Skipper happier now after Swans’ rocky start

SYDNEY AFL captain Josh Kennedy has revealed he wondered if he was up to the task after the Swans’ disastrous start to his tenure.

Going into his 200th game, tomorrow against former club Hawthorn at the MCG, champion midfielder Kennedy has been at the forefront of a Swans revival which has resulted in 10 wins from their past 11 games and lifted them to sixth place.

“You question what you are doing and if you’re the right man for the job, given 0-6 absolutely questioning what was happening,” the first-year captain said yesterday.

“But I’m very fortunate to have a good support network around me in my family and friends outside the club and then within the club; the support from the board down, the coaching staff and teammates made it pretty easy.

“There was a lot going through my head, obviously a pretty tough start, baptism of fire, the first six rounds.

“But I’ve been blessed with a great coaching staff and leadership group and teammates that have been able to lock in and turn it around.

“It’s been great to be part of, it’s been a real team effort.”

Kennedy made 13 “ordinary” senior appearances in two seasons at Hawthorn, where his father and grandfather played, but his career flourished after he was traded to Sydney in 2009.

He has finished in the top three of Sydney’s best and fairest in each of his first seven seasons at the club. “The deci- sion to come up here was pretty easy, given the opportunity,” Kennedy said.

The Hawks have won their past two games against Sydney and Kennedy said the Swans could not allow his former club to chip the ball around and rack up uncontested possessions and marks as they did so successfully earlier this season.

“Our defensive structure is going to have to be right on to make sure that we can try to prevent them from chipping it around, and closing their outlets and forcing them down the line, if that’s possible,” he said.

While proud of his milestone, Kennedy has more important things on his mind.

“We’ve got ourselves back into a position to vie for a finals spot, so there’s a lot on the line and that’s where the focus is at the moment,” he said. AAP