‘G, HE’S GOT NO FEAR
He had never played in front of 3000 people before joining the Cats, or even been to the MCG, but Geelong draftee Tim Kelly will not be daunted by the typically hostile Easter Monday blockbuster against Hawthorn.
GEELONG midfielder Tim Kelly says he holds no fear of playing in front of a massive crowd in the Easter Monday blockbuster against Hawthorn.
A crowd of 54,111 was at the MCG to witness Kelly kick off his AFL career in superb style, as he racked up 27 disposals, four clearances, six inside-50s and a goal, with the Cats beginning their season with a threepoint win over Melbourne.
Early forecasting suggests there will be close to 65,000 people turn up to see Geelong and Hawthorn renew hostilities on Monday.
But Kelly, who had never played in front of more than 3000 people before joining the Cats, said he was excited about the prospect of taking on the Hawks in front of so many fans.
“For a long time I’ve wanted to play in the big games and in front of the big crowds, so I’m looking forward to the crowds getting bigger and the games getting bigger,” Kelly said.
“I watched parts of their game, I didn’t take too much out of it, but no doubt they’re still a quality side.
“Cyril looked good, so did a lot of their veterans, they can still play and are great players — they’ve been great players for a long time — so it’s going to be a massive challenge and I’m just looking forward to it.”
At 23, Kelly is ineligible for a Rising Star nomination, but was the pick of the first-gamers across the competition at the weekend, continuing his rapid rise since being drafted by the Cats with pick 24 in last year’s draft. The West Australian said the challenge now was not to be satisfied with that effort and continue to improve.
“I just wanted to come in and play my role, and I was able to have a significant impact so I was happy with my debut and happy to get the win,” he said.
“I’ve been playing against men since I was about 15 years old so it was a bit of a step up in terms of how quick the ball moves and the endurance that you’ve got to have, but other than that I felt very comfortable and very confident in my preparation leading up to the game. I’ve had a really good pre-season and I feel like I’ve fitted in nicely with the rest of the boys.
“The challenge for me now is to be able to have a similar impact week in, week out, and that is probably something that has been a challenge for me for a number of years now, even throughout WAFL level, so for me it’s just about continuing to get better.
“It’s only one game, and no doubt the team will take a lot out of the game and find ways to improve and so will I personally.”