Full name James Kelly Name James Kelly Weight 84 kg | Height 1.83 m Career start 2002 | |
Nickname(s) Kell, Pops, The Custodian Date of birth (1983-12-29) 29 December 1983 (age 32) Draft 17th overall, 2001Geelong Height/Weight 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) / 85 kg Role Australian Rules Footballer Profiles | ||
James Kelly (born 29 December 1983) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played with the Geelong Football Club for fourteen seasons from 2002 to 2015.
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AFL career
Since 2001, Kelly has played with the Geelong Football Club. Playing as an on-baller in the powerful midfield, he has shown capability in gaining many possessions and running well, as well as showing great courage. Kelly, is a natural born leader who has played a pivotal role in Geelong's dominant era, one of only twelve players to play in all three of Geelong's recent premierships.
He was a member of Geelong's 2006 NAB Cup Premiership team, as well as the drought-breaking 2007 AFL Premiership Team. He was also a member of Geelong's losing side in the 2008 Grand Final and their victorious sides in the 2009 and 2011 Grand Finals. He was delisted at the end of the 2015 AFL season, despite averaging 20.5 disposals in 17 games, he subsequently retired from the AFL before signing with the Essendon Football Club in January 2016 as a top-up player in the wake of the club's supplements scandal. Under the player top-up rules, he was delisted at the conclusion of the 2016 season, however, in November he re-signed with Essendon during the delisted free agency period.
Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2016 seasonPersonal life
In 2008, Kelly was an ambassador for an anti-alcohol-fuelled violence campaign run by the Geelong Advertiser titled "Just Think". In this role, Kelly appeared in advertising alongside fellow ambassadors, and Geelong teammates, Tom Harley and David Wojcinski.
Honours
AFL
Geelong
TAC Cup