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BEN Keays was four years old when he went to the 2001 Grand Final to watch his team, the Brisbane Lions, claim a breakthrough premiership win over Essendon.
Three years later, he went again to the flag decider as the Lions' run of three consecutive premierships came to an end. He cried all the way home.
Keays was already an avid Lions supporter before he moved to Brisbane from Melbourne in 2002 with his family, and in two weeks he looks set to officially join the club's list.
The Lions will have priority access to Keays as an academy player under the NAB AFL Draft night bidding system.
Over the past two years Keays has established himself as one of the premier midfielders in the 2015 draft pool, accumulating plenty of disposals and making an impact in most games he played.
This year he captained Queensland to the under-18 title and won the Harrison Medal as the best player in division two. Keays also played a number of games in the NEAFL with the Lions' reserves team.
Keays finds the ball like few can. In his three games during the championships he averaged nearly 29 disposals an outing, and in another four games for Queensland in the TAC Cup he lifted it to 34 disposals a game.
The 18-year-old is also a nice blend as an inside and outside midfielder. At the carnival he averaged 13 handball receives (showing his work rate) but also had more than five clearances a game, which got his side moving at the stoppages.
More than anything, Keays is consistent. No matter what level he has played over the past two seasons he has found a way to win disposals, get on the end of the play and kick a goal, and play in a tough and unflinching way. At last month's NAB AFL Draft Combine he ran 10:08 in the 3km time trial, the third best time of any player.
Keays is a back-to-back All Australian, he captained Queensland this year and was elevated to the NAB AFL Academy for 2015.
In his knockabout style, Keays is the first to admit he's not the quickest midfielder, which was seen in his 3.18-second 20m sprint at the combine. So if you're looking for the line-breaking runner it's not him. His kicking can look a little awkward at times, but his efficiency by foot was nearly 75 per cent during the championships so it isn't a major concern.
Keays reminds some of Western Bulldogs midfielder Jackson Macrae in his capacity to find the ball, use it well enough and just keep creating play.
A bid is expected to come for Keays somewhere around the first 15 or so selections on draft night. The Lions have anticipated a first-round bid and stocked up on extra picks (or more points) during the trade period so they'd be able to match it.
Keays should be one of the first players you pick in your AFL Fantasy team next year. He will be a draftee to come in and have an immediate impact and do the same things he has done the past two years: find the ball and just keep getting it. He's a player with old-fashioned traits and a natural, relentless footballer. 
