2009 season:
Injury again kept Knights out of Adelaide’s side at the start of the season when he fractured an eye socket in round two against St Kilda. He returned in round seven and kicked three goals against the Western Bulldogs. In the next five weeks Knights settled into the half forward line to become one of the competition’s most explosive forwards. He kicked 19 goals in five games including a hauls of five against Carlton and Essendon and four against Hawthorn. His accuracy outside 50 was a weapon as he kicked 11 goals from outside the arc. He finished the season with 43 goals, the third highest at the club. Knights’ purple patch led to increased attention from opposition and he found himself having to battle the frustration of a tag. “As a midfielder I was not (followed) this closely or consistently," Knights said. "Nowadays I find that I don’t get much room to move and I don’t get any time during the game where I’m by myself. I feel at times like that frustration is bubbling up inside me, but it’s part of my preparation going into games – trying not to get frustrated – and to continue to work hard and contribute to the team.”

David Noble’s 2009 review:
“Knightsy took on a key role for us this season. He’s one of the hardest workers we’ve got in our side and sometimes his GPS data is off the charts. He’s a great listener and he takes on a lot of feedback. Chris has added that firepower dimension as a half-forward that can come up into the midfield or push hard back to goal. He was a strong component in our ability to put scoreboard pressure on the opposition.”

Career:
From the Eastern Ranges, he represented Victoria Metro at the 2003 and 2004 National Bank's AFL Under-18 Championships. Adelaide drafted him at pick No 56 in the 2004 national draft and he made his AFL debut in 2005 after starting the season in the SANFL reserves with Woodville-West Torrens. He played only two games that year and 10 in 2006, but established himself in Adelaide’s midfield in 2007. He had a career best 515 disposals and featured regularly among Adelaide’s best players. Form and injury cost him games in 2008 but he returned to form in the latter part of the season, including 37 possessions and a goal in round 15 against Collingwood.