Matthew Kennedy | 2020 Season Review
Written by Joseph Addamo
Throughout the 2020 off-season, Blue Abroad will be providing content to cover everything you need to know about the Carlton Football Club.
After a largely improved season, we will be reviewing every player that pulled on the famous Navy Blue guernsey in 2020.
This is the Blue Abroad Player Review for Carlton’s #7 – Matthew Kennedy.
SEASON SYNOPSIS
Battling for a consistent spot in Carlton’s best 22 for most of the season, Matthew Kennedy managed to string together 7 games in the 2020 season. Although limited in number of games, he had 3 very good performances across them. Kennedy showed why he is still an important player for the Blues by knocking on the door of the starting 22 week-in-week-out.
For the season, among midfielders, Kennedy rated elite for contested marks per game (0.7), with three of these in a game against the West Coast Eagles in Round 11. He also ranked above average for clearances (2.6), handballs (7.1), contested possessions (7.4), ground ball gets (5.4) and marks (3.7). Initially brought to the club for his physical presence at stoppages, his pressure numbers were not something that caught the eye in 2020. He rated only average for pressure acts (12.3) and tackles (2.9) per game.
BEST PERFORMANCE
Kennedy produced three standout performances across the 2020 season. The first came in his first game against the Western Bulldogs in Round 5, where he had 20 disposals, took 4 marks and had 3 clearances. His second was against North Melbourne in Round 8, gathering 20 disposals again, 2 clearances, 8 marks and contributing to the score sheet with 2 goals in a tight win. However, it was the last game of the season where Kennedy brought true heat and aggression to the contest.
For much of the season, Kennedy’s fortune seemed maligned with David Teague’s coaching plans. In the final contest for the Blues in 2020, ‘Bam Bam’ had an evident hunger and desire to prove any doubters wrong. He finished the game with 23 disposals, 5 marks, 4 tackles, 6 clearances, 13 pressure acts and 3 score involvements playing out of the midfield for much of the night.
There was more to his game in this contest than just impact getting hands to the football, laying tackles and winning clearances. He showed an aggression towards his opposition. He stood up for his teammates, and looked like a genuine pest for the Brisbane players off the ball at times. It was a performance that Blues fans arguably hadn’t seen from a hard-nosed midfielder since the days of Mitch Robinson in Navy Blue, and it was a breath of fresh air.
OFF-SEASON & 2021 OUTLOOK
Rumours are abound, and Kennedy has found himself mixed in with the Adam Saad trade talks in the early going. Considering Essendon’s need for big-bodied midfielders to help the likes of Andrew McGrath and Zach Merrett, Kennedy does fit the bill.
If he were to be traded, Carlton should not be underselling his value. He has proven his versatility across 2019 and 2020 in particular. He played as the “third tall” when Charlie Curnow was struck down with injury in the second half of 2019, and found himself hitting the scoreboard regularly. His midfield attribute are also well documented, and would be a welcome addition to a midfield similar to the Bombers’.
In the event a trade does not involve Kennedy this off-season, Blues fans should expect more of the same in 2021. Unless he can take his game to another level and become a genuine second big-bodied midfielder behind Patrick Cripps, he will most likely find himself putting his hand up as a fringe 22 player most weeks.
2020 REPORT CARD RATING
C+
STATUS HEADING INTO 2021
Fringe 22 Player
