IS IT just a coincidence that Matthew Kennedy is playing his 100th AFL game against his old team, or is there something bigger at play?

“I’m just a big deal mate. The AFL has put it on for us! It’s pretty crazy really.”

The beloved Blue has been through plenty during his time in the AFL. Drafted by the Giants with pick No.13 in the 2015 AFL Draft (the pick after Charlie Curnow), it hasn’t all been easy for Kennedy.

But while he hasn’t been particularly keen to look back on the journey this week - rather, his focus is solely on the task to come this Saturday - he admits he wouldn’t have it any other way.

With a trade, injuries and even a shift to the rookie list all in that time, footy has taught Kennedy some lessons in his first 99 games. The main one above all?

“Resilience.

“It’s been a pretty crazy journey. Going onto the rookie list there, it was probably the best thing for me and my footy career. I’m not sure if I was taking it for granted, but I definitely wasn’t working hard enough during certain stages in my career.

“I probably just thought it was going to happen.”

It was at the end of the 2020 season where Kennedy was shifted to the rookie list, at a time of great uncertainty in the league on the back of the first year of the pandemic with changes aplenty.

He had played seven games in that truncated season, and was on just 48 games after five years in the system. It had been a grind.

For a man who has always got a smile on his face, it was a tricky time to navigate. But he emerged better for the experience.

“Going back to the rookie list, fighting for my spot, it was really good for me. It’s that mindset now to never get complacent — I’ve figured out a week is a long time in footy, and it’s never as good or as bad as it seems.

“I’m trying to always have a level head, and enjoy and appreciate every moment. Through injury or form, it can be taken away so quickly.

“I’m just enjoying the journey. There’s been plenty of lows but plenty of highs as well, so I just make sure that every time there’s a good moment, I really embrace it, because they can be tough to come by at times.”

He’s hoping one of those good moments comes this Saturday against GWS, the team where he played 19 games in his opening two seasons before seeking pastures new.

And given everything that has transpired in his career to date, you can understand why he’s so thankful to become the AFL’s latest centurion.

“As a kid, always loving footy, I probably didn’t think it would ever happen.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to play, both here and at the Giants where it all started. Playing against them in the 100th is pretty special.”

For purely selfish reasons, he admits to having some tongue-in-cheek conversations with his great mate about potentially holding off his return by a week, so they could’ve shared their 100th games together.

“We were laughing about this last week — it would’ve been awesome to share it with ‘Walshy’. 

“‘Walshy’ is someone who has had a massive impact on my AFL career. It was a difficult stage at the time when he arrived, but it’s a credit to him and his 100 games: I can’t wait to play many more.”