BRODIE Kemp needed confidence. 

The 2023 season marked his fourth campaign at the level, having been taken as a first-round draft selection back in 2019. He was coming into this year with just six games under his belt from those opening three campaigns.

Of course, that wasn’t really anyone’s fault. Kemp had an unlucky run with injury, arriving at the Blues while still recovering from an ACL injury sustained in his draft year. While the door may have seemed slightly ajar when the 2020 season was delayed due to the pandemic, a back injury put paid to that: then, leading into 2021, a syndesmosis injury sustained during match simulation on the eve of the season meant surgery was required.

It was, in Kemp’s own words, “a rocky start”. He’s always been a young man that has backed himself in, but only naturally, his confidence levels were impacted while still trying to find his way in the most high pressure of environments. 

“My first priority was getting on the park,” Kemp told Carlton Media.

“Ever since then, it’s been about building consistency and going from there. What I focused on this pre-season was building my capacity to run out games and find my confidence again, to know that I could play at the level.

“The ability to play games and get games under your belt gives you the chance to get used to the level. It allows you to find your feet more and more . . . I like to think that I’m going alright at AFL level now.”

He may view it as “going alright”, and particularly given his journey, he won’t be getting ahead of himself. But the reality is Kemp has emerged as one of Carlton’s big improvers in 2023 — if not the biggest, particularly over the last two months.

On six games after year three (one of those as unused sub), Kemp has now matched that tally in the last eight weeks, including the last four on the bounce. He’s done that well and truly on merit, gaining continuity and starring at VFL level to put his best foot forward and warrant selection.

In 2022, his three full games came about when he was selected as defensive cover, largely in the absence of Jacob Weitering due to shoulder surgery. Now, he finds himself playing alongside someone he has long regarded as a mentor in his time at IKON Park, while also crediting the positive impact of another who arrived at the Club over the off-season.

“To go out and play with ‘Weiters’ is something I gain confidence from, knowing that he’s always got my back and vice-versa. In saying that, the whole back group as a collective have been really good for me and backed me in,” he said.

“The other big one for me is ‘Ebo’, Brad Ebert, who has come to the Club this year. We’re very similar in terms of personality and he said that he had a similar career to me, starting slow and then finding his feet later on.

“He’s been great for me, for both my development and my confidence.”

That confidence shone through against the Gold Coast Suns, when he received coaches’ votes for a polished showing down back that yielded 20 disposals and five intercept marks. It’s in that defensive post where Kemp has exclusively played at senior level, despite the pre-draft talk centring around his versatility and adaptability in multiple roles.

While he’s always primarily been a defender, Kemp had stints in his junior career up forward as well as playing an Under-18 Championships game in the midfield for Vic Country. His first few years at Carlton - once he was fit - saw him swing forward and back, but he’s been settled so far in 2023.

“It was a bit of a chop and change in my first few years. I’ll still keep that in my back pocket, having the ability to change roles,” he said.

“But to find that continuity in one role is something that has been good for me. I’ve been able to flourish in terms of consistency in that role as the third tall: I’ve been happy with my consistency and continuing to build as I get used to the pressure of AFL football.”

When it comes to that much-needed confidence, getting the applause and adulation from the Carlton faithful can only help . . . as was demonstrated in the final term of the win against the Suns, which was Kemp’s first victory at the MCG.

Despite the game being well and truly won for the Blues, a pair of defensive efforts on the last line in the final minutes - first an intercept mark, and then a crunching tackle to win a free kick - was met with nothing but love from the Carlton Cheersquad behind the goal. For Kemp, it was the exact kind of “emotional nourishment” that made the years of toiling away and building himself up all the more worth it.

“There was a little bit of love! It was nice.

“There’s a still a long way to go, but it’s nice to get that nourishment when you know you’ve been working hard after a bit of a rocky start to my career. To know that you belong at the level, and to know you’re not doing a bad job.”

He was as effusive in his own praise that someone else who used to be in the stands supporting the Blues will be taking charge of his other great sporting love on the other side of the world.

“I’m all for it. I think Ange [Postecoglou] will provide that bit of grit and that attacking brand of football — I’m hoping to watch Tottenham go well this year.”