MOST people would remember some piece of sage advice given to them by their grandparents when they were young.

But not many would be forced go about our day jobs with a large bronze statue of their grandfather pointing at them.

Welcome to the unique world of Hawthorn’s Josh Kennedy.

Kennedy is the grandson of Hawthorn legend John Kennedy Sr who has been immortalised with a statue overlooking the Hawks’ training base at Waverley Park.

The 21-year-old says the quirky setting hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“The boys let me know that he’s watching me at training. I try not to think about it too much,” the younger Kennedy told hawthornfc.com.au.

The Hawthorn coaching legend was famous for his famous address to his players that included the phrase 'Don’t think, do!' But when it came to his grandson, thinking and studying were emphasised above all else.

“He offers me advice every now and then nowadays but coming through the ranks in juniors he was more focused on my studies and school work,” he said.

“It’s not until the statue unveiling that I first heard him really talk passionately about football because a lot of people tell me what he was like but I never really knew until that day. It was pretty amazing for me to see it.”

Kennedy has a strong football pedigree. His father is John Kennedy Jr who played in 241 games and four flags for the Hawks while his uncle on his mother’s side is his father’s former teammate Peter Russo and his first cousins are St Kilda’s Luke Ball and former Hawk Matthew Ball.

Despite a great deal of his family members making the big time, Kennedy said he never felt any pressure to reach the elite level.

“Not really. My family and friends have always been pretty good in that area. They’ve supported me but it hasn’t always been easy,” he said.

“There were a lot of hard times like when I missed out on the Victorian side in Under 16s. It was pretty disappointing but they were all pretty good.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and as long as it’s what I want to do they have supported me but they haven’t put any pressure on.”

Kennedy has played nine games for Hawthorn this year after managing three last season. He has been a consistent performer but one unfortunate passage of play will probably be remembered better than most.

It was late in the round 17 game against Geelong when Kennedy marked in front of goal and tried to handball to a sprinting Lance Franklin. Franklin wasn’t expecting the ball and the Cats turned it over.

Kennedy admits his error but is not dwelling on it.

“If I had my time again I probably would have done it differently. In the moment I don’t know. It was just a case of him running past,” he said.

“In your first few games you see a bloke like Buddy Franklin running past you just give him the ball. I’ve learnt my lesson and I’ve still got a bit to go in that area. My confidence in front of goal especially but each week I play helps me towards that.”

The confidence is growing and Kennedy is working on securing a spot in Hawthorn’s best 22. He says the lure of a premiership down the track is the biggest motivation for Kennedy who watched on last year as his teammates won the flag.

“Seeing what they went through leading up to the grand final and post the grand final,” he said.

“It was something pretty special and it’s something I’d like to be part of. It definitely makes me hungry. I know what it’s like and I just want to be a part of it.”