West Coast Eagles great Josh Kennedy has confirmed his retirement from the AFL, closing the curtain on a brilliant career.
With the club out of the race for a top eight spot, the two-time Coleman Medal winner will play his final game against Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Sunday. A member of the 2018 West Coast premiership team, he is a three-time All-Australian.
“My knee is a big reason to retire,” he said.
“I think my drive to play is still there, but I’m realistic, my body won’t be able to carry me through another season.
“Being able to say goodbye to the West Coast fans one last time at Optus Stadium and thank them for their incredible support over the years will be the perfect way to end my career.”
Kennedy is the club’s all-time leading kicker and will play his 271st and final game for the Eagles on Sunday. Originally drafted by Carlton in 2005, he joined the Eagles in late 2007 in a trade that saw the Blues draft Chris Judd.
“It has been a privilege to play so many years for this great football club and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to represent the West Coast Eagles and Carlton,” he said.
“There are so many people to thank for helping me on the journey for 17 years. Obviously my wife Lauren and daughters Sage and Lottie, my family who have always supported me, managers John Worsfold and Adam Simpson, the club staff and of course my teammates.
“Footy and the West Coast Eagles have given me so much and I have loved the journey. I’ve made lifelong friends and learned a lot from champions like Dean Cox, Darren Glass, Luke Shuey, Shannon Hurn, and Mark LeCras.
“One of the biggest things I’ve wanted to do in my career is to have the respect of my teammates, that’s always been what drove how I acted, trained or tried to play.”