WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - JAY KENNEDY-HARRIS

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Good get really pleased to have him on board.

[spirit of norm smith 13,283]

hope he lasts to pick 40

can I say ... I predicted this. A good selection.

[CBDees 3,162]

Pick 40: Jay Kennedy-Harris

Love watching the footage of this guy on the Club website.

Maybe we have got another Jeff Farmer on our hands (particularly if he Howe can teach him to mark as well)?

[rhaz 342]

Fills a need. Very happy. Guys like Blease and Barry will have to work harder for a spot.

[Whispering_Jack 28,047]

More Phantom Draft Info

SCPaige

Pick 30 NORTH MELBOURNE

Jay Kennedy-Harris

Club: Oakleigh Chargers

D.O.B.: 21.3.1995

Height: 173cm

Weight: 68kg

Position: Small Forward/Midfielder

Plays Like: Alan Christensen

Gun, Gun, Gun! The best, and most polished small forward of this years draft crop, Jay Kennedy-Harris would fit the mould perfectly at the Swans, who really lack a bonafide small forward option. The Indigenous prodigy is a student of the game, and co-captained the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup this year whilst also coming runner-up in the best and fairest. Kennedy-Harris is diligent, and every bit the professional both on and off the field, however his clean skills, silky ball handling and terrific pace make him an exciting prospect. The big wrap on him, is his defensive pressure as a forward, and his versatility to move into the midfield when required. Kennedy-Harris is also best friends with Roos Father/Son Luke McDonald, whom which he has grown up playing his football with.

Fantastic lateral movement and a brilliant sidestep, you get plenty of excitement and x-factor with Kennedy-Harris.

Footy Tragic

#22 JAY KENNEDY-HARRIS

Height: 174cm, Weight: 68kg, DOB: 21/3/1995

Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers

Ive liked Kennedy-Harris for quite a while now, but his size always worried me. If you asked me to do these rankings at the start of this season I probably wouldve had Kennedy-Harris in the 40s or 50s and I wouldve seen him as a player whod have the odds against him but one that could potentially be a bargain. Those worries are now gone and I feel totally comfortable with that fact that he is this high.

JKH was the first indigenous captain in the TAC Cups history. He is a very well-rounded kid who boarded at high school for four years and is now studying sports science at uni as well as living on campus. Hes also had multiple roles in acting with a couple of TV shows, a film and a current TV commercial.

Kennedy-Harris isnt just a great guy, Ive loved his attitude towards footy and hes put up performances to go with it. Im prepared to push aside his size slightly on this one because hes got a whole set of others tools.

Hes mostly played as a high half-forward for the Oakleigh Chargers and for Vic Metro and despite his size he wins a lot of the football and a lot of it is contested. Hes not really bothered that hes the smallest guy out there, he just cracks in. His hands in tight are impressive, and hes really creative inside the contest.

I love Kennedy-Harris kicking game. Hes not the biggest kick but hes clever with the ball and he can pin-point passes running up the field and receive and do it again. Hes a player the can crack open a zone like a surgeon with his quick first steps, creativeness and skill.

The defensive side to his game is also a highlight. He averaged almost six tackles a game at TAC level and three in the National Champs. He does have a bit of a weird tackling style because hes so small and doesnt have long arms but he gets the job done.

At the Combine he confirmed that his pace is an asset. He ran a 2.99 second 20 metre sprint as well as finishing top 14% in agility, top 29% in the standing jump and top 13% in the running jump. I was surprised by his beep test which was only a 13.6, but he ran a top 28% 3km time trial. I dont think his endurance is much of an issue and there seems to be a bit of room for improvement and he will work on it because hes that kind of kid.

Having said all that, there is no hiding his size. He is a jockey and I think it will impact him in the step up. Some say it will affect him greatly but Im thinking that he has some other attributes that will help him out.

I think his ability to have an impact up the ground may be limited but I see no reason to believe that he wont become a very, very good small forward. He has a knack for winning the ball regardless and that is invaluable inside the forward 50. If you combine that with his pressure, speed and skills, there is nothing to suggest he wont make it there.

Im not really a fan of players that get pigeon-holed into the small forward category because theyre small and quick but struggle to find the ball. If they cant find the ball up the ground, theyll have a harder time of it finding the ball inside the forward line. Kennedy-Harris can find the ball and if you put that ability inside the forward 50 then who knows what he could become. I have an Eddie Betts comparison in my mind. Lets see where this goes.

[olisik 4,060]

Happier about this kid then Salem. Why are our late picks always better then our early picks.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Interesting that Roos said during his Foxtel interview.

That he didn't expect any of the draft kids to play AFL in 2014.

It really is up to them whether they want it.

They wont put a ceiling on what they can do.

They have been told to join the club have fun a look for a player you want to model yourself on.

[DeeSpencer 23,382]

Interesting that Roos said during his Foxtel interview.

That he didn't expect any of the draft kids to play AFL in 2014.

It really is up to them whether they want it.

They wont put a ceiling on what they can do.

They have been told to join the club have fun a look for a player you want to model yourself on.

Roos understands the value of proper development taking time to ensure each step. If Salem and JKH show the VFL form that Kent and Toumpas did this year then they'll still get some opportunities in hopefully a much stronger team.

I'd say Salem should stick to Bernie Vince and in light of a quality small forward JKH should work with Grimes. If he can play as a forward and beat Grimes as a defender he'll be going ok!

[Carlos Danger 380]

Happier about this kid then Salem. Why are our late picks always better then our early picks.

Salem and Toumpas will be better than anyone else drafted by the MFC in the past 2 years (except maybe Viney but he's a technicality).

[dazzledavey36 49,169]

Jay Kennedy-Harris, Oakleigh Chargers
173cm, 68kg
Comparison: Jake Neade (stronger)
For any club selecting Jay, it is a very big risk. The Charger, who represented Vic Metro at the U18 carnival, missed All-Australian selection despite playing very well in patches. Kennedy-Harris is relatively new to the game and he will take a very long time to develop; however the skills he possesses will force teams to take a long look at him. Jay is a terrific kick, he can spot up his team-mates easily up to a distance of 45 metres. He is a competent small forward, Jay can create goals using his explosive pace. He has great belief in his kicking and for good reason; playing on a forward flank he can tear a team apart. To add to this, Kennedy-Harris is one of the rare players in the game that can make an impact despite not dominating possession.

Another thing he uses this pace for is his defensive work. Jay’s defensive efforts are top notch, he can run down opponents with his acceleration and speed. His tackling is also a standout in his game, despite being relatively short Jay is a solid tackler; his strength is shown here. There have been a number of occasions at TAC Cup level when Jay has run down his opponent and lifted his team-mates. Kennedy-Harris clearly needs to put on a lot of weight to be an effective player as a professional and when he does his tackles will only become stronger and his intensity more impressive.

By far the biggest area for improvement for Kennedy-Harris is his endurance. Far too often, at both TAC and U18 level, he has gone missing from games for long periods of time. Nevertheless, he has talent in bucket-loads and a few years on the training track should fix his issue with running out games. When he is “on” he is one of the most damaging midfielders in this year’s crop and that is undoubtedly saying something.

[Born to Run 204]

Interesting that Roos said during his Foxtel interview.

That he didn't expect any of the draft kids to play AFL in 2014.

It really is up to them whether they want it.

They wont put a ceiling on what they can do.

They have been told to join the club have fun a look for a player you want to model yourself on.

Did anyone else hear Roos talk about nearly all the guys were good fellas and words to the effect that he had been impressed "with nearly all players?". Seems therefore that he probably isn't happy with some on the list.

[Redleg 37,931]

can I say ... I predicted this. A good selection.

You can and well done.

[DeeSpencer 23,382]

Did anyone else hear Roos talk about nearly all the guys were good fellas and words to the effect that he had been impressed "with nearly all players?". Seems therefore that he probably isn't happy with some on the list.

Can't read too much into that. I doubt any coach would be overly impressed with the likes of Tapscott, Dunn and Nicholson but we've turned over a good chunk and Roos' job is to work with them all. He's getting speed and skill in today and that's 2 things that are very very hard to teach. The rest he has a shot to teach in to them.

[PaulRB 5,999]

Salem and Toumpas will be better than anyone else drafted by the MFC in the past 2 years (except maybe Viney but he's a technicality).

Hogan

[whatwhat say what 19,509]

This kid sounds like he will be super determined to be an afl player.

Could be a fantastic pick up.

[Satan 2,786]

a young Aaron Davey?

[Bobby McKenzie 2,194]

a young Aaron Davey?

Or maybe Hayden Ballantyne?

[Gorgoroth 12,351]

I don't think much of his kicking from the vision, a lot of lobbing the ball high to a stationary contest, I hope it is better than that.

[CBDees 3,162]

Or maybe Hayden Ballantyne?

or maybe even Jeff Farmer?

[sue 8,473]

Happier about this kid then Salem. Why are our late picks always better then our early picks.

Either you are joking or are blessed with a mysterious ability to know the future.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,572]

Could the inclusion of JKH be part the reason of Jetta being asked to remain training at the club?

Take Jetta off our list and there isn't much for Barry or JKH to look up to in terms of "likeness".

Jason Mifsud likes this post

[dazzledavey36 49,169]

Love this pick and interesting to hear Jason Taylor rated him as a top 20 pick and o do I aswell.

Just a natural forward pocket in the Neade/Jeff Garlett mould who will make things a lot easier for the likes of Clark and Hogan.

Very mature head on him and bring leadership to our team which is very handy. Likes to work hard off the field and put the dedication into his football, so we defiantly have a good one here.

Clint Bizzell would be happy with this!

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

From what I've seen, I'm a big fan of this. He should have an impact pretty early on next season; he will be busy at the feet of our tall forwards from 2014 onwards.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Good Times Grimes

[Satyriconhome 9,993]

Listen to both Roos and Taylor, JKT will take time, like Barry, he may make an appearance next year, and if he does that means he will have earnt it, but I would be very surprised if we see him early

[What 18,810]

looking forward to having a nickname for him

I cant stand people with 2 surnames, it is so faggy