When they wrote the first rules of the Victorian Football Association in 1877, Rule 7 stated in part that: In the event of a player with the ball in hand trying to pass an adversary, and being held by him, he must at once drop the ball. 

Excuse me? Can you imagine a game devoid of Josh Kennedy's uncanny ability to stand in a tackle, like a colossus, engaging a second defensive aspirant before delivering a perfectly timed pinpoint pass by hand?

Australian Football is no doubt unique. Littered with idiosyncrasies, our sport has endeared itself to millions of sports lovers for more than one hundred and fifty years. Over that time, rules have thankfully advanced, and game plans have been enhanced. 

All the while, a player's ability to win their own ball remained at the forefront of footballing fortune. Last Saturday night at the SCG, Josh Kennedy claimed the dual mantle of winning the most contested possessions and clearances in the AFL. Ever. When traded from Hawthorn after three seasons, nobody expected that. After dominating at the coalface for thirteen seasons in the red and white, nobody was surprised.

Kennedy's formative years were spent surrounded by Hawthorn Football Club legends. One of those, Peter Schwab - a close family friend - remembers those times fondly. 'We're incredibly proud of Josh. I first met John (Josh's father) when we were playing in the Under 19's, and then we played our whole careers together and retired in the same year (after winning seven premierships between them)

'We're really good friends, along with Pete Russo (Josh's uncle & Hawthorn premiership star), and we've kept the friendship going all these years, and one of our great interests has been following how great Josh has been as a player.'

'Josh is such a humble guy, but I remember him as a really young kid; he just thought he'd end up playing for Hawthorn because he was a father-son. I think John had to tell him, 'Yeah, mate, that might be the case, but you've still got to be good enough for it to happen,' Schwab laughs.

'That just didn't enter Josh's head; he was always a really focused kid and remained committed to making it.'

The ancient Greek poet Hesiod once professed to 'observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.' After three seasons at the club where his family name is synonymous, the Sydney Swans expressed interest. Hawthorn had an excess of inside midfielders, and Kennedy had abundant ambition. Timing is everything.

When he moved to the Harbour City, Kennedy knew an aunt and uncle and Ben McGlynn. The pair arrived together after the Swans traded picks 39, 46, and 70 to Hawthorn, and the Swans had a clear need. Brett Kirk was in the twilight of his illustrious career and midfield warrior Jude Bolton required assistance. It would be Bolton who took Kennedy under his wing.

When Kennedy arrived, long-time physical performance manager and Swans' life member Rob Spurrs was immediately impressed. 'Without taking anything away from Josh and his countless hours of training and incredible professionalism, his parents certainly gave him a great start in terms of his genetics. We used to joke that he'd put on a few kilos of lean muscle mass just by walking into the gym and looking at a dumbbell.'

'To his absolute credit, he's certainly maximised that by the way he goes about it, highlighted by his preparation and professionalism. When he arrived, he was young, quiet, and unassuming, but you could definitely sense his inner drive. He's always had that relaxed, calm demeanor but he absolutely hates losing,' Spurrs says.

In the premiership year of 2012, Josh Kennedy truly arrived. Displaying an insatiable appetite for the contest, he led the league in clearances, averaged twenty-eight disposals, and pieced together one of the most potent finals series you could imagine. In the three most ferocious contests of the year, he monstered his opposition with ninety-one disposals (fifty-five of those contested), twenty-five clearances, sixteen tackles, and five goals.

The mark of a true champion is to perform under the most extreme pressure. Like the rest of us, Peter Schwab is in awe of Kennedy's finals performances. 'Seriously, his finals record will go down as one of the very best, along with maybe Dustin Martin and Kevin Bartlett. He's pretty much never failed to put up a great performance in a final, and that's the epitome of a great player.'

And, as always, the numbers do not lie.

2012 Qualifying Final - 35 disposals, 21 contested, 7 tackles, 10 clearances 
2012 Preliminary Final - 30 disposals, 19 contested, 2 goals
2012 Grand Final - 26 disposals, 15 contested, 2 goals
2014 Preliminary Final - 27 disposals,17 contested, 7 tackles, 8 clearance
2014 Grand Final - 29 disposals, 15 contested, 1 goal
2015 Qualifying Final - 39 disposals, 16 contested, 8 tackles
2015 Semi Final - 28 disposals, 17 contested, 1 goal, 11 tackles
2016 Semi Final - 42 disposals, 21 contested, 8 marks, 10 clearance
2016 Preliminary Final - 25 disposals, 15 contested, 8 tackles 
2016 Grand Final - 34 disposals, 17 contested, 3 goals, 6 clearances
2017 Elimination Final - 29 disposals, 18 contested, 2 goals

Since clearances and contested possessions have been recorded in 1998 & 1999, Kennedy has produced four of the top twelve highest clearance-winning seasons and four of the top eight most prolific seasons for contested possessions. He has amassed 15+ contested possessions in finals, an astonishing sixteen times. The next highest, Patrick Dangerfield, has eight.

'That's the other thing with Josh. The way he plays takes a big toll on your body. So, to have maintained those high standards, to have done it for so long, and to have to have done it all in such a physical way is quite incredible,' Schwab says.

Rob Spurrs is better placed than most to assess the level of physical preparation required to become an outstanding athlete. 'He's always done whatever he could to get the most out of himself and do whatever he had to, to excel in his career. He has amazingly quick hands with the ball, but his strength to shrug off tacklers and his ability to keep his feet is incredible.

'His clarity and calmness certainly contribute, but you can't dismiss the preparation he puts in every year. He is absolutely elite in his preparation, and he just gets better with it every year. He lives a very clean life, keeps a very clean diet, and really looks after himself all year round - I've never seen Joey rock up to day one of pre-season and thought, geez, someone's enjoyed their off-season a bit too much!'

When Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh decided to relinquish co-captaincy duties ahead of the 2017 season, their minds were eased by the confidence they had in Kennedy to take the club forward. It was unanimous. In his first season at the helm, he won the Bob Skilton Medal, his third All-Australian blazer, and finished third in the Brownlow Medal.

'He absolutely had the respect of the whole locker room, and through time and effort, he built great relationships with all players,' Spurrs adds. 'Sitting in on leadership meetings, you'd often see the group defer to Josh, and when he spoke, everyone listened. I could certainly see that leadership growth and the readiness to become the next captain.'

In football terms, Kennedy's career at the Swans has spanned two generations. He stood in the Paul Kelly race ahead of the final match in 2019, preparing as he had done countless times before, but it all felt different.

'It probably didn't dawn on me until I was in the race with Jarrad and Kieren. Obviously, Nick and Heath didn't play, but they were in there as well, and it just hit me then that this was going to be the last time that I'd stand there and see their faces as teammates,' Kennedy said in a later interview.

'It was quite an amazing point in time, and the realisation of how quickly times had changed really struck me. All of a sudden, there had been a changing of the guard. I shared so many games with those guys, so many special memories and moments, on and off the field, and it leveled me. It made me very grateful for everything we had all been through together.'

While one chapter closed, another one opened, and Kennedy, alongside Luke Parker and Dane Rampe, led the club into the unknown as COVID-19 struck. 'It was tough. Josh was not only away from his young family, but he also suffered a medial ligament injury and wasn't playing. But, he was so good at keeping the group connected,' Spurrs recalls.

'I think off the back of the enhancement of those relationships in 2020, we certainly saw the benefits in 2021, and no doubt this year too. In terms of team bonding, Josh was absolutely instrumental in that.'

When you reach the pinnacle, respect duly comes your way. When you do so in such an admirable, humble fashion, it's almost impossible for it not to.

'I think the legacy Josh has at the Swans is he's one of the great players in the history of the footy club,' Schwab says. 'I just think he's been impeccable in everything he's done. He is impeccable in his behaviour, impeccable in his preparation, and an impeccable person, and I'm sure he's immensely well respected by anyone who's ever played with him. Anyone who knows him would say that.'

The final word belongs to our senior coach - quoted ahead of Kennedy's 250th match. 'I feel very lucky to have coached Josh. He'll go down whenever he finishes up, as not only one of the club's greats but also one of the all-time greats,' Longmire said.