West Coast superstar Josh Kennedy remaining humble ahead final Eagles game

There is no doubt fans will remember West Coast Eagles talisman Josh Kennedy as a legend of the club, but the star himself may need some convincing.

The premiership hero and dual Coleman medallist remained humble to the last as he made the official call on wrapping up his career after the Eagles’ clash with Adelaide on Sunday, refusing to hang his name in lights alongside the likes of Peter Matera, John Worsfold and Glenn Jakovich.

“It’s not something I’ve really thought about,” he said on 6PR.

“To be honest, to be put in the categories of the greats of this footy club of John Worsfold, Glenn Jakovich, Peter Matera, Peter Sumich, Dean Cox it is quite humbling, and it’s something I will reflect on later, but I just don’t feel my name should be etched next to those guys.”

Kennedy passed Sumich’s Eagles goal kicking record of 514 in round six of 2018 and will sit in fourth for games played behind Shannon Hurn, Cox and Jakovich after his final outing.

After 293 games in the Blue and Yellow, as of this Sunday, there were plenty of memories for the 34-year-old to reflect on, but aside from the 2018 flag, he picked out the first semi-final of the 2011 campaign against Carlton.

In the infancy of his phenomenal Eagles career, Kennedy said he was still coming to grips with living up to being part of the Chris Judd deal four seasons earlier, and while the game was not about getting revenge, he revealed he found his place in the AFL world.

“We’d won a wooden spoon, and I suppose that feeling of a player who has been part of a trade (stuck with me),” he said.

“I tried to live up to hopefully helping the club succeed and push further than I suppose what Carlton could, and being able to edge past them is something I will remember.

“It’s not a game of anger or frustration towards Carlton; it was just a moment where I felt a bit more content with myself and realised what I could do and achieve with this footy club, and it pushed things forward from that.”

Camera Icon Josh Kennedy of the Eagles during the AFL 1st Semi Final match between the West Coast Eagles and the Carlton Blues at Patersons Stadium, Perth. Credit: Will Russell/The Slattery Media Group

West Coast scraped past the Blues 15.11 101 to 15.8 98 for their first finals triumph since the 2006 premiership in an epic at Subiaco Oval but were beaten by Geelong in the preliminary final.

No career reflection would be complete without a best teammate and opponent, and Kennedy did not disappoint, naming club legend Cox the best he ever played with and Fremantle Dockers rival Luke McPharlin the toughest he played against.

“(Cox) was a remarkable player who revolutionised the game as a ruckman and being able to run around the ground,” he said.

“His presence standing up in games, the amount of times we needed a mark down the line or mark and goal or just a mark in defensive 50, he just relished those moments.

“Close would be Daniel Kerr.

“And (McPharlin) was a quality backman and a great person.

“Always loved those battles with great backman where you could shake hands at the start of the game and then go toe-to-toe, and regardless of whether he won or I won, there was always that mutual respect.”