Tim Kelly (footballer)

Timothy Kelly (born 26 July 1994) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He formerly played for the Geelong Football Club between 2018 and 2019.

Tim Kelly
Kelly playing for Geelong in August 2018
Personal information
Full name Timothy Kelly
Date of birth (1994-07-26) 26 July 1994 (age 30)
Original team(s) South Fremantle (WAFL)
Draft No. 24, 2017 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2018, Geelong vs. Melbourne, at MCG
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 81 kg (179 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club West Coast
Number 11
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2018–2019 Geelong 48 (48)
2020– West Coast 93 (31)
Total 141 (79)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of Round 21, 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life and WAFL career

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Kelly is from Perth and played his junior football for Palmyra. He has an Indigenous Australian father and a Chilean mother.[1] He made his senior WAFL debut for the South Fremantle Football Club in 2013. He was runner-up in the club's best and fairest in 2014.[2] During the 2017 WAFL season he finished runner-up in the Sandover Medal to Haiden Schloithe.[3] Before being drafted into the AFL, Kelly was an apprentice electrician. His partner/fiancée is Caitlin Miller and they have three sons.[4]

AFL career

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Geelong (2018-2019)

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Kelly was drafted by Geelong with their second selection and twenty-fourth overall in the 2017 national draft as an over-age draftee[5] He made his debut in the three-point win against Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the opening round of the 2018 season.[6] At the 2018 AFL Players' Association Awards he was voted Best First Year Player by fellow players.[7] At the end of the 2018 season, Kelly requested a trade to the West Coast Eagles, a club that had previously overlooked him in numerous drafts, solely due to family reasons. But after long discussions, Geelong refused to trade him as they could not come to a suitable arrangement with the Eagles.[8] After a stellar 2019 which included his first All-Australian selection, a preliminary final appearance and a top 5 finish in the Brownlow Medal, Kelly once again requested a trade to the Eagles due to the same reason. He was finally traded on 9 October.[citation needed]

West Coast Eagles (2020-)

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Kelly's wish was finally granted after being traded the Eagles, who had traded Picks 14, 24, 37 and future first round pick to get Kelly. He signed a 6-year contract estimated worth $5 million.

Statistics

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Statistics are correct to the end of round 4, 2023[9]
Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals 
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds 
  H  
Handballs 
  M  
Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2018 Geelong 11 23 24 16 277 249 526 77 81 1.0 0.7 12.0 10.8 22.9 3.3 3.5 13
2019 Geelong 11 25 24 18 381 254 635 89 106 1.0 0.7 15.2 10.2 25.4 3.6 4.2 24
2020[a] West Coast 11 18 5 6 208 153 361 46 75 0.3 0.2 11.6 8.5 20.1 2.6 4.2 11
2021 West Coast 11 19 6 8 245 209 454 62 64 0.3 0.4 12.9 11.0 23.9 3.3 3.4 10
2022 West Coast 11 17 6 5 211 201 412 60 67 0.4 0.3 12.4 11.8 24.2 3.5 3.9 3
2023 West Coast 11 4 4 2 60 63 123 21 12 1.0 0.5 15.0 15.8 30.8 5.3 3.0
Career 106 69 53 1382 1129 2511 355 405 0.7 0.5 13.0 10.7 23.7 3.4 3.8 61

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

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  1. ^ AFL draft: South Fremantle star Tim Kelly ripe for the picking
  2. ^ Tim Kelly WAFL statistics
  3. ^ "New recruit Tim Kelly fits the Cats to a T". The Age. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022.
  4. ^ Will it be a case of 'sixth time lucky' for South Fremantle star Tim Kelly at AFL draft?
  5. ^ Reid, Russell (25 November 2017). "AFL draft 2017: Cats pounce on Tim Kelly, the Bulldog who lit up the WAFL". The West Australian. Seven West Media. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  6. ^ Cleary, Mitch (23 March 2018). "'Big Sav' one of three debutants for Cats". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  7. ^ Balmer, Matt (30 August 2018). "AFL best first year player 2018: Tim Kelly takes out AFL Players' Association award AFL Matt Balmer". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  8. ^ Staff Writers (5 October 2018). "Geelong midfielder Tim Kelly requests trade to West Coast Eagles". Fox Sports Australia.
  9. ^ "Tim Kelly". AFL Tables. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
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