Josh_Kelly_(Australian_footballer)

Josh Kelly (Australian footballer)

Josh Kelly (Australian footballer)

Australian rules footballer

Joshua Kelly (born 12 February 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with the second overall selection in the 2013 national draft.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...

Kelly had a breakout year in 2017, winning inclusion in the All-Australian team and finishing fifth in the Brownlow Medal. He was named in the Greater Western Sydney Giants leadership group in 2018 where he remains as Vice-Captain.[1] Josh Kelly began his football career as an Auskicker at East Brighton in Melbourne's south-east before being drafted at pick two in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. Kelly is the son of Phil Kelly, who played 61 games as a wingman for North Melbourne in the 1980s and won two Sandover Medals in the WAFL. He won the GIANTS Rising Star Award in his first season and become a mainstay of the Giants' midfield in just a few short years. Kelly was elevated into the club's official leadership group ahead of the 2017 season in just his fourth year in the AFL, and after a stunning 2017 season was named vice-captain in 2018.

In December 2021, Kelly was named, along with Toby Greene and incumbent Stephen Coniglio, as co-captain of the club.[2] In February 2023, Kelly and Coniglio were named vice-captains as Greene was named the sole captain.[3]

AFL career

He is the son of Phil Kelly, who played 109 games and won multiple Sandover Medals for East Perth in the West Australian Football League and then moved to the Victorian Football League, playing 61 games for the Kangaroos from 1981-85.[4] He also has a younger sister, Laine Kelly. During the AFL combine he showed elite endurance, finishing the 3 km time trial with a time of 9 minutes and 32 seconds (the second fastest ever in testing).[5] He was educated at Brighton Grammar School, alongside fellow 2013 draftees Christian Salem and Jayden Hunt.

He was nominated for the 2014 AFL Rising Star award after featuring in Greater Western Sydney's 32-point win over Melbourne in round 3.[6]

Kelly had a stellar 2017 season, being named in the All-Australian team and finishing fifth in the Brownlow Medal. In the opening rounds of the season, it was confirmed that North Melbourne had made a $9 million contract offer.[7] He eventually re-signed with the Giants at the end of the year on a 2-year contract; the amount was not disclosed.[8]

Kelly was a key member of the Giants‘ 2019 finals campaign which saw the team reach its first grand final. He managed 27 disposals and was named in the best players in the team’s four point preliminary final win against Collingwood.[9]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the first week of the 2021 finals[10]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
More information Season, Team ...

Notes

  1. The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. [1]
    Media, Giants (5 March 2018). "Kelly Elevated to Vice-Captain as 2018 Leaders Announced". GWS Giants.
  2. [2]
    "Trio to Lead GIANTS into Future". Greater Western Sydney Giants. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  3. [3]
    "Greene to Lead GIANTS into New Era". Greater Western Sydney Giants. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  4. [4]
    Zell, Alison (22 November 2013). "Like Father, Like Son". GWS Giants.
  5. [5]
    Twomey, Callum (22 October 2013). "30 days to the draft: Meet gun prospect Josh Kelly". Australian Football League.
  6. [6]
    King, Travis (7 April 2014). "Josh Kelly caps off Giants' Rising Star dozen". Australian Football League.
  7. [7]
    Gleeson, Michael (4 April 2017). "North Melbourne Kangaroos offer Giants Josh Kelly nine-year $9 million deal, says ex-AFL executive Brian Waldron". The Age.
  8. [8]
    "Reference at www.dailytelegraph.com.au".
  9. [9]
    McGowan, Marc (21 September 2019). "Gargantuan: Depleted Giants shock Pies to reach first Grand Final". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  10. [10]
    "Josh Kelly". AFL Tables. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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