Kennedy ready to graduate from school of hard knocks in 100th game
Sunday's clash with Hawthorn is Adam Kennedy's 100th game for Greater Western Sydney. It's a significant milestone for any player, but even more so for Kennedy considering the shock to his system he got on day one with the Giants.
It was a rough, rather unglamorous introduction to what life is really like as an AFL footballer: a morning of gruelling pre-season training on the baseball pitch out at Blacktown, compounded by a series of friendly but pointed sledges from then-coach Kevin Sheedy.
But Kennedy got through it – or so he thought.
The Melton product was ready to jump in his car to head home for lunch and recuperate when teammate Rhys Palmer stopped him and let him know there was much, much more to come.
"I pretty much had my bags packed, ready to go – not knowing there was a whole afternoon rotation of weights, meetings and all this," Kennedy said.
"I had a few good conversations with [people] back home [saying] ... 'I've always wanted to be an AFL player but I don't know if I can be.'
"[It was] a nightmare first day, I got through about 30 per cent of training, pretty much spewed my guts up. I went in and didn't really understand what it takes, just a general day for an AFL footballer. It was just like, wow, I've got a long way to go.
"I was lucky the club had a bit of patience with me. That's why I look at the young blokes coming in today and I'm a bit jealous – they just don't look like they struggle. Maybe I was just a bit oblivious at the time."
That naive teenager, who joined GWS as a pre-listed player ahead of their inaugural year in the AFL, is now a seasoned pro. After navigating his way through the routine thumpings the Giants used to cop, and overcoming a series of significant injury setbacks, Kennedy is a core part of a team that is hunting their first premiership.
Almost fittingly, Kennedy had to overcome a concussion test to line up in his 100th game, having copped an accidental knee to the head from St Kilda's Jack Newnes that knocked him out cold last weekend.
The zippy defender, who re-signed with the Giants until the end of 2022 earlier this year, will become the 14th player to have reached that milestone for the club – and it takes on additional meaning knowing he is one of only a handful of foundation players still wearing the orange and charcoal.
"When I was talking to my brothers about contract stuff when I was making a decision to extend it ... they said, 'That's pretty cool, it'll take you through to 30 and you're pretty much a one-club player'," he said.