AFL, TENNIS

Kennedy rapt to be a Blue

MATTHEW Kennedy, Carlton’s most recent acquisition from Greater Western Sydney, has wasted no time seeking the advice of the club’s contested-ball and clearance king Patrick Cripps as part of his transition towards a likely midfield berth next year.

Kennedy, 20, is thriving at his new club and acknowledges it was a “no-brainer” choosing Carlton as his new home when he sought fresh opportunities at the end of the season.

Rival clubs including Hawthorn and Essendon earmarked Kennedy as a likely trade option, but he selected the Blues after meeting senior coach Brendon Bolton and list manager Stephen Silvagni.

“I saw the move as a great opportunity,” Kennedy said yesterday as he took part in the club’s week-long training camp on the Sunshine Coast.

“When they gave their presentation and showed the direction the club was going in, and the culture they are building, it was exciting. It was an easy decision in the end . . . it felt like a no-brainer.”

The Blues had a strong three-hour training session under the Queensland sun at Maroochydore yesterday morning before cooling off in the surf in the afternoon.

The group has set up base on the Sunshine Coast until next Thursday, including star defender Sam Docherty, who is recovering from a knee reconstruction but is still engaging on the track with the players, as well fatherson hopefuls Ben Silvagni (son of Stephen and brother of Jack), Oskar Manton (son of Glenn) and Will Hickmott (son of Adrian).

Kennedy, who played 19 games for the Giants across two seasons, including 16 this year, has been earmarked by the Blues for an inside-mid role.

The club is keen to ease the contested burden on Cripps while mindful it also needs to add fresh blood after Bryce Gibbs’ move home to Adelaide.

The 188cm, 89kg Kennedy was traded to the Blues for pick 28, one of the selections the club had swapped with Adelaide as part of the Gibbs deal.