A dual junior sport prodigy — who went on to produce one of the most unique sporting careers in recent history — announced his retirement on Monday.
Shepparton-born Alex Keath has called stumps and hung up the boots on a storied career that started 14 years ago in the Big V alongside the likes of Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade and finished at The Kennel with Marcus Bontempelli and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
Growing up, Keath attended Goulburn Valley Grammar School and played for Shepparton as a junior footballer before rising through the ranks to play for the Murray Bushrangers in the now-named Coates Talent League.
Juggling elite-level junior cricket and Australian rules, Keath was given the choice of heading up the Hume and Pacific Highway to join the newly-formed Gold Coast Suns or sign a contract with Cricket Victoria.
Keath decided the feeling of bat on ball, ripping a batter’s off-stump out of the ground and the niceties of living in his home state were too strong to ignore and signed for Cricket Victoria.
He made his first-class debut for Victoria in December 2010.
A talented batting all-rounder who bowled medium pace, Keath started his professional cricket career in fine style, scoring a classy 46 runs off 78 balls against England in a tour match at the MCG.
However, from that point forward, Keath struggled to find consistency in his game with bat and ball at state level.
At the end of the 2014-15 summer, Keath was not offered a contract by Cricket Victoria or the Melbourne Stars, who he played four games for in the Big Bash League.
Keath finished his first-class career having played seven matches (average of 17.4 with the bat and a total of four wickets) and 16 list A games (averaging 19.2 with the bat and a total of three wickets).
Eager to find his way back to state-level cricket, Keath played in England the following season before returning to Australia and signing for premier cricket side Prospect in South Australia.
Keath was then signed as a Category B rookie by Adelaide in late 2015.
The talented sportsman proceeded to again juggle both sports over the summer before eventually committing full-time to football.
In 2017, with injuries to mainstay defenders Jake Lever and Kyle Hartigan, Keath made his AFL debut for the Crows — in a side that was destined for the 2017 grand final.
The 198cm key defender played 30 games for Adelaide before requesting and securing a trade to the Western Bulldogs in 2019.
Following the move, Keath became a reliable defender for the Dogs and was an important part of the side’s run to the 2021 grand final.
After five seasons at The Kennel, the 32-year-old Bulldog decided he didn't want to chase the football bone any longer.
Keath thanked everyone who had supported him at the club as he stepped away from football’s top flight.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Western Bulldogs Football Club,” Keath said.
“The players, coaches, support staff and volunteers have been a pleasure to work with.
“To our fans — it’s been a privilege to represent the Bulldogs faithful over the journey.
“The memories will last a lifetime, thank you.”
Western Bulldogs general manager of list management and recruiting Sam Power was full of praise for Keath, noting the defender’s positive influence on and off the field at the club.
“Alex should be extremely proud of the contributions he made to both Adelaide and Western Bulldogs football clubs,” Power said.
“He is the epitome of hard work and determination, a reliable defender who gave his all each time he ran onto the field.
"He’s also a much-loved and highly respected individual, not just by his teammates, but also by staff across all sections of our club.
“We thank Alex for everything he gave to the club in his time in red, white and blue and wish him, Laura, Oliver and Ella all the best for the next stage of their lives.”