HAWTHORN has honoured club legend John Kennedy Snr with a three-metre statue overlooking the oval at the Club’s Waverley Park headquarters. The former Hawks’ player, who played 164 games and won four best and fairest medals, before coaching the club to three premierships including their first, was modest about this achievements and the club tribute.

“I’m very grateful to the club but also I’m a little bit embarrassed because nothing at Hawthorn is ever centred around one particular person and I think it could be any number of people who represents what the club stands for,” he said.

“But I’m very grateful and very thankful that it’s been done and so many people have come together today and the team itself is going well at the moment so it’s a happy occasion because of all of that.”

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, captain Sam Mitchell, club director Geoff Harris and Kennedy unveiled the statue in front of a gathering of 100 people including the Kennedy family, Hawthorn greats Graham Arthur, David Parkin, Dermott Brereton and present-day players and coaches.

Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett said the statue unveiling was a special day in the club’s history.

 “The statue highlights the high regard in which John Kennedy is held by the large Hawthorn family and the placement of the statue overlooking our training oval will be a true inspiration for current and future players as they pursue our premiership dreams.”

The bronze statue has been donated by Club director Geoff Harris and his wife Sue and was sculpted by artist Louis Laumen. Laumen’s portfolio is extensive and includes the Leigh Matthews, Betty Cuthbert, Sir Donald Bradman and Ron Barassi statues that adorn the MCG concourse.

The statue depicts Kennedy in his coaching days pointing towards the oval.

“The pointing out to the ground can be interpreted in many ways… it could be that I’m shouting out ‘what about that one?’ to the umpire for some imagined inconsistency,” Kennedy laughed.

“The other one is to direct the attention of everyone at Hawthorn, particularly the present day players to the importance of what happens out on the field rather than all these things off the field. What happens on the field is what really matters and I hope that it always reminds us of that if nothing else.”

Hawks Captain Sam Mitchell joins John Kennedy to unveil the statue.