ADELAIDE Crows coach Phil Walsh described himself as a fan of Warrack Eagles export Kyle Cheney after the club picked up the defender from Hawthorn on Thursday.
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The Crows swooped on the Hawk in the dying minutes of the AFL trade period.
Cheney, ruckman Luke Lowden and picks 43, 47 and 59 went to the Crows in exchange for picks 31, 50 and 68.
Walsh, preparing for his first year as the Crows' senior coach, said he believed Cheney would be an asset to the club.
"I'm a bit of a fan of Kyle Cheney, so I've watched him from a distance this year," he said.
"He did some really good jobs for Hawthorn when they were down on numbers."
Walsh said Cheney had the right temperament to be an AFL footballer.
"A couple of things that 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.
Walsh said he was impressed by Cheney's competitive nature.
"One thing he's shown at that level, particularly this year, is he's a real competitor," he said.
"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."
Cheney, 25, played nine games for Hawthorn this season.
The Crows will be Cheney's third AFL club.
The former Hawk started his career at Melbourne, after being taken with pick 53 in the 2007 AFL Draft, before he was traded to Hawthorn at the end of 2010.
