Josh Kennedy (footballer, born 1988)

Joshua P. Kennedy (born 20 June 1988) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Hawthorn Football Club.

For the Carlton and West Coast forward, see Josh Kennedy (footballer, born 1987).

Josh Kennedy
Kennedy playing for Sydney in June 2017
Personal information
Full name Joshua P. Kennedy
Date of birth (1988-06-20) 20 June 1988
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) Xavier College/Sandringham Dragons
Draft No. 40 (F/S), 2006 national draft
Height 189 cm (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight 95 kg (209 lb)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Sydney
Number 12
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2008–2009 Hawthorn 013 00(4)
2010– Sydney 237 (146)
Total 250 (150)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 4, 2020.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

The son and grandson of former Hawthorn players, Kennedy was originally recruited to Hawthorn in the 2006 national draft under the father–son rule. He debuted for the club during the 2008 season, but was traded to Sydney prior to the 2010 season, having played 13 games for Hawthorn. An inside midfielder, Kennedy has since become a star player for Sydney. He has won the Bob Skilton Medal three times as the club's best and fairest (2012, 2015, 2016) and also played in a premiership in 2012. Kennedy has been named in the All-Australian team on three occasions (2012, 2014, 2016) in addition to finishing third in the 2014 and 2017 Brownlow Medal counts. He has served as captain of Sydney since the 2017 season.

Early years

Kennedy is the son of John Kennedy Jr., a former Hawthorn player and grandson of John Kennedy Sr., an Australian Football Hall of Fame member. He graduated from Xavier College in Kew, Victoria in 2006, having also played for the Ashburton Junior Football Club as a youngster.[2]

AFL career

Hawthorn (2008–2009)

In mid-2006 it was announced that he would be recruited in the 2006 AFL Draft by the Hawthorn Football Club for the 2007 season, under the father-son rule.[3] Kennedy made his debut for the club in round nine of the 2008 season. He played two further games in his debut season, and ten the following season, but was traded to Sydney at the end of the 2009 season, along with Ben McGlynn, with Hawthorn receiving draft picks 39, 46, and 70 in exchange.[4]

Sydney (2010–present)

In late 2009, Kennedy was offered a three-year deal by the Sydney Swans. Kennedy accepted the offer, as the Swans' offered him more opportunity to play senior football than Hawthorn, who had many players similar to Kennedy.[5] He was traded to the Swans along with teammate Ben McGlynn for 2009 AFL Draft picks 39, 46 and 70.[6] Kennedy capped a fantastic year by finishing 3rd in the Sydney Swans Best & Fairest, behind winner Kieren Jack and runner-up Shane Mumford. Kennedy was also awarded the Paul Roos Award for best player in the finals series.[7]

Kennedy followed up his outstanding debut year in Sydney with another very consistent season in 2011. Despite a relatively slow start, Kennedy hit top form in the 2nd half of the year to finish equal 2nd with Rhyce Shaw in the Bob Skilton Medal (behind winner Adam Goodes). Kennedy further enhanced his growing reputation around the league with 2 more outstanding performances in the Swans' finals games against St.Kilda and Hawthorn.

Kennedy had his most consistent year in 2012 earning himself his first All-Australian team selection.[8] Kennedy won the Brett Kirk Medal in round one.[9] Kennedy polled in equal eighth place in the Brownlow Medal, with 19 votes - the most of any Sydney player. He played in Sydney's Grand Final winning team, where he had 26 disposals and kicked two goals.[10] He also won the Sydney Best & Fairest (Bob Skilton Medal) with (877) votes to win by a massive 172 votes from 2nd Ted Richards (705) and 3rd Ryan O'Keefe (701), managing to consistently poll votes in each round.[11]

Kennedy's 2015 season was rewarded with his second Bob Skilton Medal.[12] He won the best and fairest for the second consecutive year in 2016.[13]

In 2016, Kennedy won his 3rd All-Australian selection, 3rd Bob Skilton Medal and was awarded the inaugural Gary Ayres Award for best player in the 2016 finals series.

On 9 December 2016, Kennedy was named the new captain of the club, taking over from previous co-captains Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh.[14] He finished third in the 2017 Brownlow Medal, polling more votes than any other Sydney player.[15]

On 25 June 2020, Kennedy played his 250th AFL game against the Western Bulldogs at the Sydney Cricket Ground; his grandfather John Kennedy Sr. passed away on the morning of the game, aged 91.[16][17]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season [18]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Led the league after finals only
Led the league after season and finals
AFL playing statistics
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2008 Hawthorn 3630017244112130.00.05.78.013.74.04.30
2009 Hawthorn 3210456512919431420.40.56.512.919.43.14.20
2010 Sydney 12241010210272482701070.40.48.811.320.12.94.50
2011 Sydney 12241019272256528541350.40.811.310.722.02.35.63
2012 Sydney 12252913307401708731251.20.512.316.028.32.95.019
2013 Sydney 12251416257421678421230.60.610.316.827.11.74.914
2014 Sydney 12231320272385657751320.60.911.816.728.63.35.721
2015 Sydney 12241523308423731741490.61.012.817.630.53.16.225
2016 Sydney 1225209315472787671390.80.412.618.931.52.75.614
2017 Sydney 1221166248344592521030.80.311.816.428.22.54.923
2018 Sydney 12231012250334584551130.40.510.914.525.42.44.96
2019 Sydney 121979233271504521260.40.512.314.326.52.76.69
Career 246 148 142 2754 3732 6486 657 1307 0.6 0.6 11.2 15.2 26.4 2.7 5.3 125

Honours and achievements
Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes
2008 0
2009 0
2010 0
2011 3
2012 19
2013 14
2014 21
2015 25
2016 14
Total 82

Team

Individual

Personal life

Kennedy's paternal grandmother has Italian heritage and referred to his late grandfather John Kennedy Sr. as Nonno. [19][20] His mother Bernadette also has an Italian background. Through his mother, Kennedy is the grandson of former St Kilda footballer Felix Russo and nephew of former Hawthorn and St Kilda footballer Peter Russo.[21] Kennedy is the first cousin of former St Kilda and Collingwood footballer Luke Ball.[22]

In January 2012, Kennedy started dating Colombian native Ana Calle, who is four years his senior.[23] In April 2015, Calle gave birth to their first child, a boy named Emilio.[24] In November 2015, the couple married in Calle's hometown of Medellín.[25][26] In March 2019, Calle gave birth to their second child, a girl named Isabella.[27]

References
  1. "Josh Kennedy". Sydney Swans. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  2. "About AUJFC". Ashy Redbacks. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. Boulton, Martin (20 July 2006). "Bloodline runs true as a third-generation Kennedy takes his place at Hawthorn". The Age.
  4. Mark Robinson (9 October 2009). "Josh Kennedy move the end of a family dynasty at Hawthorn" – AdelaideNow. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  5. Niall, Jake (30 September 2009). "Favourite Hawk may leave nest". The Age.
  6. "Kennedy and McGlynn to Swans". 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009.
  7. "Kieren Jack: 2010 Club Champion". Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  8. Cordy, Neil (18 September 2012). "All-Australian selection complements career turnarounds by Swans Josh Kennedy and Ted Richards". The Daily Telegraph.
  9. Kogoy, Peter (24 March 2012). "Small leap for AFL's Giant experiment in derby 1". The Australian.
  10. Sam Lienert and John Salvado (29 September 2012). "Sydney Swans outlast favourites Hawthorn in classic grand final to claim the 2012 AFL premiership".CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  11. "Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy emphatically claims first Bob Skilton medal after superb season". 5 October 2012.
  12. "Josh Kennedy top of the Swans flock with second Skilton Medal". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  13. Curley, Adam (6 October 2016). "Star Swan Kennedy pips Hannebery for third best and fairest". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  14. "Swans name Captain Kennedy". Sydney Swans. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  15. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-25/dustys-late-surge-seals-recordbreaking-brownlow-win
  16. Noakes, Cameron; McGowan, Marc (25 June 2020). "In the name of the grandfather: Joey set for emotional 250th". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  17. "AFL pays tribute to Hawthorn legend John Kennedy Sr at Josh Kennedy's milestone game". Seven News. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  18. "Josh Kennedy". AFL Tables. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  19. Australian Football League, AFL (25 June 2020). "The Kennedy dynasty Part One". YouTube. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  20. Kennedy, Josh (1 July 2020). "jpkennedy12". Instagram. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  21. Baum, Greg (18 June 2004). "Mum's the word as the Ball boys do battle". The Age. p. 14.
  22. Cordy, Neil (1 June 2013). "Josh Kennedy finally steps out of Jobe Watson's shadow". Herald Sun (DailyTelegraph). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  23. "Foreign beauty glowing with pride". 30 September 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  24. Malcolm, Alex (23 April 2015). "Kennedy's late dash to Perth after birth of child". Australian Football League. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  25. Kennedy, Josh (14 December 2015). "Kennedy: A Joey No More". AFL Players. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  26. Cordy, Neil (25 March 2016). "Sydney star Josh Kennedy to set milestone with father and four-time premiership Hawk John Kennedy Jr". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  27. Swans, Sydney (17 March 2019). "Congratulations to Josh Kennedy, wife Ana and big brother Emilio on the arrival of beautiful little Isabella". Facebook. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
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