Rory Laird

Rory Laird (born 29 December 1993) is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with selection #5 in the 2011 Rookie Draft, and is no relation to Central District coach Roy Laird.

In his first season in the AFL, Laird did not play for Adelaide. He played 18 games for West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), but was dropped from the team that played in the SANFL Grand Final.

The Crows elevated Laird to the senior list as a replacement for the injured Sam Shaw in April 2013, and he made his AFL debut against the Western Bulldogs in round 4 of the 2013 AFL season. 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 North Melbourne.

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.