At 178cm, Laird was a rookie-list selection in 2011 who became an All-Australian half-back in 2017 and 2018, winning Adelaide's club champion award in the second of those seasons. He then remade himself as an inside midfielder, taking the Malcolm Blight Medal in both 2021 and 2022, and averaged 29 disposals and eight tackles a game in 2023. He has played 288 games and kicked 32 goals.