Carlton recruit Matthew Kennedy says it was a ‘no-brainer’ to join the Blues
BOTH Hawthorn and Essendon wanted Matthew Kennedy during the trade period. But why did the departing Giant land on Carlton as his club of choice?
Carlton
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MATTHEW Kennedy, Carlton’s most recent acquisition from Greater Western Sydney, has wasted no time seeking the advice of the club’s contested-ball and clearance king Patrick Cripps as part of his transition towards a likely midfield berth in 2018.
The 20-year-old is thriving at his new club and acknowledges it was a “no-brainer” choosing Carlton as his new home when he sought fresh opportunities at the end of the season.
A number of rival clubs including Hawthorn and Essendon earmarked Kennedy as a likely trade option, but he selected the Blues after a presentation from senior coach Brendon Bolton and list manager Stephen Silvagni outlined where the club was headed.
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“I saw the move as a great opportunity,” Kennedy said as he took part in the club’s week-long training camp on the Sunshine Coast.
“When they gave their presentation and showed the direction the club was going in, and the culture they are building, it was exciting.
“It was an easy decision in the end ... it felt like a no-brainer.”
The Blues had a strong three-hour training session under the Queensland sun at Maroochydore on Friday morning before cooling off in the surf in the afternoon.
The entire group has set up base on Sunshine Coast until next Thursday, including star defender Sam Docherty, who is recovering from a knee reconstruction but still engaging on the track with the players, as well three father-son hopefuls Ben Silvagni (son of Stephen and brother of Jack), Oskar Manton (son of Glenn) and Will Hickmott (son of Adrian).
Kennedy, who played 19 games for the Giants across two seasons, including 16 this year, has been earmarked by the Blues for an inside-mid role.
The club is keen to ease the contested burden on Cripps a little, while mindful it also needs to add fresh blood following Bryce Gibbs’ move home to Adelaide.
The 188cm, 89kg Kennedy was traded to the Blues for pick 28, which was one of the selections the club had swapped with Adelaide as part of the Gibbs deal.
He had been the Giants’ pick 13 in 2015, as one of its academy players.
Contested work has always been his “one-wood” and the chance to work alongside captain Marc Murphy and Patrick Cripps was something that attracted Kennedy to the Blues.
“To watch and learn off ‘Crippa’, who is one of the best (contested) players in the competition, and to possibly help him, has been terrific,” he said. “Crippa and Marc Murphy have been great so far. They have taken me under their wing, and showed me the ropes, and what it takes to be an elite AFL player.”
Kennedy is the 10th former Giant in recent seasons to move to Carlton. He initially moved into a house with teammates Harrison Macreadie, Sam Petrevski-Seton and Zac Fisher.
“Everyone has made me feel really comfortable ... the culture that Bolts has set up with the young blokes is great and they are really buying into it,” he said.
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