There’s one name that's been on the lips of everyone at the GIANTS this summer - Josh Kelly.
2013’s number two draft pick has regularly been nominated as one of the most impressive players on the track during the GIANTS pre-season. And if his teammates’ thoughts are anything to go by, it’s a name you will hear a lot more of in 2014.
“The way he’s going about his footy, on and off the field, he’s just a real professional,” said Dylan Shiel.
“As a new player, he’s really stepped up and impressed me,” chimed in fellow midfielder Tomas Bugg.
Impressive and professional are words that often come up when describing Josh Kelly.
"He’s just the ultimate professional, he lives and breathes footy,” said Adam Treloar.
Josh is the son of Phil Kelly, who played 61 games as a wingman for North Melbourne in the 1980s after crossing from Western Australia where he won two Sandover Medals for East Perth in the WAFL.
Josh grew up in Melbourne’s south east, beginning his football career as an Auskicker at East Brighton, and always knew he wanted to be a footballer.
“You see players on TV and you just watch them and you just wish you could be doing what they do someday,” he said.
A North Melbourne fan, he idolised ‘Roo Brent Harvey as a kid and then later Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury and Fremantle’s Nate Fyfe - but it is a Swans co-captain he models his game on.
“I try to play like them but probably someone more like Jarrad McVeigh, just the way he has that hard work rate, professional, he’s always working hard during games and the way he has that inside and outside footy balance, I hope to get to that one day,” he said.
No one could ever accuse Josh of not trying to get the best out of himself. At 17, when he saw pace as a limitation in his game, he hired a sprint coach and ultimately finished in the top five for repeat sprints at the NAB AFL Draft Combine.
“I like to think I’m pretty professional. I definitely know when to chill and relax but when it comes to footy I just try and switch on and make sure I’m getting the best out of myself for sure.”
Naturally, his father has also been a big influence.
“He was huge from a young age. He was also always giving me guidance. He was just a great source to bounce ideas off, seek help, he would help review my games for me, and areas of improvement,” Josh said.
“We still chat about footy, he loves footy and he’s always interested in what I’m doing so I speak to him pretty regularly about how training is going and how life is up here as well, same with Mum as well.”
As a member of the AIS-AFL Academy, Vic Metro’s state side and playing for Brighton Grammar and the Sandringham Dragons, Josh has packed a lot into his football life already. But his first AFL pre-season has been a big step up.
“Just doing it week-on-week is pretty taxing but I’m loving it so far. It’s been hard but I enjoy getting up and coming to training every morning,” he said.
“I haven’t really set sights on specific games. Obviously I want to push into the team, that’s the goal, that’s why I’m here. I’m just trying to work hard at the moment and stay on the track and hopefully I can get out there.”
Josh has moved into Breakfast Point where he lives with fellow draftees Tom Boyd and Cam McCarthy, with Jake Barrett and Rory Lobb in the same building.
“It’s been a big change. We hang around a lot with each other. I mean, on our day off, we live in the same place, we’re always together. We come to training together, so we’ve been able to speak to each other about that experience so far.”
And what about the pair of orange boots Josh has been sporting that forward Adam Tomlinson says make him a “cult figure”?
“I ordered a pair of boots and they were a bit more orange than I expected. They turned out fluro so I copped a bit of flack at training ... I think they’re put away.”
