SEEING the world through one eye has never been an issue for Adelaide rookie Keenan Ramsey; it's all he remembers.
He was diagnosed with cancer of the retina when he was two and underwent surgery to remove the eye.
It occurred long before he took up an interest in footy and so he said his body had simply adapted to playing the game like anyone else.
Rather thinking specifically about his vision while training, Ramsey said he instead focused on extra work to ensure he controlled what he could.
"I never thought of my eye as a hindrance. I thought, 'Look this is how I'm going to be'," Ramsey said.
"I can't remember having two eyes so this is just how I've been my whole life.
"I don't think [I've had to do] anything special, just work a lot harder, doing the little extra things that perhaps other people aren't doing to put you in front of the pack.
"I think I see as well as everyone else … I'm a good role model to kids to just show them you can achieve anything you put your mind to."
Adelaide drafted Ramsey on Wednesday with the hope of turning him into a key defender.
At 192cm he has the size to handle most key forwards, except his skill in front of goal means he could probably finish better than most of them as well.
Ramsey aced the goalkicking component at the NAB AFL Draft Combine, scoring a perfect five out of five.
Crows recruiter Hamish Ogilvie said his real strength was in his versatility and Ramsey agreed – he really doesn't mind where he plays.
"I scored the five out of five … I might get to training early and take six, seven balls and just practice from all different spots inside the 50," he said.
"That's because I was playing as a forward for the Magpies. If I was playing defence for the Magpies I'd be doing something else.
"I don't really have a preference; I thought my first few games as a forward were fairly consistent and then I showed I could play on the best key forwards."
Ogilvie said having one eye could actually prove a benefit for the defender.
"We've watched him closely and, you know what, sometimes it might actually be a strength because it makes him concentrate harder," Ogilvie said.
"His defensive positioning is way more advanced than some defenders because he thinks about it and knows where he has to get.
"He understands defensive craft really well for a young player."
