MATTHEW Kennedy vividly remembers those final hours of October’s trade period.
Having requested a move from Greater Western Sydney to Carlton, the clock ticked past midday with the 2pm deadline looming large and his playing future still in limbo.
“I was getting really nervous so I called my cousin Dave,” Kennedy recalls.
“We went to the local pub in Wagga Wagga, had a pub meal and played a bit of pool. I thought it was a good idea just to distract myself.”
Before Kennedy could put the pool cue back in the rack, the news he’d been waiting for had finally arrived.
Carlton and GWS had signed and lodged the paperwork some 450km away at Etihad Stadium, and at 1:20pm the 20-year-old from Collingullie in southern New South Wales was officially a Blue.
“It was an incredible feeling,” he says.
“Once the trade went through, I received a lot of messages and phone calls, and to share that moment with my cousin was pretty special.”
Among the hundreds of notifications on his phone were 30-odd messages from his new teammates.
It was at that point the former No.13 draft pick knew his decision to trust his “gut feeling” in choosing Carlton was justified.
“I had several clubs interested, but in the back of my mind there was always something telling me Carlton was the right move,” he says.
“The first encounter I had with ‘SOS’ (list manager Stephen Silvagni) and ‘Bolts’ (senior coach Brendon Bolton) was super impressive.
“Once I got traded, just about every player sent me a text and everyone in the leadership group called me.
“I knew straight away that I had made the right decision and that what Bolts and SOS were saying about the culture was true. I was just so excited to get here after reading all those messages.”
Fast-forward four months and the laid-back country boy, affectionately known as ‘Bam Bam’ for his striking resemblance to The Flintsones character, still can’t wipe the smile off his face as he reflects on his time at Ikon Park so far.
“It’s been good fun. The culture that the Club’s set has made it easy for me to come in and feel really welcomed and settled,” he says.
“The coaching group has been terrific from the start, trying to get me involved in most things, while the playing group has really got around me.”
Kennedy is relishing his first pre-season at Carlton. (Photo: AFL Media)
Kennedy is in a great space off the field as well, handling the adjustment to life in Melbourne with aplomb.
He sees his family more often with a shorter travel time than what he had at the Giants, while he’s grateful to have “a lot of friends” in Melbourne – two of whom he lives with.
On weekends you’ll find him at church, with his Catholic faith integral to the person he is today.
“I come from a pretty Catholic family, with my uncle Rob (Fr Michael Robert Kennedy) the Bishop of Armidale. There’s a couple of boys at the Club who go to mass as well, so it’s good to be able to go with some players,” Kennedy says.
“I go weekly and Bolts strongly encourages me to go when we travel interstate.
“The Club has really embraced my religion and faith.”
With a sense of belonging at his new club, Kennedy’s early form points to a man playing with confidence.
The inside midfielder impressed in Carlton’s JLT Community Series wins over St Kilda and Hawthorn, racking up 18 contested possessions and finishing first at the Blues for clearances with nine.
While he’s never short of a smile around the Club, he’s a ruthless competitor once he crosses that white line, throwing himself at every contest with scant regard for his personal safety.
He puts his competitiveness down to having three older brothers and a sister “who’s probably the toughest of the lot”.
“Being the youngest of five, you learn to fend for yourself a bit, and since my junior footy days I’ve always wanted to get in there and win my own ball,” he says.
“Playing that inside game is how Bolts and the coaching group want me to play, and having that clear focus has really empowered me and given me confidence.
“I’ve also been doing a lot of work with ‘Crippa’ (Patrick Cripps) and Ed Curnow, and I’m finding it’s (winning contested possessions) starting to happen a bit more naturally.
Kennedy was one of the standouts in the Blues' unbeaten JLT Community Series. (Photo: AFL Media)
Given their country roots and similar playing styles, it’s no surprise Kennedy has gravitated to Cripps.
He openly admits his admiration for Cripps during his two seasons as an opponent at the Giants, and is now relishing the privilege of calling him a teammate.
“He’s one of the elite players in the competition,” Kennedy says.
“He’s very similar to me in the way he plays, so I’ve really been following him around. I’ve learnt so much in the last few months just from him.
“He’s a terrific, humble bloke, so to play a lot of footy alongside him is something I’m really excited about.”
Whether Kennedy gets the chance to line up alongside Cripps in Thursday night’s blockbuster season opener remains to be seen.
One thing that’s certain, however, is that the new No.7 wouldn’t take his Carlton debut and the occasion for granted.
“It’s (playing at a packed MCG) every kid’s dream,” he says.
"It’d be the first time I’ve experienced anything like this. Ninety-thousand at the ‘G against the reigning premiers – I think everyone would want to play in that. Just to be in the mix is exciting in itself.”
The Blues will be out to spoil Richmond's premiership celebrations in a blockbuster season opener on Thursday March 22, and we're encouraging all Bluebaggers to secure their tickets early. Click here to book your place.
