Josh Kennedy has become the third member of Sydney’s 6000-Possession Club.
Kennedy's 19 possessions in Friday night's SCG win over Hawthorn took his tally in 224 games for the club to 6017 and sees him join Adam Goodes (6390) and Jarrad McVeigh (6253).
Kennedy this season has slipped past fourth-placed Jude Bolton (5831) after going into season 2019 ahead of Daryn Cresswell (5601), Ryan O’Keefe (5154), Dan Hannebery (5069) and Kieren Jack, who has climbed to 4989 and is awaiting his return to the senior side to join the 5000 Club.
Completing the Swans all-time top 10 possession winners since the AFL started keeping statistics in 1965 are Paul Kelly (4777) and Mark Browning (4667).
With 235 possessions in 13 games for Hawthorn before moving to Sydney, Kennedy, with a total of 6252, is now just one behind McVeigh’s career total and one of only 14 current players in the AFL with 6000+.
Gary Ablett leads the current players with 8485 and is sixth all-time behind Robert Harvey (9656), Brent Harvey (9213), Kevin Bartlett (9151), Craig Bradley (8776) and Sam Mitchell (8667).
Other current players above 6000 are Scott Pendlebury (7692), Luke Hodge (74311), Joel Selwood (7219), Kade Simpson (6776), Shaun Burgoyne (6663), David Mundy (6530), Nathan Jones (6382), Jordan Lewis (7376), Marc Murphy (6371), Heath Shaw (6271), McVeigh (6253), Travis Boak (6037) and Bryce Gibbs (6037). Brett Deledio (5989) is poised to reach 6000 this week.
On a possessions per game basis and among players who have played a minimum 50 games for the club, Kennedy’s 26.86 possessions per game average is second only to Greg Williams’ 28.40.
Interestingly, the great Bob Skilton is next best despite the fact that statistics were only kept for the last six years and 98 games of his career. In that time, he averaged 26.62.
Others above 20 are Gerard Healy (26.40), Barry Mitchell (25.65), Tom Mitchell (25.14), Dan Hannebery (24.37), Jake Lloyd (23.81), Luke Parker (22.95), Cresswell (22.95), Wayne Schwass (22.85), Peter Bedford (21.68) and Kelly (20.41).
Kennedy leads all Swans players in 30-possession games with 71, from Barry Mitchell (60), Hannebery (57), Greg Williams (51), Cresswell (44), Parker (30), Skilton (30), Healy (29), McVeigh (28), Lloyd (27), Norm Goss (24), Schwass (21), Jack (20) and Bedford (20).
Parker posted his 30th 30-possession game against Hawthorn on Friday night.
He also had 12 tackles to complete his second 30 possession / 10 tackle double.
Among current players, only Kennedy, with three, has achieved that same stat.
The prolific Williams, who holds the club single-game possession record at 53, has the highest percentage ratio of 30-possession games at 47.66 per cent, topping 30 possessions 51 times in 107 games.
Only four other players are above 30 per cent - Healy (35.80%), Barry Mitchell (35.29%), Kennedy (31.70%) and Skilton (30.61%).
