Career
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 American Federation of Labor-Congress, 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 American Federation of Labor-Congress debut against the Western Bulldogs in round 4 of the 2013 American Federation of Labor-Congress 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 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.
