Prediction Josh Kennedy Will Bounce Back

[CM9000]

I’m calling it.

JK will bounce back after the game against Gold Coast. I don’t believe in this fatalism and pessimism when it comes to the great man - to discount him now on the basis of one game is jumping the shark, and I refuse to believe he won’t respond. To say he’s done, right now, is going far too early, and I just don’t think it’s fair to call it a “trend“ or something like that.

Josh Kennedy will come back from this slump, mark my words.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Is it based on 1 game? I thought somebody had laid out his stats for the last 15-20 games and they hadn’t been stellar. Apologies if I’m wrong. Either way it’s been clear for the best part of a year that he’s started to slow down. To be expected, champion or not.

I also don’t think it’s as simple as ‘will he’? We’ve painted ourself into a corner through our drafting of talls and how we handle the development of Allen, Williams, Brander is key to the next 10 years. If we fall out of contention this season I’d hope that we begin to prioritise those named.

 

[Level_Headed]

Agreed. He will never be peak JK again, but he will show that he remains in the upper echelon of full forwards in the competition.

*Hopefully

 

[Rowan18]

Is it based on 1 game? I thought somebody had laid out his stats for the last 15-20 games and they hadn’t been stellar. Apologies if I’m wrong. Either way it’s been clear for the best part of a year that he’s started to slow down. To be expected, champion or not.

I also don’t think it’s as simple as ‘will he’? We’ve painted ourself into a corner through our drafting of talls and how we handle the development of Allen, Williams, Brander is key to the next 10 years. If we fall out of contention this season I’d hope that we begin to prioritise those named.

Painted into a corner? We have the next generation of very promising talls already developing. Yes, it is causing a few selections headaches, but that's only because they're so good it is hard to leave them out. Most teams would kill to be in this position.

JK is slowing down. He'll get a few more games to find form and if he can't, I wouldn't be surprised if he walks. Lucky we'll have guys like Allen and Waterman ready to play 2nd tall and support Darling.

 

[Ishmael_]

I agree, but he is slowing.

The problem is, we're too tall up forward and whereas previously we've had Rioli to pick up some of Kennedy's tackling pressure slack we don't anymore. Neither do we have Venables who I don't particularly rate, but he's mobile and can tackle. Ah Chee isn't bringing the pressure, Cameron isn't right and still very green and on the weekend Cripps lowered his colours. Ryan can scare defenders but doesn't have a killer tackle and plays tall.

The balance is what is off. Kennedy and Darling surrounded by smalls is still our best set-up (this year) but we don't have the cattle at the moment. I don't think Waterman is the answer but he runs hard. Development or otherwise I don't think Brander is particularly inspiring and regardless I don't think you can fit both him and Allen in the same team.

It's a puzzle and with no easy solution. I would look into throwing Yeo around, either up forward or down back.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Painted into a corner? We have the next generation of very promising talls already developing. Yes, it is causing a few selections headaches, but that's only because they're so good it is hard to leave them out. Most teams would kill to be in this position.

JK is slowing down. He'll get a few more games to find form and if he can't, I wouldn't be surprised if he walks. Lucky we'll have guys like Allen and Waterman ready to play 2nd tall and support Darling.

My concern is list balance mate. Waterman should be playing AFL footy, and Williams should be being blooded, all the while we have zero stand out promising midfielders on the list (the O’Neills may be the best of this bunch but that’s tenuous at this stage).

 

[Shuestar13]

I hope he can bounce back... I think he may have a bag or two left in him. But the end is coming, and at this stage, it is looking like sooner rather than later.

And that makes me extremely sad. JK is irreplaceable. We are going to miss him dearly

 

[Dark Sharks]

Flogged by Logue
Pantsed by Oscar McDonald
Annihilated by Sam Collins

Last 3 games haven't been pretty. Wonder if he'll actually play good against a real opponent and not blanketed by a spud



Waterman, Williams, Oscar and Marsden (Brander) are all waiting for a proper crack at it.

 

[ConcreteWaters]

It made me sad seeing him outmuscled by a child on the weekend. He doesn't seem to get much separation from his opponent these days and I don't know if that's a factor of bad delivery or declining workrate due to age/soreness. His numbers are pretty horrific this year- 3 kicks, 3 marks, 1.5 hb, 0.5 goals, 0.5 tackles per game. I miss the JK of old with repeat efforts, outworking opponents with multiple dummy leads to then get off the leash, or holding an opponent at bay on a 1v1 to push off and take a diving mark. The game against North last year reminded us of what he can do, but the consistency is going.
Sad to say, but the end is nigh, and we've got Oscar Allen who looks bloody good and will be around for a long time. I'd much rather he be putting up those numbers in the same position while getting comfortable and consistent at AFL level, or having him roaming around with Darling the stay at home forward providing pressure.
JK is an absolute legend of the club/AFL, so probably gets a bit of leeway and would love him to return to form.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

of course hell bounce back hes the fridge

the entire team was poor not just him.

 

[FreeTK]

I’m calling it.

JK will bounce back after the game against Gold Coast. I don’t believe in this fatalism and pessimism when it comes to the great man - to discount him now on the basis of one game is jumping the shark, and I refuse to believe he won’t respond. To say he’s done, right now, is going far too early, and I just don’t think it’s fair to call it a “trend“ or something like that.

Josh Kennedy will come back from this slump, mark my words.

I appreciate your optimism, and hope that JK can work his way in to the season.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

JK has been past it for a while and if not for blind loyalty he wouldn’t have been offered a new contract for this year.

If he continues to struggle, which I suspect he will, I hope he retires during the season.

Let’s be honest, he can hardly beat anyone one-on-one anymore; he can’t get separation on his opponent, his overhead marking is poor, he is often too far under the ball in a marking contest and his repeat efforts are way down for the past year.

It’s over. He was very good for a while but the truth of the matter is doesn’t even average three goals a game over his entire career. Not great for a key forward.

 

[FreeTK]

JK has been past it for a while and if not for blind loyalty he wouldn’t have been offered a new contract for this year.

If he continues to struggle, which I suspect he will, I hope he retires during the season.

Let’s be honest, he can hardly beat anyone one-on-one anymore; he can’t get separation on his opponent, his overhead marking is poor, he is often too far under the ball in a marking contest and his repeat efforts are way down for the past year.

It’s over. He was very good for a while but the truth of the matter is doesn’t even average three goals a game over his entire career. Not great for a key forward.

He played in an era of system based zone defence.

Gone are the days of the stay home KPF like a Sumich or a Dunstall.

He is one of the best key forwards of his era, and we rebuilt our club and its culture around him.

Absolute star of the competition and legend of the club.

 

[FreeTK]

Flogged by Logue
Pantsed by Oscar McDonald
Annihilated by Sam Collins

Last 3 games haven't been pretty. Wonder if he'll actually play good against a real opponent and not blanketed by a spud
Waterman, Williams, Oscar and Marsden (Brander) are all waiting for a proper crack at it.

 

[RookiePick]

It’s over. He was very good for a while but the truth of the matter is doesn’t even average three goals a game over his entire career. Not great for a key forward.

JJK is 24th on the all time goal average list (50 games minimum)

Of those players preceding him, a grand total of 5 players have played more games than Josh.

Your post is bad and you should feel bad.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

JJK is 24th on the all time goal average list (50 games minimum)

Of those players preceding him, a grand total of 5 players have played more games than Josh.

Your post is bad and you should feel bad.

Why? You don’t like the reality of the situation. He was a very good player for a few years and now he should retire.

I want to win premierships not reminisce about the past.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

He played in an era of system based zone defence.

Gone are the days of the stay home KPF like a Sumich or a Dunstall.

He is one of the best key forwards of his era, and we rebuilt our club and its culture around him.

Absolute star of the competition and legend of the club.

A star of the competition? Big call.

And we didn’t rebuild our culture around him. He was not instrumental in that at all.

Peter Sumich at his peak was a better player than Josh Kennedy.

 

[DanWCE]

Blame the media for pumping him up all preseason. We should've listened to Simmo when he was telling us to temper our expectations

 

[RookiePick]

Why? You don’t like the reality of the situation. He was a very good player for a few years and now he should retire.

I want to win premierships not reminisce about the past.

You said his career goal average was not great, which is patently wrong and backed up by comparison to every forward who has laced up in V/AFL history.

All careers come to an end and Josh will be no different but don't piss on the bloke because you are shitty about the weekend.

 

[xInfected_Virus]

Pantsed by Oscar McDonald

I'm pretty sure May was on him for that game and Oscar McDonald was on Darling.

I back JK to bounce back but I don't expect him to perform well against Brisbane especially if our forward delivery is bad and it's slippery which it's forecasted to be. JK can still get separation from his opponent if he leads into space AND if our midfield delivery is great (see Kelly delivering the ball to JK on a lead against Gold Coast) I don't think I've seen his opponent spoiled him from behind with JK getting a clear fast lead with perfect delivery.

It's clear that JK lost a step and I reckon he should lose weight to help with his tackling pressure since teams can easily waltz it out of our forward line thanks to our Dicky McGeezaks forward pressure. Not helped that we don't have Rioli and Cameron, Cripps isn't putting in much effort, Petch not providing pressure despite his speed, AhChee also not putting pressure and it's not helped that our our forward line is lazy to chase and tackle, putting some strain on the midfield that's already lazy to run the other way.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Never thought I'd be reading comments shitting on JK's career as a whole, but here we are.

Screw 2020, it's been the worst.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

You said his career goal average was not great, which is patently wrong and backed up by comparison to every forward who has laced up in V/AFL history.

All careers come to an end and Josh will be no different but don't piss on the bloke because you are shitty about the weekend.

It has nothing to do with the weekend. I was saying it from halfway through the season last year.

It was like how we kept Dean Cox on for a year too long. Now Cox was a great player but we spent 2014 playing Cox, Lycett and Naitanui and it caused imbalance in the side.

Now we are playing Kennedy beyond his prime forcing Allen to play second ruck - and out of position - Brander on a wing and Williams is sitting on the sidelines.

No one wins from this situation - especially the Eagles!

 

[omgfridge]

Flogged by Logue
Pantsed by Oscar McDonald
Annihilated by Sam Collins

Last 3 games haven't been pretty. Wonder if he'll actually play good against a real opponent and not blanketed by a spud



Waterman, Williams, Oscar and Marsden (Brander) are all waiting for a proper crack at it.

Tore up Harry Edwards in the intraclub but.

Not sure who thats more worrying for....

 

[DickDunn]

I'm not going to torture myself by rewatching the Suns game but I thought our delivery was poor all day - desperately needed to lower the eyes given the conditions but kept bombing it in. JK clearly a champion for the club and I think it's a little premature to say he should be turfed out after one round in an effectively new season.

Between JK in patchy form, Allen spending plenty of time in the ruck and Brander not making much of a case as a wingman, suspect something will have to give eventually though

 

[Yippy Yi Yeo]

the truth of the matter is doesn’t even average three goals a game over his entire career. Not great for a key forward.

You're an absolute plonker mate, get a grip