User:Aspirex/Rhys O'Keeffe

Rhys O'Keeffe (born 8 August 1990) is an Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League.

O'Keeffe played his junior years in Adelaide. While nominally a defender, he has gone forward and scored goals in some games. He joined the North Adelaide Football Club in 2006 to play under-17s, and by the end of 2008 had played a handful of senior games. O'Keeffe also represented South Australia at the Under-18s championships in 2008, and was selected in the Under 18s All-Australian team and named as South Australia's MVP for the tournament.

O'Keeffe was selected in the 2008 AFL National Draft by the Carlton Football Club with its fifth round selection (#65 overall). His initial two-year contract was ruined by injury. He managed eight VFL games at the start of 2009 before succumbing to osteitis pubis, and managed only two VFL games in 2010, with hip and back injuries keeping him out for most of the year. At the end of two years, with almost no senior football to base its decision on, Carlton opted to move O'Keeffe to the rookie list; due to AFL list management procedures, this was achieved by first delisting O'Keeffe, then re-drafting him in the second round of the 2011 rookie draft (#35 overall).

O'Keeffe had more continuity in 2011, his third season, and he was elevated to the senior list in place of the injured Andrew Collins prior to Round 14, before making his debut that same week.