Towards the end of the inaugural AFL women’s draft, Jess Kennedy received a call from someone at Carlton.
“They said that if your name isn’t called out at the draft, we would like to sign you as one of our free agents,” Kennedy said last week.
“The end of the draft then rolled round, and my name wasn’t called out. I was thinking ‘you made me sit through two and half hours of the draft – a heads-up would have been nice’.”
The Blues announced after the draft that they had signed Kennedy and her Bendigo Thunder teammate Hayley Trevean as free agents.
Kennedy said the Blues were one of two clubs, the other Collingwood, who had spoken to her before the draft.
She said while she was happy to go anywhere, going to the Blues with Thunder teammates Trevean, Isabella Ayre and Sarah Last was a thrill.
“I’m stoked I’m not going down there alone,” she said. “Would have been happy going elsewhere. Hayley and I started at the Thunder together and she got a similar phone call to me, which was good.”
Until five years ago, netball was the sport that took up all of Kennedy’s time.
The 26-year-old, who grew up in Craigieburn, made her name in the midcourt at Lancefield and later Riddell in the Riddell District Netball League.
“I went down to a [football] training session with a friend from uni,” Kennedy said of her foray into football. “It was a sticky, hot day and I thought they were crazy … I never had any intention of playing, but now I’ve never looked back.”
For a long time Kennedy thought she’d be able to play netball and football to a high standard. She was part of the Bombers premiership side in 2015 but this year decided to focus on football.
“I really felt, giving up netball, I could give it [football] my best crack.
“Riddell ended up playing their [2016 netball] grand final, the same day we played in ours at Bendigo Thunder. I was happy I didn’t have to let any one down.”
Kennedy said the biggest benefit for her game the past season was being part of the AFL Women’s Academy. She also won the Bendigo Thunder best and fairest award.
“I wasn’t initially in the academy… I was added after I attended a talent search day.
“I learnt so much in a short period of time. It set me up with what I needed to do.”
Kennedy isn’t the only Carlton recruit with a link to Riddell; Kate Darby played her junior football at the club.
Pre-season training will begin next month for the Blues. Kennedy said she expects to do a whole lot of running between now and then.
