Josh Kelly (footballer)

Joshua Kelly (born 12 February 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with the second overall selection in the 2013 national draft. Kelly had a breakout year in 2017, winning inclusion in the All-Australian team and finishing fifth in the Brownlow Medal. He was named in the Greater Western Sydney Giants leadership group in 2018 where he remains as Vice-Captain.[1] Josh Kelly began his football career as an Auskicker at East Brighton in Melbourne's south-east before being drafted at pick two in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. Kelly is the son of Phil Kelly, who played 61 games as a wingman for North Melbourne in the 1980s and won two Sandover Medals in the WAFL. He won the GIANTS Rising Star Award in his first season and become a mainstay of the GIANTS midfield in just a few short years. Kelly was elevated into the club's official leadership group ahead of the 2017 season in just his fourth year in the AFL, and after a stunning 2017 season was named vice-captain in 2018.

For the American football player, see Joshua Kelley.

Josh Kelly
Kelly playing for Greater Western Sydney in June 2017
Personal information
Full name Joshua Kelly
Date of birth (1995-02-12) 12 February 1995
Original team(s) Sandringham Dragons (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 2, 2013 national draft
Height 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 82 kg (181 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Greater Western Sydney
Number 22
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2014– Greater Western Sydney 119 (77)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2020 Victoria 1 (4)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 1 2020.
Career highlights

AFL

GWS

Representative

  • Represented Victoria: 2020
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

AFL career

He is the son of Phil Kelly, who played 109 games and won multiple Sandover Medals for East Perth in the West Australian Football League and then moved to the Victorian Football League, playing 61 games for the Kangaroos from 1981-85.[2] He also has a younger sister, Laine Kelly. During the AFL combine he showed elite endurance, finishing the 3 km time trial with a time of 9 minutes and 32 seconds (the second fastest ever in testing).[3] He was educated at Brighton Grammar School, alongside fellow 2013 draftees Christian Salem and Jayden Hunt.

He was nominated for the 2014 AFL Rising Star award after featuring in Greater Western Sydney's 32-point win over Melbourne in round 3.[4]

Kelly had a stellar 2017 season, being named in the All-Australian team and finishing fifth in the Brownlow Medal. In the opening rounds of the season, it was confirmed that North Melbourne had made a $9 million contract offer.[5] He eventually re-signed with the Giants at the end of the year on a 2-year contract; the amount was not disclosed.[6]

Kelly was a key member of the Giants‘ 2019 finals campaign which saw the team reach its first grand final. He managed 27 disposals and was named in the best players in the team’s four point preliminary final win against Collingwood.[7]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season [8]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
AFL playing statistics
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2014Greater Western Sydney221813716814431255580.70.49.38.017.33.13.20
2015Greater Western Sydney221871217215032270660.40.79.68.317.93.93.70
2016Greater Western Sydney2224141630126556690940.60.712.511.023.63.83.96
2017Greater Western Sydney22241924338370708851560.81.014.115.429.53.56.521
2018Greater Western Sydney2216101325316842158820.60.815.810.526.33.65.110
2019Greater Western Sydney2217141128121149267900.80.616.512.428.93.95.311
Career 117 77 83 1513 1308 2821 425 546 0.7 0.7 12.9 11.2 24.1 3.6 4.7 48

References
  1. Media, Giants (5 March 2018). "Kelly Elevated to Vice-Captain as 2018 Leaders Announced". GWS Giants.
  2. Zell, Alison (22 November 2013). "Like Father, Like Son". GWS Giants.
  3. Twomey, Callum (22 October 2013). "30 days to the draft: Meet gun prospect Josh Kelly". Australian Football League.
  4. King, Travis (7 April 2014). "Josh Kelly caps off Giants' Rising Star dozen". Australian Football League.
  5. Gleeson, Michael (4 April 2017). "North Melbourne Kangaroos offer Giants Josh Kelly nine-year $9 million deal, says ex-AFL executive Brian Waldron". The Age.
  6. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/teams/gws/josh-kelly-has-resigned-with-gws-until-the-end-of-2019/news-story/76ea84de991b8861009f1761164968a6
  7. McGowan, Marc (21 September 2019). "Gargantuan: Depleted Giants shock Pies to reach first Grand Final". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  8. "Josh Kelly". AFL Tables. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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