Raised in Robe as an Adelaide supporter, Dawson was pick 56 in the 2015 national draft and spent six seasons at Sydney before returning to South Australia as a free agent. He has captained the Crows since 2023 and won the Malcolm Blight Medal in 2023, 2024, shared with Ben Keays, and 2025, the first Adelaide player to take the club champion award three years running. He has played 177 games and kicked 100 goals.