Born Parkville, Victoria September 7, 1877 - died Brighton, Victoria, July 23, 1948
Recruited to Carlton from Essendon
Carlton player No. 163
At Carlton
106 matches, 13 goals 1904-1909
Premiership player 1906, 1907 & 1908
Carlton’s spectacular on-field successes through the first decade of the 20th century were in no small way due to the feats of its champion wingman ‘Ted’ Kennedy. Together with Rod McGregor and George Bruce, Kennedy was part of one of the greatest centrelines of all time; the springboard to the ultimate September triumphs of 1906, ’07 and ’08.
Edwin Page Kennedy was born not far from the Carlton ground in nearby Parkville. As a kid he had a kick with North Melbourne Juniors and (later) St Jude’s in Carlton, before accepting an invitation from Essendon to turn out for a trial match. There he impressed the ‘Same Olds’ with his speed, sure ball-handling and long kicking, and by 1901 was a regular in robust Essendon lineups. Injury robbed him of a place in that year’s Premiership outfit, although he turned out for the 1902 Grand Final in the team that lowered its colours to Collingwood.
For reasons never fully clarified, Kennedy parted company with Essendon in his third season, and was promptly sounded out by Jack Worrall to join Carlton. Worrall’s canny assessment again proved a masterstroke, as Kennedy completed a midfield that for the best part of a decade knew no peer.
Carlton’s 49-point rout of the Lions on Grand Final day 1906 – the club’s first Premiership since the VFA year of 1887 – was largely earned on the performances of Bruce, McGregor and Kennedy. The 1907 pennant was secured in McGregor’s absence, the centreman having suffered a badly broken nose in the semi, but the 1908 flag was won with all three members of the old firm again prominent through midfield.
Kennedy ran out for the 106th and final time on Grand Final day 1909 when the old dark Navy Blues went within one straight kick of completing an unprecedented Premiership four-peat. In his nine seasons across two clubs, he’d contested six Grand Finals and earned three precious medallions.
