Past Josh P. Kennedy - King Kennedy, the contested possession king

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Josh P Kennedy

Josh Kennedy led the Sydney Swans to back-to-back finals campaigns as the club’s sole skipper in 2017 and 2018, and has since led the team as a co-captain alongside Luke Parker and Dane Rampe. The top-class midfielder has compiled a glowing list of individual achievements since leaving Hawthorn for Sydney ahead of season 2010, collecting a 2012 premiership medal, three All Australian blazers and three Club Champion awards. Kennedy is instrumental to the Swans’ host of young midfielders learning their craft at the top level, including Oliver Florent, James Bell, James Rowbottom and Dylan Stephens. Draft history: 2006 AFL Draft 3rd round father-son selection (Hawthorn) No. 40 overall; 2009 AFL Draft traded by Hawthorn for No. 39 (Sam Grimley). Previous AFL club: (Hawthorn 2008-09: 13 games, 1 goal).

Josh Kennedy
DOB: 20 June 1988
DEBUT: 2008
DRAFT: #40, 2006 Father Son
RECRUITED FROM: East Sandr (Vic)/Xavier Coll (Vic)/Sandr U18/Hawthorn

 
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Hewett and Rowbottom both played midfield as a junior. Dawson was a medium forward.

Fox and Rose play a lot of midfield minutes in the NEAFL but I doubt I will see anyone here calling for them to spend midfield time at AFL level.

That’s not to say that Dawson won’t become an AFL level midfielder, but I keep hearing people here reference where players played as juniors and how they should play there at AFL level (McInerney is a winger and Stoddart is a half back?) but that doesn’t seem to apply to Dawson for some reason? (again I don’t think juniors mean all that much when entering AFL level but just picking up on what seems like a lack of consistency..)

Hewett is serving an apprenticeship as a tagger like many before him did. Don’t think it is that outlandish...

Because Dawson has played mainly midfield in the NEAFL, and in fact was basically the nucleus of our reserves midfield, which means it's a position the coaches and Dawson himself feel confident about him playing.

My beef is with the whole concept of the "apprenticeship". Why does Hewett need an apprenticeship as a tagger? Wasn't his apprenticeship the two years he spent in the NEAFL, biding his time and working his arse off with BOGs in the reserves before earning his debut? Dawson has served his "apprenticeship" in the NEAFL as a midfielder where the coaching staff clearly want him, but then keep him away from the on-ball division once he's at senior level. Same could be said for Heeney & Mills who have served piss-takingly long apprenticeships as non-midfielders.

I can see the benefits of this apprenticeship business, but at the end of the day we have two players who have dominated at reserves level, and two players who were rated the best midfielders of their respective drafts. Four years after the last one of them was drafted, and we're no closer to knowing whether any of them will be the midfielders we need them to be. You can spin it any way you like but that's a debacle and a massive indictment on our coaching staff.
 

DeadlyAkkuret

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I think this versatility thing has gone too far, at least with us.

Sure, you want to have some flexible players so you can break the glass in case of an emergency, but I’m pretty old fashioned you just start a guy in his best position.

It isn’t overly complicated. Surely.


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I think this versatility thing has gone too far, at least with us.

Sure, you want to have some flexible players so you can break the glass in case of an emergency, but I’m pretty old fashioned you just start a guy in his best position.

It isn’t overly complicated. Surely.


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Yep look around the comp last weekend and there were blokes Heeney and Mills' age and younger just thriving in the midfield. Meanwhile we're supposed to just sit tight and believe that our youngsters time on the ball will come when it's meant to be. No thanks!
 

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Feb 5, 2012
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Ridiculous that Hewett spent a few years dominating as a ball-winner in the NEAFL now is played as a tagger. Dawson spent a few years dominating as a ball-winner in the NEAFL but has only played as a forward. Horse will probably decide Rowbottom would make a better small defender.
Its funny that no supporter that knows what Horse is capable could completely rule it out from happening.
 
Feb 5, 2012
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Because Dawson has played mainly midfield in the NEAFL, and in fact was basically the nucleus of our reserves midfield, which means it's a position the coaches and Dawson himself feel confident about him playing.

My beef is with the whole concept of the "apprenticeship". Why does Hewett need an apprenticeship as a tagger? Wasn't his apprenticeship the two years he spent in the NEAFL, biding his time and working his arse off with BOGs in the reserves before earning his debut? Dawson has served his "apprenticeship" in the NEAFL as a midfielder where the coaching staff clearly want him, but then keep him away from the on-ball division once he's at senior level. Same could be said for Heeney & Mills who have served piss-takingly long apprenticeships as non-midfielders.

I can see the benefits of this apprenticeship business, but at the end of the day we have two players who have dominated at reserves level, and two players who were rated the best midfielders of their respective drafts. Four years after the last one of them was drafted, and we're no closer to knowing whether any of them will be the midfielders we need them to be. You can spin it any way you like but that's a debacle and a massive indictment on our coaching staff.
Yeah fair call.
 

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Most contested possessions in a season

P Dangerfield - 430 (2017)
JP Kennedy - 425 (2016)
JP Kennedy - 423 (2012)
JP Kennedy - 410 (2013)

C Oliver - 405 (2018)
P Dangerfield - 403 (2012)
JP Kennedy - 393 (2015)
T Mitchell - 388 (2018)
P Dangerfield - 388 (2018)
P Cripps - 387 (2018)
JP Kennedy - 371 (2014)
 
Most contested possessions in a season

P Dangerfield - 430 (2017)
JP Kennedy - 425 (2016)
JP Kennedy - 423 (2012)
JP Kennedy - 410 (2013)

C Oliver - 405 (2018)
P Dangerfield - 403 (2012)
JP Kennedy - 393 (2015)
T Mitchell - 388 (2018)
P Dangerfield - 388 (2018)
P Cripps - 387 (2018)
JP Kennedy - 371 (2014)

JPK would legit have two Brownlows by now if he weren't in the same team as Buddy, Parker & Hanners. (Mitchell and Jack have also finished top ten in Brownlow polling in different seasons.)
 

bungee

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JPK struggled from the moment the captaincy was placed on his shoulders. No coincidence that he's blossomed afresh this year. He's a captain by his deeds. I predict he'll return to close to his 2016 form this year (allowing for 3 years of age). He did a great job impeding Cripps on the weekend while still getting enough ball of his own.

The man is a legend.
 

Swan4Life

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He should have at least two more AA selections too. His omissions from the the 2015 and 2017 teams were nearly impossible to justify imo. I'm not sure I'll ever get over Joel Selwood making it in 2017 over Kennedy.

And as AA captain too - what a disgrace!

Don't also forget that in 2016 he was robbed of a premiership medal at best and a Norm Smith at worst. How Johannisen got the nod is beyond the pale.

VFL corruption in a nutshell.
 
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And as AA captain too - what a disgrace!

Don't also forget that in 2016 he was robbed of a premiership medal at best and a Norm Smith at worst. How Johannisen got the nod is beyond the pale.

VFL corruption in a nutshell.


Scott Jeffrey should of got that norm smith
 
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