COMING off a very solid hitout against the Demons last week, Matthew Kennedy - or ‘Chugga’ as he’s been dubbed - is confident that the Blues are building a strong connection on and off the field.
Speaking to Billy Brownless and former teammate Dale Thomas on Triple M’s Rush Hour, Kennedy spoke on how the expectations and standards were reset when new AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss arrived.
“There’s been a fair bit of change like you said but probably with the whole new coaching staff, we’ve just sort of built from scratch,” Kennedy said.
“The main thing for us from day one was getting to know each other and building that real connection between players and coaches and from a game point of view.”
Kennedy also alluded to Voss’ illustrious career as a player, where the triple premiership captain was known for his relentless inside the contest and his ability to get his teammates into the game.
“You look back at ‘Vossy’s’ career, it really starts at the contest so that’s where we started,” he said.
“We understand it’s going to be pretty adaptable this year with this new game plan and players getting their head around it, so we’ve kept it pretty simple so far and it starts with the contest. We’ll be just tweaking it as the year goes on.”
Kennedy put on a show in the AAMI Community Series, totalling 37 disposals and nine clearances as well as kicking two goals.
Alongside skipper Patrick Cripps, the two were a dynamic duo for Carlton in the midfield, creating space and winning the contest at all costs.
On Cripps, Kennedy admitted that no one has higher expectations of Cripps than himself, but that he seems to be primed for a big season after previous setbacks.
“He is moving around very well, the big fella, but I don’t think he’s changed that much,” he said.
“Obviously it’s probably been a few difficult years for him but he’s got plenty of high expectations of himself so the way he goes about it; he’s so professional and he’s really leading from the front in terms of the contest.
“The way we move the ball probably helps his game style a little bit more: I think we’ll expect a big year from our leader in ‘Crippa’.”
Another midfield duo was also on display on Thursday night, with new recruits George Hewett and Adam Cerra also showing what they can bring to an already strong Blues midfield lineup.
Impressing from day one, Kennedy said the group have been so impressed with how Hewett and Cerra have integrated themselves into the fabric of IKON Park.
“The way those two blokes came into the footy club and just put their head down and worked hard, they gained a lot of respect from the boys,” he said.
“I think they really complement each other and the rest of the group, being able to win their own share of the footy but also spread on the outside. I’m keen to play a few more games with them.”
As for the vibe down at IKON Park, Kennedy sums it up as optimistic, with a whole new coaching staff and new game plan to look forward to in the 2022 season.
“It’s a good group at the minute,” he said.
“Just with the whole new coaching staff, everyone is optimistic I guess and it’s hard to tell where we’ll be at but we’ll take it week by week.”
