Cheney was traded from Hawthorn to Adelaide in the dying minutes of the AFL trade period.

The reigning premier handed over the defender, plus ruckman Luke Lowden and picks 43, 47 and 59 to the Crows, in exchange for picks 31, 50 and 68.

Cheney, 25, will help shore up the Crows backline after the retirement of full-back Ben Rutten.

Adelaide senior coach Phil Walsh said he believed Cheney would thrive at the Crows.

"Kyle epitomises the team orientated approach we love at our club," he said.

"He is a quality person and craves more opportunities at the elite level.

“I’m a bit of a fan of Kyle Cheney, so I’ve watched him from a distance this year.

"He did some really good jobs for Hawthorn when they were down on numbers."

Walsh said Cheney's competitive nature would be an asset to the Crows.

"A couple of things that just appeal to me – he’s got great character and he puts team first," he said.

"He might not be the flashiest player, but he’s the sort of person I want to bring into the footy club.

"One thing he’s shown at the level, particularly this year, is he’s a real competitor.

"That’s what I want to bring into the team.

"I’ve got a lot of faith in him and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do at this club."

The Wimmera export has played 41 AFL games since being drafted by Melbourne with pick 53 in the 2007 AFL Draft.

It is the second time he has been traded in the final hour of the AFL's trade period.

Cheney was traded from Melbourne to Hawthorn at the end of the 2010 season after three seasons and 14 matches with the Demons.

The mid-sized defender played in nine of Hawthorn's first 12 AFL matches this season before spending the rest of the season with the club's VFL affiliate Box Hill.

He averaged more than 15 disposals and four marks per game at AFL level in 2014.

Cheney, who won Box Hill's best and fairest in 2013, played 14 games for the VFL club this year, including its grand final defeat to Footscray.