kenilworth Football Club in the South Australian Amateur Football League as well as playing for West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League reserves. In the lead up to the AFL drafts in 2011, Laird was interviewed by and trained with in Melbourne, Victoria. After missing out on the 2011 AFL national draft, he was drafted by the Adelaide Crows with pick 5 of the rookie draft a few weeks later.

AFL career

Early career

In his first season in the AFL, Laird did not play for Adelaide. He played 18 consecutive games for in the SANFL, including three finals, but was dropped from the team that played in the 2012 [SANFL Grand Final].
The Crows elevated Laird to the senior list as a replacement for the injured and out of form Sam Shaw in April 2013, and he made his AFL debut against the in round 4 of the season helping them to an easy victory 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, 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.

All-Australian years

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. His form continued to stay at an elite level throughout the season, including a 34-possession game against in Round 12. His consistency was rewarded with both an All-Australian selection and being nominated by his team for the AFL Players' Association MVP Award.
In 2018, Laird won the Malcolm Blight Medal as the Crows' best and fairest player. He was also selected in the All-Australian team for the second season in a row.

Midfield move

Following a move to the midfield in 2020 and a second-place finish in the Malcolm Blight medal, Laird signed a five-year contract extension with the Crows in March 2021. He continued his success in his new position, winning back-to-back Malcolm Blight Medals in 2021 and 2022. A highlight of his 2022 campaign came against as he broke the AFL's record for tackles in a single game, collecting 20. Laird starred in his 200th game against in round 22 as he collected 36 disposals and kicked 2 goals in the victory.
Laird had another successful year in 2023 as he was again the runner-up in the Malcolm Blight Medal. In Gather Round against, Laird had 37 disposals, nine clearances and a goal, ultimately being awarded with three Brownlow votes for his performance. He finished the year with a career-best 20 Brownlow votes.

Late career

To begin the 2025 season, Laird returned to the backline. He starred with 32 disposals off of half-back in his 250th game against. During the same game, Laird also broke the record for the most disposals by a Crow, overtaking Scott Thompson's 6,752 disposals. Laird continued to find success in his defensive return, allowing young players such as Izak Rankine and Sam Berry to spend more game time in the midfield.

Personal life

Growing up in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, Laird shared a close bond with younger sister Mia. Laird's nephew and Mia's son Joel joined Laird as he ran out for his 250th AFL game in 2025.
Laird is currently engaged to fiancé Ellie. The couple announced their engagement in October 2024.

Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2025 season.
! colspan=3 | Career
! 269 !! 31 !! 47 !! 3457 !! 3772 !! 7229 !! 1253 !! 1078 !! 0.1 !! 0.2 !! 12.9 !! 14.0 !! 26.9 !! 4.7 !! 4.0 !! 105