YOU ONLY need to watch the second quarter of last year's Grand Final to see the influence of Sydney's Josh Kennedy.
The midfield bull kept his team in the game almost single-handedly. His size, power and pace was a deadly combination around the stoppages. He got on the scoreboard too, and had one hand on the Norm Smith Medal by half-time.
Kennedy was originally drafted as a father-son selection by Hawthorn in 2006. The third-generation Hawk, grandson of John Kennedy snr, struggled to break into a star-studded midfield and managed just 13 games in three years.
But a trade to Sydney at the end of 2009 was the turning point for Kennedy.
He's now a premiership player and club captain, and in Thursday night's Grand Final rematch against the Bulldogs he can reach an enviable milestone:
Why the mini milestone matters
Kennedy has 1299 career clearances, and only four current players and six players in total sit above him.
Five of the six are Brownlow medallists: Eagles Sam Mitchell (1743) and Matt Priddis (1410) and Suns superstar Gary Ablett (1351); plus retired greats Simon Black (1715) and Chris Judd (1499).
Crow Scott Thompson (1422) is the only non-Brownlow winner in the bunch.
Kennedy is almost a prototype midfielder. He's too big for the quicker onballers, and too fast for players of a similar size.
A regular poller in the vote count, the 28-year-old still has years of AFL ahead of him. If he continues his clearance-winning ways, he could yet finish his career with a Brownlow.
Josh Kennedy (centre) played a vital role in helping the Swans to the 2012 flag. Picture: AFL Photos
Who's next best?
Former and present club captains dominate the group of current-day clearance kings.
| Player | Club(s) | Career clearances |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Selwood | Geelong | 1279 |
| Andrew Swallow | North Melbourne | 1115 |
| Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood | 1098 |
| Jobe Watson | Essendon | 1086 |
| Matthew Boyd | Western Bulldogs | 1080 |
Fast fact: Carlton's Patrick Cripps is ranked first among current players for average clearances per game. He has 7.06, ahead of Kennedy with 6.73.
One more big carrot for Kennedy
Earn 10 clearances against the Dogs, and Kennedy can also break the AFL record for 10 or more clearances in a game.
The gun midfielder has reached the figure 27 times, sharing the equal all-time record with Priddis and former Blue Brett Ratten.
The Chaser: hungry Hawk in the hunt for 6k
Hawthorn's Shaun Burgoyne can add another milestone to a glittering career, needing just 21 touches to reach 6000 career disposals.
With an average of 18.1 disposals per game across his career, the silky midfielder is a good chance of reaching the mark on the open expanses of the MCG against Gold Coast on Saturday.
The AFL's all-time disposal king is St Kilda's favourite son Robert Harvey, with 9656 across his 383-game career.
Burgoyne sits 13th in the list of active players. His former teammate Mitchell is the current-day disposal leader, having accumulated 8369 touches so far.
| Player | Club(s) | Career disposals |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Harvey | St Kilda | 9656 |
| Brent Harvey | North Melbourne | 9213 |
| Kevin Bartlett | Richmond | 9151 |
| Craig Bradley | Carlton | 8776 |
| Michael Tuck | Hawthorn | 8423 |
| Sam Mitchell* | West Coast/Hawthorn | 8369 |
| Scott West | Western Bulldogs | 8222 |
| Tony Shaw | Collingwood | 7632 |
| Simon Black | Brisbane Lions | 7580 |
| Gary Ablett* | Gold Coast/Geelong | 7510 |
*Still playing
Text: Sarah Black | Designs: Kahla Emonson | Stats: Cameron Sinclair
Want more?
• The Chase: more mini milestones
• Mid-season reviews: your club's pass mark and biggest worry
