Go straight to the biography of your choice by clicking on the appropriate link:
[Les Kaine] [David Kantilla] [Darren Kappler] [Barry Karklis] [John Karney] [Jack Kay] [Mervyn Keane] [August Kearney] [Clark Keating] [Bob Keddie] [Peter Keenan] [Laurie Keene] [Edward Keggin] [Sam Kekovich] [Duncan Kellaway] [Dennis Kelleher] [Brian Kelly] [Jack Kelly] [Joe Kelly] [Pat Kelly] [Paul Kelly] [Phil Kelly] [Ross Kelly] [William 'Duff' Kelly] [Dean Kemp] [Bryan Kenneally] [Dexter Kennedy] [Edwin Kennedy] [John Kennedy junior] [John Kennedy senior] [Laurie Kennedy] [Michael Kennedy] [Rick Kennedy] [Paul Kennett] [Trevor Keogh] [John Kerley] [Neil Kerley] [Harry Kernahan] [Stephen Kernahan] [Alex Kerr] [John Kerr] [Laurie Kerr] [Ted Kershaw] [Laurie Kettlewell] [Don Keyter] [Graham Kickett] [Larry Kickett] [Ted Kilmurray] [Barry Kimberley] [David King] [Bob Kingston] [Geoff Kingston] [Ron Kingston] [Rene Kink] [Edward Kinnear] [Joe Kinnear] [Kim Kinnear] [Ron Kitchen] [Robbert Klomp] [Alby Klose] [Louis Kneale] [Ron Kneebone] [Jack Knight] [Matthew Knights] [Peter Knights] [Paddy Knox] [Peter Koerner] [William Koop] [Jim Krakouer] [Phil Krakouer] [George Krepp] [Marx Kretschmer] [William Kruse] [Keith Kuhlmann] [Bill Kutcher] [Alphonsus Kyne]
| Evocatively
known as 'Killer', Les Kaine, not surprisingly, counted extreme, sometimes
excessive, physicality high among his footballing attributes.
Originally from Coleraine, he made his senior VFL debut with Hawthorn
as a nineteen year old in 1956. He
played most of his early football for the Hawks on the forward lines, but
it was after being shifted to the defence that he really came into his
own. His relentless, straight
ahead style was admirably suited to the 'commando' ethos which coach John
Kennedy sought to instill at the club, and which ultimately bore
supreme fruit in the shape of the 1961 VFL premiership, Hawthorn's first.
Playing at full back, 'Killer' Kaine was a significant contributor
to this success, but the following year his form fell away, and he
struggled to keep his place in the side.
He left for Castlemaine at the end of the 1962 season having played
a total of 103 VFL games and kicked 80 goals. |
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David Kantilla (St Marys & South Adelaide)
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| Tiwi Islander Kantilla became the first full blood aboriginal to appear in the SANFL when he joined South Adelaide in 1961. Kantilla, whose tribal name was Amparralamtua, went to South on the recommendation of a former rover with the club, Len Atkins. Despite never having played on a fully turfed oval before, the beanpole-like Kantilla adapted to the hurly burly of big time football straight away, cementing his place in the team by booting 6 goals against Glenelg on his debut at Kensington Oval. Over the next six seasons he played a total of 113 games for the Panthers, initially as a forward, but later, and to more telling effect, as an energetic, highly-skilled ruckman. Possibly his finest moment came in 1964 when he was arguably best afield in South's 9.15 (69) to 5.12 (42) grand final victory over Port. Kantilla also represented South Australia in the interstate arena in 1964 and 1965 (a total of 4 games), and was a dual winner of the Knuckey Cup for South Adelaide's best and fairest player. His career tally of 106 league goals included a club list topping 31 in his debut season. On his return to the Northern Territory he captain-coached his old club St Marys to a grand final loss against Darwin in 1968/9. Kantilla was tragically killed in a road accident on Bathurst Island in 1978. |
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Darren Kappler (South Adelaide, Fitzroy, Sydney, Hawthorn)
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| Darren Kappler was a dashing, talented, long kicking wingman who gave fine service to four league clubs during a seventeen season, 269 game senior career. He joined South Adelaide from Morphett Vale, and made his SANFL debut in 1982. Over the next five seasons he played a total of 82 league games and was a consistently conspicuous performer in a team that almost invariably struggled. In 1987 he joined another regular under-achiever in Fitzroy, where he played probably the best football of his career, winning a club best and fairest award in 1988, and managing 87 V/AFL games in five seasons. A four season stint at Sydney followed, where he continued to produce consistently good football in 59 games before, anxious to return to Melbourne for personal reasons, he secured a transfer to Hawthorn in 1996. Kappler's final three seasons in the AFL produced 41 senior appearances, but were undermined to some extent by the persistent hamstring and calf injuries that eventually forced his retirement. Nevertheless, when fit he was still a damaging and productive player. |
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Barry Karklis (Wilston Grange, South Adelaide, Windsor-Zillmere) by Murray Bird and Peter Blucher |
| Barry Karklis was a hard-running centreman originally from Wilston Grange who played 232 QAFL games. He went from being a good player to an outstanding player after 19 SANFL games in two years at South Adelaide under Haydn Bunton junior in 1977-78. He returned home to win the Windsor-Zillmere best and fairest award in 1979, when he was also runner-up in the Grogan Medal. Karklis then went one better to win the coveted medal in 1980 and played a key role in the Eagles' 1981 premiership. He played 7 times for Queensland through the 1980s. |
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| A
vigorous and hardy centreman or rover, Johnny Karney made his league debut
with West Torrens in 1919. He
impressed immediately, and was selected to represent South Australia
against the VFL that same season.
In 1920, Karney won the first of two consecutive club best and fairest awards, while in 1921 he was a joint runner-up on a countback in the Magarey Medal voting. Seventy-seven years later, the SANFL awarded a retrospective, posthumous medal to Karney, as well as to his fellow runners-up, Port Adelaide's Charlie Adams, and Walter Scott of Norwood. Always cool and calm under pressure, Karney was a valued member of South Australian interstate teams for most of his career, and always seemed to reserve his best performances for games against the Vics. He had the rare satisfaction for a South Australian of twice appearing in winning state teams against the VFL in Melbourne, in a 7 point win in1920, and six years later when the margin was 11 points. All told, he represented South Australia 8 times. When Torrens secured their breakthrough premiership in 1924 Karney was vice-captain, joint coach with Roy Brown, and first rover. He continued as assistant coach of the team until his retirement as a player, after 108 league games, at the end of the 1928 season. |
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Jack Kay (South Adelaide, North Adelaide, Sturt)
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| Jack Kay had two stints at South Adelaide between 1891 and 1898, and from 1901 to 1906, and was recognised as one of the most dangerous forwards of his day. He topped the SAFA goal kicking list on three occasions, booting 25 goals in 1896, 35 in 1898, and 28 in 1902. Kay represented South Australia once, kicking 2 goals. After the SAFA introduced the electorate rule he was forced to spend the 1899 and 1900 seasons with North Adelaide, but in 1901 he showed his true feelings by relocating to the heart of the city in order to be eligible to play for South once more. In 1908 he made an attempted comeback with Sturt but played just 4 games with the club before retiring for good. |
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Mervyn Keane (Richmond & Sturt)
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| He may not have been the most glamorous name at Richmond but Mervyn Keane was integral to the Tiger cause, a fact attested to by his selection on a half back flank in the club's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'. Solid, sure and ultra-dependable, Keane was a member of Richmond premiership-winning teams in 1973, 1974 and 1980. In addition to his normal defensive duties he could do a job on the ball, where his energy, resolve and great courage typically served him well. After 238 games and 36 goals for Richmond between 1972 and 1984 he was appointed non-playing coach of Sturt, where he remained for four years. In 1988, however, despite steering the side to finals participation, he was controversially sacked. |
| Gus
Kearney was an accomplished all round sportsman who achieved considerable
success in tennis as well as football.
On the football field he caught the eye whilst at |
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| Brisbane drafted Clark Keating from local club Surfers paradise, and after a slow start to his career he developed into a vital component of the side that would go on to dominate the AFL competition during the early part of the twenty-first century. Initially used either as a tall option in the forward lines or as a back-up ruckman to Matthew Clarke, Keating truly came into his own after being handed the premier rucking role in 1999. Tall and powerfully built at 200cm and 100kg, he knew how to use his weight and strength, and besides being a fine knock ruckman was instrumental in getting many Brisbane moves going by means of his strong work in the packs. He suffered a setback in the 2000 season when he was sidelines with knee tendonitis problems, but he returned in 2001 to produce arguably the best season of his career, culminating a rousing four quarter display in the Lions' grand final win over Essendon. After missing most of the 2002 season with injury he returned in September to play a notable part in Brisbane's second successive premiership victory, achieved by means of a grand final defeat of Collingwood when, with 39 hit-outs, he was arguably the most influential player afield. He was similarly effective at the end of another injury-interrupted season a year later as the Lions again downed Collingwood on grand final day to achieve a noteworthy hat-trick of premiership triumphs. Keating made a fourth successive grand final appearance in 2004, but despite being arguably the game's outstanding ruckman could not prevent the Lions from succumbing to Port Adelaide. Two years later, Keating retired after playing 132 AFL games in eleven seasons, a tally that would have been considerably higher had he not been such a frequent victim of injury. |
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Bob Keddie (Hawthorn, West Adelaide, South Adelaide, Glenelg, Sandringham)
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| Recruited
by Hawthorn from University High Old
Boys, Bob Keddie made his VFL debut in 1965, and rapidly developed into a
top class half forward flank specialist and, later, the perfect foil for
champion full forward Peter
Hudson. He won club best and fairest awards in 1967 and 1969,
and also earned All Australian
selection in the latter year after a series of scintillating performances
for the VFL at the 1969 Adelaide
carnival. Arguably his most memorable performance in a Hawk
jumper came in the 1971 VFL grand final against St
Kilda when, after being kept under wraps during the first two
quarters, he 'exploded' to the tune of 4 effectively match-winning goals after half
time.
In 1973, after 132 VFL games and 195 goals, Keddie crossed to West Adelaide as captain-coach. However, despite playing well enough to capture the club's best and fairest award, he was unable to prevent the side succumbing to the indignity of the wooden spoon. From 1974 to 1976 he captained South Adelaide, winning another club best and fairest award in 1975. The 1977 season found him at Glenelg, where he rounded off his league career with 7 senior appearances. He also played 5 interstate games for South Australia. Between 1984 and 1986, Bob Keddie served as non-playing coach of Sandringham, and was successful in steering the side to the VFA 1st division premiership in 1985. Reappointed for a second stint as coach in 1988 he was less successful, overseeing 9th (of 10) and 11th (of 14) place finishes during his two seasons in charge. |
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Peter Keenan (Melbourne, North Melbourne, Essendon)
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| Known
evocatively as 'Crackers', ruckman Peter Patrick Pius Paul Keenan was a
genuinely larger than life character whose on field humour, histrionics
and exhibitionism enlivened many football supporters' Saturday afternoons
for well over a decade. Keenan's antics, however, among the most
memorably distinctive of which was his habit of stamping on the ground
like a stag in rut while waiting to contest a hit-out, sometimes disguised
the fact that he was actually rather a good footballer, or at least
somewhat better than was often alleged. Always extremely determined
and resolute, he was a capable mark, and his kicking, particularly later
in his career as he began to favour the drop punt, was of a high
standard. There were arguably more talented ruckman in the league
than Keenan, but few who made as much out of their talent as he did.
The highlight of 'Crackers' Keenan's career came in 1977 when he was first ruckman in North Melbourne's premiership team. An ex Assumption College, Kilmore boy, he had played briefly in the VAFA with Assumption Old Collegians before commencing his VFL career in 1970 with Melbourne. In 1976, attracted by the prospect of playing under Ron Barassi, he crossed to North, where he played a total of 51 games in three seasons, kicking 18 goals. In 1979 and 1980 he played for Essendon, adding 31 games and 17 goals, before returning to Melbourne (where Barassi had also moved) to finish off his career. When he retired from league football in 1982 he had played 131 senior games for the Demons, and booted 88 goals. Perhaps not surprisingly, once his playing days were over he went on to enjoy a successful and colourful media career. |
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Laurie Keene (Subiaco & West Coast)
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| Extremely tall at 202cm but boasting surprising mobility and athleticism, Subiaco's Laurie Keene, when fully fit, was always a handful for opposing defenders or ruckmen. Equally at home leading the rucks or in a key forward position, he topped the Lions goal kicking list with 70 goals in 1985, and won the club's fairest and best award the following year. He was a key contributor to Subiaco premiership-winning teams in 1986 and 1988. Recruited by West Coast as a member of that club's inaugural VFL squad he was cruelly undermined by injury in his efforts to establish himself and managed just 36 senior games to add to the 140 he played for Subiaco between 1981 and 1995. A regular West Australian interstate representative during the mid-1980s, Keene was selected in the 1986 All Australian team. |
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| Ted Keggin was a strongly built and talented forward who might have made a real name for himself had his league career not been interrupted by the first World War. As it was, he played a total of 59 VFL games for Richmond from 1912 to 1914 and in 1917, booting 87 goals. Prodigious kicking was a feature of his game, as was his penchant for throwing his weight around to the advantage of his team. He joined Richmond from Leopold, and topped his new club's goal kicking list in his debut season with 24 goals. |
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Sam Kekovich (North Melbourne & Collingwood)
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| Probably
remembered today more for the wrong reasons than the right, 'Slamming Sam'
Kekovich was a flamboyant and richly talented footballer whose intense
detestation of authority frequently landed him in trouble, and arguably
contributed to a failure to fulfill his potential.
Originally from Myrtleford in the Ovens and Murray Football League, Kekovich began with North Melbourne in 1968, and the following year, after arguably his best and certainly his most consistent year in league football, he won the club's best and fairest award. He also topped the 'Roos' goal kicking the same season with 56 goals. Thereafter, his undoubted brilliance was displayed only sporadically, and although he managed to play a part in North's breakthrough VFL premiership win in 1975, this was counterbalanced by a succession of injuries caused by extra-curricular activities such as playing soccer, and even, on one occasion, trampolining. His well publicised 'stunt' in posing naked for a centre spread in 'Truth' was also not particularly well received by the North Melbourne hierarchy. After 125 VFL games for North between 1968 and 1976, Kekovich crossed to Collingwood in 1977, but he managed just 4 senior appearances in what proved to be his final season of league football. |
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| Richmond's Duncan Kellaway was a courageous and highly determined footballer who excelled at negating the impact of his opponent, however highly rated. Originally from Glen Waverley Rovers, he made his AFL debut with the Tigers in 1993, and over the ensuing twelve years went on to play a total of 180 games and kick 12 goals. Relentlessly energetic and focused, he played his best football during the mid-1990s when he was widely acknowledged as one of the hardest players to beat in the league. He represented Victoria in 1995 and 1996, and was a key contributor to Richmond's 1995 finals campaign. He also served the club well when it next contested the finals in 2001. Although impeded to a certain extent by injuries later in his career, he always gave one hundred per cent effort when selected, and his retirement at the end of a 2004 season that saw him manage just 1 game all year represented a sad blow for the Tigers. |
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Dennis Kelleher (Carlton, South Melbourne, City-Launceston, North Hobart)
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| Popularly known as 'Dinny', Kelleher was a solidly built, hard-as-nails follower who relished the heavy going. He began with Carlton in 1927 and played 55 VFL games over the next six years before crossing to South Melbourne. In his first season there he combined with Jack Bissett and Terry Brain to give the southerners arguably the best first ruck combination in the league. In any case, it was good enough to help secure a premiership in 1933, and to keep the club at the forefront of the game for the ensuing three seasons, in all of which Kelleher featured strongly. He left South at he end of the 1936 season having added another 59 VFL games to his tally. Between 1939 and 1941, he captain-coached City in the NTFA, steering the club to premierships in 1939 and 1940. His final involvement in top level football came in 1946 when served as non-playing coach of North Hobart. |
| Brian
Kelly was a solidly effective defender whose VFL career with |
| Given
that he was a successful professional sprinter in addition to a footballer
it is not surprising that Jack Kelly played most of his 89 VFL games for St
Kilda as a wingman, nor that he was regarded as one of the fastest
players of his day. He
commenced with the Saints in 1937, and made the VFL interstate team the
same year. Military service
curtailed his appearances during World War Two at a time when he might
have been expected to produce his best football.
After missing the entire 1943 season he made a brief resumption the
following year before retiring. |
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| Joe Kelly was a highly talented, elusive wingman from Old Xaverians who served Carlton well in 137 VFL games between 1926 and 1934. A left footer, he was a particularly proficient exponent of the drop kick. His tremendous speed and great anticipation frequently enabled him to gain possession of the ball in space, and he invariably used it to good effect, often after an exhilarating, swerving run. Kelly was on the wing when Carlton went down by 9 points against Richmond in the 1932 VFL grand final. |
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| The archetypal rugged, uncompromising defender, Pat Kelly played 105 VFL games for North Melbourne, mainly in a back pocket, in 1945, and from 1948 to 1955. Almost fearsomely intense in his approach to the game, he improved as a player as his career went on, and he acquired greater confidence in his skills. Kelly was a member of North's losing grand final team of 1950 against Essendon. He developed a great understanding with full back John McCorkell, whose relentlessly physical approach tot he game mirrored Kelly's own. |
Paul Kelly (Wagga Tigers & Sydney)
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|
Paul Kelly was one of those rare players in
whom the product on display seemed somehow to exceed the sum total of its parts.
Tough, determined and enormously courageous, Kelly also possessed inspirational
qualities of leadership which often helped push the Swans
over the line in games they ought to have lost.
Recruited from Wagga Tigers, Kelly, who made his Sydney debut in 1990, rapidly developed into one of his club's most important players. Having played a considerable amount of rugby during his formative years he excelled in attributes shared with that code such as tackling, obtaining the ball under duress, and evading opposition players whilst running with it. Over the years his kicking also improved, and indeed during the closing years of his career he developed into a goal poacher extraordinaire. At his peak between 1992 and 1997 Kelly won four Swans best and fairest awards during that time as well as the 1995 Brownlow Medal. He was also selected in the 1995, 1996 and 1997 AFL All Australian teams, being named captain in the last two of those years. Kelly's courage often sent him where angels fear to tread, and while this undoubtedly made him an inspiration to his team mates, it was also probably responsible for curtailing his career. Over the course of that career Kelly had to undergo more than twenty operations in bids to address injuries sustained on the field, and it is doubtful if, over his last half a dozen or so seasons, he ever took to the field much more than 50% fit. Despite this, he was worth his place in the team almost on reputation alone, and his retirement at the end of the 2002 season left the Swans with a substantial gap in their playing list which was going to prove difficult - indeed, well nigh impossible - to fill. |
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Phil Kelly (East Perth & North Melbourne)
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| Phil Kelly commenced his league career with East Perth in 1975. After a slow start, he came good in 1978 under the coaching of Barry Cable. Kelly later admitted that Cable had inspired him to much greater levels of commitment and motivation, and this paid off handsomely in the form of Sandover Medal wins in both 1978 and 1979, together with the club's 1979 fairest and best award. Playing on a wing, Kelly was one of the Royals' best in their 1978 grand final win over Perth (reviewed here). He could also do a job on the ball, and knew how to kick goals, amassing a total of 73 in his 109 senior appearances for East Perth. In 1981 he crossed to North Melbourne where, after a fine start, his form fell away owing to a persistent hamstring complaint. He played 61 VFL games and booted 41 goals for the 'Roos in five seasons. He also represented Western Australia 6 times. In June 2006, Phil Kelly gained selection as a wingman in East Perth's official 'Team of the Century 1945 to 2005'. |
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| Ross Kelly was an outstanding success from the time he first donned a West Perth jumper in 1958. That season saw him chosen to represent Western Australia at the Melbourne carnival and he went on to make a total of 10 appearances for his state. He enjoyed an exceptional year in 1959, running 5th in the Sandover Medal voting, and in 1960 he was a key member of the Cardinals' first premiership team in nine years. Kelly missed the entire 1961 season while overseas, and in his absence the side finished a disappointing 5th, but his return the following year helped the team re-emerge as a contender, eventually getting as far as the preliminary final. Equally at home across half back or on the ball, Ross Kelly had played a total of 134 league games for the Cardies by the time he retired in 1965. |
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William Harvey Kelly (South Melbourne, East Fremantle, South Fremantle, Carlton, Lefroy)
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| Invariably
known as either Harvey or 'Duff', Kelly enjoyed an
illustrious career in three states. Originally from Western
Australia, he played a season with South
Melbourne in 1902 before returning home and participating in East
Fremantle's 1904 premiership win. The following year he was one
of several players to leave Old Easts in controversial circumstances, and
he spent the 1905-6 seasons at arch rivals South
Fremantle, where he played a total of 33 senior games.
A brilliant forward, whose kicking, both out of the hand and from the turf, was exemplary, he returned to the VFL in 1907, this time with Carlton, and was a significant contributor from centre half forward to the club's 5 point defeat of his former team, South Melbourne, in that year's grand final. After playing for the VFL at the inaugural interstate championship series in Melbourne the following year, Kelly continued his fine form at club level to help the Blues to what was a record-breaking third successive VFL flag. Between 19010-11, Kelly fronted up for TFL side Lefroy, and in 1911 he participated in his second carnival, this time for a Tasmanian side which performed heroically to claim 3rd place after scoring an upset win over the powerful West Australians. His two season stint in Tasmanian football saw him play a total of 27 games, comprised of 18 for his club, 5 for the TANFL, and 4 for the state. Kelly returned to the mainland in 1912, and sought a clearance from Carlton to South Melbourne. When this was refused, he spent the season playing for Bairnsdale. In 1913, Carlton granted him his clearance and, after a break of almost a decade, he resumed with South Melbourne, where he gave excellent service for another two years. Somewhat ironically, his last game in a red and white jumper came in the losing 1914 grand final against Carlton when, as was almost invariably the case on big occasions, he was one of the most auspicious performers on view, despite playing in the comparatively unaccustomed position of centre half back. |
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Dean Kemp (Kalgoorlie Railways, Subiaco, West Coast)
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| Dean Kemp commenced his senior football with a couple of seasons at Kalgoorlie Railways in the goldfields competition. He played in a premiership in 1987, and won a club best and fairest the following year, before joining Subiaco. After a season with the Lions he was drafted by West Coast and made an immediate impression, winning the Eagles' best first year player award. A smooth running, silkily skilled midfielder, Kemp was a key member of West Coast's renowned on-ball brigade, and a major reason behind the club's dominance during the early 1990s. In 1992 he played in a premiership team, gained AFL All Australian selection, and won a best and fairest award, and two years later he gave an exhilarating performance as a ruck-rover as the Eagles beat Geelong in the grand final; the display earned Kemp the Norm Smith Medal. Undermined to some extent by injuries later in his career, Kemp nevertheless continued to give good value until he retired at the end of the 2001 season having played 243 AFL games and kicked 117 goals. |
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| Bryan Kenneally was a quick, long kicking, adaptable player who served Melbourne with distinction in 171 VFL games between 1959 and 1969, booting 68 goals. A member of the Demons' 1960 and 1964 premiership teams, he really came into his own after Ron Barassi left to coach Carlton in 1965. Stepping straight into Barassi's shoes as the team's principal ruck-rover, Kenneally showed he lacked surprisingly little in comparison with the great man, an assessment endorsed by the state selectors in 1967. |
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Dexter Kennedy (West Adelaide & Port Adelaide)
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| When,
aged 15 years 11 months and 2 days, Dexter Kennedy made his SANFL debut
with West Adelaide in 1970 he was
heralded as the youngest player ever to play league football in South
Australia. Of course, to a large extent this depends on your
definition of 'league football'. If, as I do, you regard league
football in South Australia as dating back to the formation of the South
Australian Football Association in 1877 then no conclusive case can be
made for Kennedy being the youngest player to appear in the competition
as, for most of the nineteenth century, meticulous player records were not
maintained. What can not reasonably be denied, however, is that
Dexter Kennedy was a fine all round player who signally failed to fulfill
his early potential. In part this was because he spent most of
his fifteen season, 286 game SANFL league career playing with
under-achieving West Adelaide teams that landed four wooden spoons and
managed just a solitary finals win during his time with them. The
last couple of seasons and 50 games of Dexter Kennedy's career were spent
with Port Adelaide, but even there he
failed to secure that elusive premiership as, when he finally won the
opportunity to participate in a grand final in 1984, the Magpies lost
narrowly to Norwood. It proved to
Dexter Kennedy's final game of league football, as he was struck down by a
mysterious virus in 1985 which forced his perhaps slightly premature
retirement aged thirty.
A strong, mobile ruckman, Kennedy at his best was an awe-inspiring sight, but his best was displayed too infrequently for him to be listed among the game's bona fide greats. He represented South Australia on 10 occasions, and won West Adelaide's club champion award in 1978. |
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Edwin Kennedy (Essendon & Carlton)
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| Recruited
from North Melbourne juniors, Edwin Kennedy made his Essendon
debut in the premiership year of 1901, but was forced to miss the grand
final through injury. After 30 games in three seasons with the Same
Old he crossed to Carlton, and it was
there that he established himself as one of the foremost wingmen in the
game. During the Blues' halcyon phase of 1906-8 Kennedy joined with
centreman Rod McGregor and fellow wingman George
Bruce to form arguably the finest centreline combination seen in the
VFL up to that point. The trio perfectly complemented each other,
with McGregor "the architect and guiding light in the middle, Bruce
the man with the lacerating pace and quick turning ability, and Kennedy
the silky smooth 'quiet achiever' years before that term became an
advertising slogan" (see footnote 1).
Kennedy's Carlton and league career ended abruptly when he quit the club, along with numerous teammates, during the acrimonious in-fighting that led to coach Jack Worrall's sacking in 1910. |
Footnotes1. Carlton: The 100 Greatest by Jim Main and Russell Holmesby, page 280. Return to Main Text |
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John Kennedy junior (Hawthorn)
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| The
son of Hawthorn's three time premiership
coach John
Kennedy senior, John junior never tried to emulate his father in the
coaching sphere, but lost nothing in comparison as a player.
He joined the Hawks from amateur club De
La Salle, and quickly impressed as having all the attributes typically
associated with the club - strength, courage, determination, and
impressive physical fitness. He
made his senior VFL debut in 1979, aged nineteen, and over the course of
his thirteen season, 241 game, 211 goal league career was a member of no
fewer than four Hawthorn premiership teams, but when he was not selected
in the side which took on, and eventually beat, West
Coast in the 1991 grand final he decided to retire.
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John Kennedy senior (Hawthorn & North Melbourne)
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| By
no means the most elegant or naturally skilled of footballers, John
Kennedy nevertheless possessed considerable football nouse, and he applied
this to excellent effect as both player and coach at Hawthorn
between 1950 and 1976.
Kennedy joined Hawthorn from Teacher's College in 1950, and made an immediate impact, winning a best and fairest award in his debut season, the first of four which he was to procure during his ten season, 164 game VFL career. A tremendously team-orientated player, Kennedy represented the VFL, and was Hawthorn captain for his last five league seasons. In 1960, having retired as a player, Kennedy was appointed coach of Hawthorn, and within a short space of time a legend was born. Under Kennedy's almost fanatical tutelage the Hawks became the league's toughest and fittest club, with the players becoming known colloquially as 'Kennedy's Commandos'. By 1961, Kennedy's second season, the Hawks had the measure of every other club in the competition, and won a first ever senior flag with a comfortable 13.16 (94) to 7.9 (51) grand final defeat of Footscray. Between 1964 and 1966 Kennedy coached Wimmera Football League club Stawell, guiding his team to a losing grand final in 1966. He returned as coach of Hawthorn in 1967, and with no dilution to either his principles or his coaching methods, soon had the Hawks firing again. Hawthorn won further premierships under John Kennedy's guidance in 1971 and 1976, with Kennedy retiring after the latter grand final. Almost a decade later, in 1985, he was lured out of retirement by North Melbourne where, despite not managing to mastermind any further premierships, he did nothing to sully his reputation as one of post-war football's most effective and revolutionary coaches. That reputation was emphasised when John Kennedy senior was selected as non-playing coach of Hawthorn's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'. |
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| Laurie Kennedy was a highly dependable defender who was at centre half back for East Perth in consecutive premiership-winning teams in 1958-9. He was also among the best players afield in the 1960 grand final, but was unable to prevent the Royals from going down by 32 points to arch rivals West Perth. Although not the sort of player to capture the eye in terms of soliciting best and fairest award votes Kennedy was a fine servant of East Perth in 213 league games. He also represented Western Australia in 2 games against South Australia in 1959. |
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Michael Kennedy (Queanbeyan, Brisbane, West Adelaide)
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| After 42 games with his local club, Queanbeyan,
and having represented the ACT in the Escort Shield in 1987, rover Michael
Kennedy was drafted by Brisbane, where he would
play a total of 23 games over the next three years. In 1991 he moved to West
Adelaide and was on the wing that year in the Bloods' losing grand final
side against North Adelaide. A
dynamic and pacy player, Kennedy spent three successful years at Westies before
following the club's assistant coach, Rod O'Riley, back home to Queanbeyan.
O'Riley had been appointed to the post of Tigers senior coach in 1994 and under
his guidance Kennedy, who assisted O'Riley in his coaching duties, enjoyed
arguably his best ever senior season, winning both the Mulrooney
Medal and the Queanbeyan best and fairest award. He was also a member
of the Tigers team which played off in that year's grand final against Ainslie
only to be controversially sent off by umpire Andrew Toy for 'swearing'.
Queanbeyan officials were incensed by the decision, which almost certainly
contributed to their team's losing the match, and for a time it even looked possible
that the club would withdraw from the ACTAFL. Ultimately, however, the
matter was resolved more or less to everyone's satisfaction, with the league
undertaking a review of its umpires' controlling body with the twin aims of
ensuring that umpires received appropriate training, and that there was
consistency of decision making.
In addition to continuing as a player, Michael Kennedy replaced Rod O'Riley as Queanbeyan coach in 1995, and was successful in getting his charges into the grand final. However, reigning premiers Ainslie proved too strong, winning by 17 points. Forced to resign from the coaching position owing to work commitments prior to the start of the 1996, Kennedy continued to give good service to the club as a player for another couple of seasons. Sadly, however, this meant that he missed participating in Queanbeyan's next premiership win, which occurred in 1998. |
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| Rick
Kennedy was a gritty, hard working, hard hitting full back whose style of
play was Footsc |
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Paul Kennett (West Torrens & North Adelaide)
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| Nicknamed 'Hooker', Paul Kennett was a half forward flank specialist with sure hands and a reliable left foot kick who commenced his league career with West Torrens after World War Two. However, it was with North Adelaide, where he played 114 SANFL games and kicked 113 goals between 1948 and 1954, that he really made his mark as a player. The highlight of his career came in the 1952 grand final against Norwood when he booted 4 goals to be many observers' choice as best afield. Kennett also played in the 1949 grand final defeat of West Torrens, and in the losing grand final of 1951 against Port Adelaide. He died in 2006, aged eighty-one. |
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| Bendigo-born Trevor Keogh, who played his early football for the famous Sandhurst club, was a highly rated rover and ruck-rover for Carlton in 208 VFL games between 1970 and 1981. He booted 191 goals. A member of premiership teams in 1972 and 1979, he helped give the Blues arguably the finest on-ball division in the league for much of the 1970s. Light in build at 178cm and just 67kg he was courage personified as he bored his way into packs and fearlessly fronted up to opposition enforcers. A dual best and fairest winner at Carlton, his high reputation at the club was later confirmed by his selection on the interchange bench in the club's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'. |
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| John
'Gillam' Kerley was a tremendous all round sportsman who played football
for North Geelong for three years before joining Geelong
in 1882. Despite standing just 176cm in height, and weighing barely
76kg, he played most of his career as a follower, and was especially
renowned for his strong marking. In 1884, aged just twenty, he was
voted Champion of the Colony.
He contributed to Geelong premierships in 1882-3-4 and 1886.
Kerley's nickname was wont to cause problems. On one occasion, his aunt was watching him play when a supporter yelled out, "Come on, Gillam!" Mis-interpreting this as "Come on, kill him!" the aunt weighed into the unfortunate supporter with her umbrella. |
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Neil Kerley (West Adelaide, South Adelaide, Glenelg, West Torrens, Central District)
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| Donald
Neil Kerley spent the majority of his league career (149 out of 265 games)
at West and it was there that he rapidly established a reputation as
someone not to be trifled with on a football field. Within three years
he was club captain, having already won the first of four West
Adelaide best and fairest awards, and established himself as a key
member of the South Australian interstate team. Kerley's only major
disappointment - apart, perhaps, from South Australia's lamentable display
at the 1958 Melbourne carnival -
was the Blood 'n Tars' failure to annex a premiership: three times in four
seasons West Adelaide faced Port Adelaide in the grand final only to lose
narrowly each time.
It was down to Kerley himself to redress matters when, after being appointed coach in 1961, he enjoyed a dream season, finishing 3rd in the Magarey Medal count, winning the Trabilsie Medal as West's best and fairest player, and - most satisfyingly of all - steering the club to its first premiership since 1947 with a best on ground grand final performance against Norwood. This gave 'King Kerley' the extraordinary record of four flags in each of his first four seasons as a senior coach. (The first three had been with Koolymilka in 1953, and North Whyalla in 1954 and 1955.) Never far from controversy at any stage of his career Kerley's next major dalliance with the headlines came the following year when, after leading West to a heart-stopping 3 point grand final loss against Port Adelaide he was sensationally replaced as senior coach by Doug Thomas. Gritting his teeth, Kerley continued with the Blood 'n Tars purely as a player in 1963. However, the 1964 season saw him taking up a fresh challenge as playing coach of 1963 wooden spooners South Adelaide. In arguably the greatest achievement of an illustrious career he transformed the perennial cellar dwellers into South Australia's premier team by the patented Kerley method of performing with relentless passion, vigour and determination in every game he played and expecting no less of every single one of his teammates. After helping maintain South Adelaide's position as a league heavyweight for two further seasons - a status to which it has only fleetingly aspired since - Kerley moved to Glenelg for his last significant challenge as a player. The Bays had finished last in 1966 but once again the Kerley formula worked its magic as Glenelg reached the 1967 finals with 'the King' himself securing the club best and fairest award. Kerley's playing career ended two seasons later but his achievements as a coach were far from over. In 1973 he steered Glenelg to its first premiership since 1934 after one of the most dramatic SANFL grand finals ever (reviewed here). He also took the Tigers to losing grand finals in 1970, 1974 and 1975. A stint at West Torrens did not yield any further premierships, but did restore a measure of credibility to a once great club that had fallen on hard times. In 1981, 'The King' returned to Richmond Oval, and within a couple of years he had transformed a talented but horrendously inconsistent side into a redoubtable premiership combination. If Westies' 1983 flag represented Neil Kerley's last direct involvement in such an achievement it was far from the end of his contribution to football. Between 1988 and 1990 he oversaw the often exhilarating performances of a Central District team that ought perhaps to have landed the club's first flag, and immediately after that he played a significant role in the hands to mouth operation that saw the creation and launch in the space of a few short months of South Australia's first AFL side, the Adelaide Crows. Only in his final coaching position, a two year stint back at West Adelaide between 1992 and '93, could he really be said to have failed to deliver. However, in overall terms, as much for the scale as for the content of his contribution to the game, Donald Neil Kerley deserves to be remembered and revered as one of the few bona fide all time greats in football history. |
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| Harry Kernahan remains one of the all
time great servants of the Glenelg Football Club.
For almost three decades, as player, assistant coach, and then General
manager, his name was almost synonymous with that of the club he loved.
Kernahan joined the Bays in 1959 and quickly made a name for himself as a mobile and highly talented ruckman. He played a total of 176 league games and kicked 149 goals between 1959 and 1965 and from 1969 to 1971, and also represented South Australia on 10 occasions. From 1966 to 1968 he captain-coached WFL side South Whyalla, winning a Whyalla News Medal in 1967, and steering his team to a premiership the following year. In 1960 he booted 29 goals to share Glenelg's goal kicking award with Colin Richens. When the Bays emerged as a bona fide league power in 1969, Kernahan was one of the team's most conspicuously effective performers, a fact that was recognised with selection in the 'Advertiser' Team of the Year. If anything, Kernahan's achievements as an administrator were even greater, as he was at the club's tiller as General Manager throughout the greatest phase in its history. |
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Stephen Kernahan (Glenelg & Carlton)
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| When
the definitive history of football in the 1980s and 1990s comes to be
written, the name of Stephen Kernahan is sure to feature
prominently. Not just a great player, but arguably one of the finest
on-field leaders the game has ever seen, 'Sticks', as he was known, played
more than 400 games of league standard during an illustrious and eventful
career that spanned seventeen seasons. He began that career with Glenelg
in 1981, playing 136 games and kicking 290 goals, and securing the club's
best and fairest award on three consecutive occasions. He also
topped the Bays' goal kicking list twice, besides putting in a best afield
performance in the 1985 grand final victory over North
Adelaide. In 1983 he polled 43 votes in the Magarey
Medal, 8 more than the eventual winner Tony
Antrobus who received his Medal because Kernahan had incurred a
suspension during the season.
Even more noteworthy than his time with the Tigers, however, was Stephen Kernahan's twelve season stint at Carlton, where his impact was immediate, pronounced and enduring. He topped the Blues' goal kicking ladder in his debut season, the first of eleven such achievements in succession. In 1987 he won a club best and fairest award and was a member and captain of a premiership team. He retained the captaincy until he retired, helping himself to another best and fairest award in 1992, and the team to another flag - one of the most emphatic ever achieved in the history of the V/AFL - three years later. Mere statistics tell only part of the story, however. Arguably the true measure of the man lay in his on-field impact, both as player and skipper. Tall and somewhat thinly built, but strong, Kernahan had few peers as an aerialist for much his career. His kicking, if not strictly textbook, was accurate, and he booted a total of 738 goals - a Carlton career record - during his 252 game V/AFL career. Kernahan was also deceptively quick for a big man, and his ground skills were excellent. He was a pivotal figure in South Australian state of origin teams for many years, making a total of 13 appearances, and booting a record 47 goals. Kernahan achieved official All Australian selection in 1985, 1986 and 1988, and was chosen in the AFL's equivalent team twice. |
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Alex Kerr (South Melbourne & Prahran)
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| One of the foremost players of his generation, Alex 'Bubs' Kerr gave great service to South Melbourne in 74 VFL games between 1906 and 1911, during which time he booted 57 goals. Originally from Port Rovers, he sustained a serious knee injury in his first season in the 'big time', but overcame it to return better than ever, with some scribes regarding him as the finest rover in the league. A member of South's 1909 premiership-winning team, he moved to Prahran in 1912 and stayed with the Two Blues until the VFA went into recess owing to the war four years later. |
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John Kerr (Footscray & Melbourne)
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| A clever and gutsy rover, John Kerr joined Footscray from Melbourne Grammar and gave the Bulldogs 81 games of sterling service between 1953 and 1958, during which he kicked 94 goals. With 24 kicks and 8 handpasses he was his side's top possession getter, and many people's choice as best afield, when Footscray thrashed Melbourne in the 1954 grand final to claim the club's first, and so far only, VFL flag. Midway through the 1958 season he transferred to Melbourne but added just 1 game and 2 goals to his respective tallies before retiring. |
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| Strong, rugged and exceptionally quick, Laurie Kerr approached the game with a kind of animal ferocity that made him the member of the Carlton team opposition players loved to hate. Never the most naturally skilled of players, his full-blooded - and full-bodied - approach helped compensate for this, and he was an extremely effective performer for the Blues in a variety of positions, including the wing, a half forward flank, and the centre. He also represented the VFL. His VFL career comprised 149 games and 48 goals between 1950 and 1959. He was also a highly successful professional sprinter. |
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Ted Kershaw (Subiaco & West Perth)
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| Ted Kershaw was a solid ruckman and defender who gave good service to two league clubs. He commenced with Subiaco in the wartime under-age competition and continued with the club as a twenty year old in 1945 when open age football was restored. In 1951, after 89 games in eight seasons with the Maroons, he crossed to West Perth, where he produced some of the finest football of his career in a four season stint that saw him add a further 69 league appearances. Towards the end of his career he was sometimes used to good effect in a forward pocket. The highlight of his career was participation in the Cardinals' 1951 grand final triumph against South Fremantle. He also played in the losing grand finals of 1952 and 1953. |
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| Some
champions assume a mantle of greatness only gradually, whereas others,
such as Subiaco's multi-talented Laurie
Kettlewell, impose themselves on the game from the start.
Kettlewell made his league debut against Swan Districts at Bassendean Oval in April 1954. Aged just eighteen, he astounded onlookers with the scope and virtuosity of his performance, which was so outstanding that soon after the game there was already speculation that he might be good enough to be included in that season's state side. As it transpired, Laurie Kettlewell was considered good enough: on 20 July 1954 he lined up at centre half back against the VFL at Subiaco Oval for the first of an eventual 15 interstate appearances. From a team perspective, it was a far from auspicious occasion: by quarter time the Vics had rattled on 10.12 without reply, and they went on to coast to victory by 69 points, but as far as Kettlewell was concerned it was an effective and highly creditable debut as he outpointed his direct opponent, John Brady, and was named high in his side's best players. Over the course of the next dozen seasons, while Subiaco foundered consistently near the base of the premiership ladder, Laurie Kettlewell was a beacon of consistency and brilliance. Coupling strength with agility, he possessed tremendous anticipation, was superb overhead, and was a prodigious kick. He could also play virtually anywhere, and was widely considered to be "one of the greatest utility players to don a guernsey in this state" (see footnote 1). His two club fairest and best awards would undoubtedly have been many more had he not been repeatedly moved from pillar to post in the interests of the team. When Subiaco selected its 'Champion Team 1946-76', Laurie Kettlewell was named at centre half forward, but it could just as easily have been any one of about half a dozen other positions. The main tragedy of his glittering 205 game league career was that he never got to appear in a premiership team, with the losing grand final of 1959 against East Perth the closest he came. |
Footnotes1. 'WA Football Budget', 25/6/60. Return to Main Text |
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| Strong, determined and hard-working, Don Keyter was a highly effective if underrated player for South Melbourne in 86 VFL games between 1953 and 1958. He also booted 81 goals. The sort of player who was always willing to compromise on aesthetics for the sake of the team, he could ruck or hold down a key forward position to equally telling effect. He earned a 'Big V' jumper against Tasmania in 1957. |
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Graham Kickett (East Fremantle)
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| An accomplished all round footballer who was unfortunately beset by niggling injuries for much of his league career, East Fremantle's Geraldton recruit Graham Kickett was capable of doing a job at either end of the ground. He played 77 games for his club between 1978 and 1985, including the 1979 winning grand final. A genuine two-sided player, he had the rare ability to snap truly for goal, with either foot, from almost any angle. Kickett was sometimes prone to being temperamental and incurred the wrath of the Tribunal on more than one occasion. |
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Larry Kickett (East Perth & Claremont)
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| An abundantly talented footballer, Larry Kickett could play in a number of positions, and is particularly remembered for imposing himself on matches in blistering five minute bursts, and for kicking some marvellous goals. He began his league career with East Perth in 1974 and went on to play 158 games and kick 217 goals in nine seasons. He was in the centre, and one of the best players afield, when the Royals scored a stirring 2 point win over Perth in the 1978 WANFL grand final (reviewed here). In 1983, Kickett crossed to Claremont where he added a final 69 league games in four seasons, playing for much of that time in the back pocket, where his pace and excellent anticipation skills made him a decided asset. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, he was never selected to represent Western Australia. |
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Dazzlingly skilful and inventive, Ted Kilmurray was a key member of East Perth teams during arguably that club's greatest post-war era. Between 1956 and 1960 the club contested every grand final, and was successful on three occasions. On a personal front, Kilmurray's best year was 1958, when he won both the Sandover Medal and the East Perth fairest and best award, and was on a half forward flank as the Royals beat East Fremantle by 2 points in a thrilling grand final. A superb exponent of the flick pass, Kilmurray was one of the main reasons the laws of the game regarding handball were changed to insist on a clenched fist being used to strike the ball. He was also a tremendous one grab mark, characteristically stretching his arms well out in front of himself to prohibit spoiling from behind. Another trait was his penchant for snatching the ball off the hands of a pack while running away from goals, and then screwing the ball back over his right shoulder with his left foot, often for full points. One goal kicked in this way sealed a memorable win over South Fremantle in 1956 on the day the new grandstand at Perth Oval was officially opened. Kilmurray grew up with Graham Farmer at various orphanages administered by a Roman Catholic nun known as Sister Kate, and after demonstrating great prowess in country football the pair eventually went to East Perth together, with Kilmurray, initially at least, attracting more attention because of the eye-catching flamboyance of his game. All told, he played a total of 257 games for the Royals between 1953 and 1966, and was four times selected for Western Australia. Memorably nicknamed 'Square', owing to his ability to slip unnoticed, often to devastating effect, into the goal square, he was equally at home on a half forward flank or as a ruck-rover, and despite being only 117.5cm in height and weighing just 73kg he could also hold down a key forward position when required. In June 2006 he claimed a berth on a half forward flank in East Perth's official 'Team of the Century 1945 to 2005'. |
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Barry Kimberley (Perth, Swan Districts)
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| Barry Kimberley was a consistent, hard working rover who was capable of the odd burst of brilliance, and who typically collected a plethora of possessions, many of them hard won, during the course of a game. After working his way through the ranks at Perth he made his senior debut as a twenty-two year old in 1979. He spent four seasons with the Demons, during which he played a total of 76 league games and kicked 83 goals. At the conclusion of the 1982 season he fell out with the club's hierarchy over money, and transferred to reigning premier Swan Districts, where his arrival was seen as to some extent compensating the club for the loss of VFL-bound on-baller Mike Richardson. After a slow start to his Swans career, Kimberley developed into a handy acquisition. He played in a premiership side in his first season, but it was in 1984 that he really came into his own with a series of highly damaging displays culminating in a best afield, Simpson Medal-winning performance in the grand final defeat of East Fremantle. He went on to play a total of 82 senior games and boot 72 goals for Swans before retiring in 1986. |
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David King (Port Melbourne & North Melbourne/Kangaroos)
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| Despite only being something of a fringe player at Port Melbourne, where he played 43 senior games between 1990 and 1993, North Melbourne's recruiting team discerned enough hidden qualities in twenty-one year old defender David King to persuade them that he was a worthy draft target. Taken at number 46 in the 1993 National Draft, King would go on to achieve virtually everything the modern game has to offer during the course of an eleven season, 241 game, 145 goal AFL career. A tough, pacy, relentlessly aggressive footballer, he was equally adept in a number of positions, including the wing, a back pocket or half back flank, and ruck-rover. He was a key contributor to the 'Roos 1996 and 1999 premiership victories, and made the AFL All Australian team in 1997 and 1998. He also represented Victoria. David King retired at the end of the 2004 season. |
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Bob Kingston (South Melbourne, Norwood, Port Adelaide)
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| Originally from Spotswood, Bob Kingston made his VFL debut with South Melbourne while still aged just sixteen in 1961. Strong, hefty and versatile, he represented the Swans in every key position as well as the ruck in a VFL career lasting seven seasons in which he played 94 games and booted 109 goals. In 1968 he crossed to Norwood where injury restricted him to just 21 games in two seasons. The 1970 season saw Kingston on the sidelines with further injury problems, but the following year he was on the move again, this time to Port Adelaide, which had to pay the then princely sum of $5,000 to secure his clearance. Kingston added a final 31 league games to his tally while with the Magpies before retiring in 1974. He also played 5 interstate games for South Australia, but sadly his form overall was undermined by continued injury woes. |
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| Recruited by West
Torrens from Wagga Wagga in 1960 (although he had actually been born
in Melbourne), Geoff Kingston’s career was
repeatedly undermined and ultimately cruelly curtailed by injury but at
his peak he was one of the top key position forwards in Australia. This
was emphasised at the Brisbane
carnival of 1961 when a series of elegantly potent displays at full
forward for South Australia netted him 14 goals in 3 matches and selection
at the goalfront in the All
Australian team. He also topped the SANFL goalkicking list that same
year with 79 goals. Unfortunately, persistent niggling injuries prevented
Kingston from recapturing that level of performance more than
intermittently over the remainder of his nine season, 130 game, 301 goal
career, although he did manage to win the West Torrens best and fairest
award in 1965, and was considered good enough to gain selection in the
prestigious 'Advertiser Team of the Year' every season from 1961 to 1966.
His interstate career consisted of 15 games for South Australia, which
netted him 47 goals.
With his fast leading, resolute and occasionally spectacular overhead marking, and prodigious (if not always unfailingly accurate) kicking for goal a fully fit Geoff Kingston would be a significant asset to any team. Jeff Pash’s description of him as "elegance in motion" (see footnote 1) is as appropriate a summation as any, as well perhaps as a gentle reminder of a time when football leaned somewhat more heavily toward the art end of the art-science axis than it doe |
