Australian Football

After 42 games with his local club, Queanbeyan, and having represented the ACT in the Escort Shield in 1987, rover Michael Kennedy was drafted by Brisbane, where he would play a total of 23 games over the next three years. In 1991 he moved to West Adelaide and was on the wing that year in the Bloods' losing Grand Final side against North Adelaide. A dynamic and pacy player, Kennedy spent three successful years at Westies before following the club's assistant coach, Rod O'Riley, back home to Queanbeyan. His three year stint with the Bloods had seen him play 33 AFL games and kick 19 goals.

O'Riley had been appointed to the post of Tigers senior coach in 1994 and under his guidance Kennedy, who assisted O'Riley in his coaching duties, enjoyed arguably his best ever senior season, winning both the Mulrooney Medal and the Queanbeyan best and fairest award. He was also a member of the Tigers team which played off in that year's Grand Final against Ainslie only to be controversially sent off by umpire Andrew Toy for 'swearing'. Queanbeyan officials were incensed by the decision, which almost certainly contributed to their team's losing the match, and for a time it even looked possible that the club would withdraw from the ACTAFL. Ultimately, however, the matter was resolved more or less to everyone's satisfaction, with the league undertaking a review of its umpires' controlling body with the twin aims of ensuring that umpires received appropriate training, and that there was consistency of decision making.

In addition to continuing as a player, Michael Kennedy replaced Rod O'Riley as Queanbeyan coach in 1995, and was successful in getting his charges into the Grand Final. However, reigning premiers Ainslie proved too strong, winning by 17 points. Forced to resign from the coaching position owing to work commitments prior to the start of the 1996 season, Kennedy continued to give good service to the club as a player for another couple of seasons. Sadly, however, this meant that he missed participating in Queanbeyan's next premiership win, which occurred in 1998.

Author - John Devaney