IMAGINE having to live with your grandmotherfor six months, while at the same time maintaining a busy teenage social life.
You mightn’t think one complements theother, but for Josh Kennedy, moving in with grandma was a proverbial ‘nobrainer’.
“Grandma loves to spoil me,” Kennedyadmitted.
“As a child, when you went to grandma’shouse you headed straight for the lolly jar.
“My cousins, uncles – everyone. As soon asyou rocked up, you would go straight for the lollies before you even said helloto grandma.”
The lollies must have been good, because itwasn’t long before one of Kennedy’s new teammates also took up residence.
“Paul Bower came and stayed with us for thefirst couple of months, he loved her and the lolly jar,” he said.
However, a chance to reconnect withgrandma’s treats was not the only highlight for Kennedy in 2006.
While he refused to draw comparisons withsatisfying his sweet tooth at his grandmother’s house, Kennedy acknowledged hisfirst year of AFL, in which he clocked up nine games, was extremely satisfying.
“Itwas good to get it under my belt,” he said, “because I got a little bit of afeel for what is expected at AFL level.”
Not even a punctured lung, an injury whichended Kennedy’s 2006 learning experience, could dampen his view on an openingseason with Carlton.
“When you get drafted you do not think youwill be playing in your first year but I was lucky enough to get theopportunity,” Kennedy said.
This season, the 19 year old’s learning curvehas steepened, Blues coach Denis Pagan using the former North Hampton Ram inthe ruck as well as in a more familiar role up forward.
“I am enjoying the ruck because it gets youa bit closer to the ball. Wherever I can get a place on the field I am happy,”he said.
In order to adjust, Kennedy has beenutilising all the club’s available resources, which he says have been easy toaccess.
“It is a pretty young team at the moment,” Kennedysaid.
“Everyone is pretty close so it is not likethere is ‘the seniors’ and then the ‘young ones’. I enjoy talking to guys likeof Brad Fisher, Jarrad Waite and Brendan Fevola, who are there to talk to andhelp me out as much as possible – which has been good.”
Of course, with multiple roles comes thepressure of performance, a factor Kennedy admits he’ll need to work on in orderto maintain his place in the senior team and ultimately with Carlton.
“It has been hard not playing the footy youwant to play,” Kennedy said about his up and down second season.
“But, I know where I am at and where I haveto get. So, hopefully I can build on that and keep focusing on training andwhat needs to be done and hopefully everything will turn out well.”
When you consider Kennedy’s motivation, thistask should not be too much trouble.
“Football is the same wherever you go,” hesaid.
“Whether it is in the country or in theAFL, it is all about getting out there with your mates and having a good time.”
