36. Josh Kennedy

[philhawk]

According to the My Man Thread (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291068), it looks like GALON will be one of the posters responsible for looking after 'Joey' for us this season.

Take it away, GALON!

[GALON]

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/3274/282125aegf2.jpg
Here he is, the man mountain himself. Built like a 22 year old already, this Father/Son selection(Father, John Jr, ) is an inside midfielder/flanker with grit and grunt.

Taken with the required third round pick (no.40) Josh Kennedy has been slowly immersed into his first AFL preseason.
At 188cm and 88kg when drafted, Josh has the size to step straight into Senior football. Whether that be at Box Hill or Hawthorn, Josh will be a player to watch for the seasons to come as he carries on the rich tradition that his father and his father before him have carved through thier respective time at the HFC.



40 - HAWTHORN - JOSH KENNEDY
Sandringham Dragons, 20 June 1988, 188cm, 88kg

Kennedy has already been selected by Hawthorn via the father/son rule, which was announced back in July this year. He will become Hawthorn's first third generation player, with his grandfather (John snr) and his father (John jnr) both icons at the club. Earlier in the year he underwent surgery to repair some torn cartilage in his knee, yet after a successful recovery, he returned to play school football for Xavier College. Upon his return, he captained the school against Melbourne Grammar, who was led by another young-gun Hawk Xavier Ellis.

Highlights/achievements: A versatile half-back/half-forward and midfielder. Won Sandringham's U18 best and fairest in 2005, after only playing nine matches from a possible 18 games. He missed 2006 U18 championships with a knee injury.

[jase]

Christ look at the arms on him!!
Looking forward to watching this one, hope he does'nt feel to much pressure a'la shane tuck.

[B&GBlood]

His "little" bro could be a KPP and another keeper :-)

[cosby]

For those who are interested, Josh played his first game of VFL seniors on the weekand and played a blinder(although we lost).
17 disposals and around 6 or 7 clearances before half time. The kid can play.

[Roughie]

Unforturnatly being an inside mid it will be a while before his in because the talent we allready have at that position. Also heard his fitness would not cut it at AFL level yet

[mule]

Any updates on Josh ?

he will be one of the most anticipated players in recent years to pull on the hawks jumper :)

[Roughie]

Any updates on Josh ?

he will be one of the most anticipated players in recent years to pull on the hawks jumper :)

Had a pretty bad game for box hill last week, wasnt accountable and made some turn overs. He will be fine though, will prob get a crack late in the season he has to work on his fitness and work hard to be accountable but he will be fine.

[Krale Brown]

Any news on Josh any chance of getting a game at this late
stage of the year ?

[rocket3]

Any news on Josh any chance of getting a game at this late
stage of the year ?
are you for real?
3 tough games left and coming into finals and you ask this?

[xav15]

do you reckon he will get a crack soonish?? mabye not seeing as though were coming into the finals, but you never know... how is he travelling in the vfl?

[Number 24]

My concern about Kennedy is whether he has a big enough tank to play AFL, as a mid fielder or even as a HBF'er

He is a big lump of a lad but I wonder at his aerobic aspects. A pre season will let us know a bit more in this area. He was not all that fit when he came to the club, so the last pre season,the playing year in 2007 and another pre season 07/08 should see if he has the raw ingredients for development.

[Roberiquez]

if he applied himself, could he make seniors?

[flyby hawk]

How is Josh going at Training??

Havent heard much about him over the PreSeason

[warnie]

we did an interview with Josh about AFL Dream Team on our Pre-Season YouTube show.. He is a champ!!

zM4LfvewlAI

[RustyHawk]

Josh Kennedy, playing in his second NAB Cup game for the Hawks was reported in the last quarter for a forceful contact to Carlton's Marc Murphy. Should get off as MM ducked into Joey.

Joey seems to be used by the hawks in the second half of each NAB Cup game including the game in Tassie against Sydney (Hawks won by 2 points) and the game against Carlton 23.02.08.


Three Hawks reported
by:Jen Witham
11:27 PM Sat 23 February, 2008

Carlton players remonstrate with Campbell Brown on Saturday night

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson wasn’t surprised by the three reports that marred his side’s NAB Cup quarter-final win over Carlton on Saturday night.

Clarkson conceded it was disappointing to end the match with three of his players in the umpires' book, after Campbell Brown (charging), Josh Kennedy (making forceful contact) and Franklin (wrestling) were all reported.

"That's always a danger when you're playing NAB Cup games but you've got to put yourself in competitive environments; you can't just go into the season opener with no pre-season practice games," he said.

"You're exposed to the element, and you put 26 competitive beasts out there against an opposition. From time to time, you're going to cross that fine white line.

"We'll see what the outcome of that is throughout the course of the week, but it was a little bit of a downer."

Clarkson was pleased with his side's explosive first half against Carlton, as it enabled him to inject valuable game time into his younger players.

He was able to leave Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, Sam Mitchell, Grant Birchall and Stephen Gilham on the bench for extended periods in the second half, after the Hawks amassed a 52-point lead by half time.

"We're really pleased with the way we played for the greater part of the first half, and in the second half, the risk is you're perceived as being arrogant, but it gave us a great opportunity to play some of our younger players," Clarkson said, after the eventual 34-point victory.

"They made plenty of mistakes, but that's what it's about at this level and we're really pleased with the outcome of the game.

"To play so well when the whips were cracking early in the game and to get the opportunity at that level to expose so many of our younger players on our list was really pleasing for our club."

Of the younger players, Cyril Rioli and rookie Cameron Stokes both caught the coach's eye, with Clarkson applauding the way the pair managed to fit in with the forward structure.

"They've both had real good blocks of training over the last three months since they've been at the club, and they apply a lot of forward line pressure, which is good," he said.

"It's not just about them getting their hands on the ball and kicking goals; they apply an enormous amount of pressure when the opposition does get the ball, and try and rebound it out.

"I was really pleased with the contribution those two guys made in particular, but our whole forward line with 'Buddy' and Mark Williams and Tim Boyle and Michael Osborne, and Hodgy (Luke Hodge) when he was down there early, applied a lot of pressure to the opposition, which was really good."

The Hawks will now play the winner of Sunday's Adelaide-Fremantle clash next Saturday night, with the match to be held at either AAMI Stadium or Subiaco.

Source: Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network

[mule]

Anyone know how Josh is going this year?

[flyby hawk]

Ripe for a senior spot - just NO vacancy as yet.