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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Jan 11, 2003
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His performance in the 2016 grand final was the definition of carrying the midfield. I'd forgotten how good he was that day.

 
Last one of the Bloods IMO. More will follow but no one on our current list comes close to being one who just plays hurt without a significant drop in performance.
Parker
Rampe
then the next gen of
Papley
Hewett
 
I think with George and hopefully Rowbottom, JPK is not having to carry the midfield solo these days.

I watched him closely a few different times yesterday. The stats tell us he played one of his beast mode games and indeed he was pretty damned useful. However it is clear he was really labouring and was running on empty in the last quarter.

He is such a smart and brave player he will always get himself in the right position to compete. He is also incredibly focussed on see ball get ball. His powers of concentration are something to behold and it is rare for him to remonstrate with umps or opponents. He plays in his own beast mode zone.

I don't know the extent of the injury he is carrying but it is clearly troubling him.

He was never a prodigious kick but it seems like McVeigh he is now struggling to kick any significant distance.

Yesterday he really struggled to chase and tackle and it was not for lack effort. In fact it was the opposite as you could see the strain of the effort he was putting in.

Like Buddy, JPK just seems to love playing and I suspect this means it is difficult for Horse and the docs to get admissions if he is physically not right.

I reckon he could play for another 3 years and maybe like Michael Tuck go on further. If he does he is a really good chance of reaching 300 games. To do so may mean reducing his workload as others come through. This may mean spending a bit of time on the forward line. Nothing wrong with that as he has kicked close to 150 goals in his career. When fit he is both an aerial threat and a decent kick for goal.
 
Jun 14, 2011
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Put him forward now. Let Parker, Hewitt & Rowbottom do the centre clearances. Reid needs support and Kennedy could take a second or third defender and pop up for 2 or so goals a games.
 
Highly doubt Kennedy as a forward would work at this point in his career. It's been 7 years since he showed any signs of being a decent resting forward.

Keep him in the guts or don't play him at all, and I know which one I would rather.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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Highly doubt Kennedy as a forward would work at this point in his career. It's been 7 years since he showed any signs of being a decent resting forward.

Keep him in the guts or don't play him at all, and I know which one I would rather.

I'm not as convinced on this. Certainly Kennedy's 2012 season where he kicked 29 goals indicates that he at least was capable of kicking a lot of goals but I think most of these were done through being a midfielder, I don't remember him resting forward a hell of a lot. Hell, I don't remember him consistently playing as a forward a hell of a lot throughout his career, certainly here and there but not as a consistent ploy. I think it's something worth trying over the rest of this year. Allow Rowbottom and Florent to have more time in the guts with Parker and Hewett (combinations that have been showing real promise) and split Kennedy between deep forward and in the guts. I'd like to see it tried. He's always been a reliable set-shot too, as an added bonus.
 
Still a bit confused why JPK is a talking point this year anyway.

Far better than last year even after injuries, and he literally just played a trademark Kennedy game two days ago.

We focus too much on age, he is still contributing plenty. You worry about age with guys like Jack who unfortunately don't contribute much anymore.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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Still a bit confused why JPK is a talking point this year anyway.

Far better than last year even after injuries, and he literally just played a trademark Kennedy game two days ago.

We focus too much on age, he is still contributing plenty. You worry about age with guys like Jack who unfortunately don't contribute much anymore.

I certainly agree Kennedy is still very good (I love him til the end of the earth) but I think there's reasonable discussion to be had that him playing 100% of his game time in the guts of the middle (in a very young side which is very unlikely to make finals now) might not be the most beneficial ploy for the whole side moving forward. If you start to lower his time in the guts (not eliminate it, lower it) in order to allow more time for Florent and Rowbottom in the middle to develop more and more, it seems like a sensible way to go. We've done very well in games that Kennedy has not played in the last few years too, suggesting we don't need him quite the way we used to and that the younger guys can step up more.

Obviously I'm not questioning his place in the side or even his place in the guts, we need him there still, but we could use him in a way that might benefit the side more in the long-term. The issue is that Kennedy is limited by his lack of pace so you can't do what Geelong have done and push Selwood to a wing or a flank very easily. Selwood doesn't have break-neck speed but he isn't slow either. So deep forward appears the logical choice for Kennedy and I believe he's smart enough and strong enough that he could do some damage there with some training and practise.
 
Jpk isn’t a forward a-hole

Like swallow and others once finished in the guts that’s when he is finished as a player

Imo

Disagree. He has kicked a heap of goals. Spending a bit less time in the guts and a bit more deep forward will keep him fresher and provide a threat on the forward line.
 
Jun 19, 2011
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Tell me 5 games he has been dominant as a sole forward?

I agree he hasn't played much at all as a forward, he's always played the vast majority of his game time as a midfielder, but why not try it? He's a good kick for goal, it would allow our younger guys more time in the middle and probably prolong his career all being told.

Again, not saying he becomes only a forward or a part-time midfielder, 1/3 of his time forward and 2/3 midfield could do the trick. I just don't see why you wouldn't experiment a little given the youth in our side blossoming and finals not all too likely this season. If we were in the thick of the finals race, I wouldn't propose it.
 
I agree he hasn't played much at all as a forward, he's always played the vast majority of his game time as a midfielder, but why not try it? He's a good kick for goal, it would allow our younger guys more time in the middle and probably prolong his career all being told.

Again, not saying he becomes only a forward or a part-time midfielder, 1/3 of his time forward and 2/3 midfield could do the trick. I just don't see why you wouldn't experiment a little given the youth in our side blossoming and finals not all too likely this season. If we were in the thick of the finals race, I wouldn't propose it.


His goal kicking has gotten worse with age
 
I'd like to see his set-shot accuracy for confirmation.

What about the other reasons for moving him forward?


I think he would be on reasonable $ and rightly so as an absolute superstar but I don’t need old man Kennedy forward

Rather the numerous other options we have

He is more value as a trade asset imo
 
I don't recall ever seeing Kennedy display the type of skills needed to be a successful forward. Don't think he takes too many contested overhead marks and doesn't have a lot of acceleration to get on the lead.

Then again, I never thought of Jude as a forward and he went alright when he moved there in his last year.
 
I've come around to the fact that JPK is on the edge (though I still disgaree that Parker is in the same position). He started off this season very very well, but as soon as he got that minor injury he hasn't recovered again. Seems like any interruption to any season at this point just tanks the rest of his form for the rest of the year. If he didn't get injured who knows if this is still a talking point?

Problem is he can't play any other position so if you are thinking that his role should be reduced, it means dropping him or having him waste time playing deep forward. Really don't like dropping our captain and one of the best Swans ever because he's old.
 
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