So often the game’s great contributors deflect attention around landmark achievements by trotting out the line ‘I’ll reflect on that after I retire.’
In the case of West Coast Eagles star Josh Kennedy there is a strong chance that post-career he will give no more than a fleeting reflection of what he has done.
Such a humble man who enjoys playing the game, being around his mates. The camaraderie of being a part of the collective and sharing success is what drives him. The individual accolades are nice, but it has always been about the team.
He has travelled such a long way from the kid in Northampton who made a late decision in his teenage years to play footy instead of basketball. Yes, a long journey, but he has never lost sight of where it started.
This week the champion forward notched up another significant achievement. Typically, there was no fanfare.
But 'JK' is now a life member of the AFL. One of only 10 people in the 35-year history of the Eagles to achieve such recognition, including his great mate Shannon Hurn and Chris Judd, the man who was central to the deal that saw Kennedy become an Eagle in 2007.
Last week he played his 300th AFL match – 258 games with the Eagles, 22 with Carlton and 20 pre-season matches. His induction into that exclusive life member group will be formalised later in the year, at the AFL annual general meeting.
But his inclusion has already been signalled and it is such a deserving honour for a man who is the leading goal-kicker in West Coast Eagles history.
He has 690 majors in total to rank 25th among the spearheads in the history of the game. If he can chalk up 32 goals this year, he will elevate inside the top 20. With 679 goals for the Eagles he holds a lofty position ahead of another champion Peter Sumich, who kicked 511 goals in his decorated career.
Take a moment to absorb that.
Of all the great goal-kickers in history, of all those heroes who inspired kids to go to the footy. Kennedy sits 25th. With more to come.
There has always been a fascination with the men who kick goals. Kids have their number on their own jumpers; pin badges to their duffle coats.
Kennedy, a dual Coleman medallist, thrice all-Australian and seven-time club leading goal-kicker has thrilled Eagles fans for 14 seasons.
He’s an all-time great and deserves to sit in that exclusive AFL life member collegiate.
