Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy explain how they got over losing the 2015 Grand Final

THEY were two of their club’s best players going into the 2015 Grand Final. But Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy had days to forget. How are they approaching things this time around? SAM LANDSBERGER found out.

Jack Darling had a tough 2015 Grand Final. Picture: :Wayne Ludbey

FATHERHOOD helped 2015 Grand Final flops Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy get over their poor performances with West Coast adamant this week’s shot at glory was not a redemption mission.

The twin towers kicked a combined 1.1 as Darling infamously dropped a chest mark in a moment Hawthorn punished to seal its premiership three-peat.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Darling told the Herald Sun.

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“We got overawed by the occasion and we were against a champion team. It was a bit surreal and I got caught up in the week.

“You’ve got to be more in the moment. But we haven’t thought about it since the 2016 pre-season.

“Having a baby and, with another one on the way, means footy is not everything. I’m a real family man and just love spending time with the little fella and the wife.

Jack Darling had a tough 2015 Grand Final. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“That’s what matters most to me and back then it was the other way around.”

Darling, 26, welcomed son Max into the world last year and is expecting a second child in January while Kennedy, 31, has two girls.

“We had an absolute shocker and Hawthorn absolutely smashed us,” Kennedy told the Herald Sun.

“Back then you dwell on it, but it’s been three years now and I’ve had two kids. Those two girls keep me pretty occupied.

“Life moves on. We moved on pretty quick — that was three years ago.”

Kennedy was held scoreless in the 2015 Grand Final, one of just three scoreless games out of his 198 for the Eagles.

He has kicked a goal in all 55 games since. In 2018 the Eagles are 12-0 when Kennedy and Darling play together but Kennedy dismissed that statistic.

“I think it’s fudged a fair bit,” he said.

“You can probably say that when you have Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Liam Ryan and Willie Rioli we win as well.”

Kennedy conceded Collingwood stopper Tyson Goldsack “definitely beat me” in the qualifying final, despite the dual Coleman Medallist kicking 2.4 in the second half of West Coast’s win.

Coach Adam Simpson quashed talk the Eagles had demons from the 2015 decider.

“It’s just so long ago. We’re a different side and I know there’s some players that played in that game, but that should be a good experience to reflect on,” Simpson said.

“Obviously we didn’t play well and we didn’t win … but I think it’s a positive. There’s no redemption conversation, there’s nothing like that.

Jack Darling at West Coast training today. Picture: AAP Images

“I can barely remember what we did four weeks ago let alone in 2015. We’ve played in (three) finals series since then, so we’ve moved on.”

Darling said he was now mentally stronger.

“It (burnt) for a few months, but at the end of the day I had a bad day at work and it’s not going to have an effect this week,” he said.

“On the actual gameday it’s about my focus points — I am so much more clearer on what I have to do to play a good game now.

“I’m so much clearer and focussed and that’s all I’m going to concentrate on. I don’t know what to say, I just feel like I’m in a much better place.”

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