JOSH Kennedy was asked to introduce himself. On a leg of the Sydney Swans’ pre-season community camp in February, Kennedy, resplendent in a red club polo top and tossing a mini-football from hand to hand, was one of six Swans conducting a clinic at the Shell Harbour Junior Football Club on the south coast of New South Wales.
In front of more than 100 children - all of whom said they played “AFL” - Kennedy followed teammate Tadhg Kennelly to the stage with microphone in hand. He introduced himself, explained what position he played and, tellingly, spoke of his background.
He told the crowd of his family history at Hawthorn, and then, without prompting, said he had made “the best decision of my life” when he left the Hawks for Sydney at the end of 2009. Since joining the Swans, he has excelled and established himself as an emerging midfielder of the competition.
There is not much fuss about Kennedy as a player. He dives into packs unconcerned about what might lie ahead of him, gets the ball out, and then goes and does it again. He is an old-fashioned footballer. There are no theatrics; nothing fancy about his style. It’s simple but very effective.
Kennedy never appears flustered on the field. He calmly bustles through traffic before deciding which teammate to off-load the ball to. He has a clear head off the ground, too. Making the move to Sydney really was the best football-related decision he has made.
Kennedy’s Hawthorn background is well documented. When he made his debut for the Hawks in 2008, he became the third-generation Kennedy to play League football for the club.
His grandfather, legendary Hawthorn figure John Kennedy snr, played 164 games for the Hawks from 1950-59. Then, in 1960, aged just 31, he became coach and transformed Hawthorn into the club it is today, leading it to its first three premierships, in 1961, 1971 and 1976.
His son, John jnr, was a star for the Hawks, playing 241 games from 1979-91, including four premierships (1983, 1986, 1988 and 1989).
Naturally, football and Hawthorn had always been in the forefront of Josh’s mind. The game, he said, was something he’d “always loved”.
“I’m not sure whether I got a choice from a young age, but when I did have a choice it was definitely No. 1,” Kennedy said. “I was lucky enough to have so many people around me to teach me and guide me along the way.”
Read the full story in this week's AFL Record, available at all grounds.
