The background of AFL inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame John Kennedy includes a generous piece of Wimmera football history.

Kennedy, 91, who became the 29th ‘legend’ this week, is renowned in the sport as a player and ground-breaking coach, especially with Hawthorn, and as an administrator.

Amid his elevation as one of the game’s most influential people, he coached Stawell in Wimmera Football League for two years while working in the region as a school principal. 

During his time at the Stawell Redlegs he took his team to a 1966 grand final.

Kennedy became a Hawthorn four-time best-and-fairest player, captain and VFL representative after joining the Hawks from teachers college in 1950.

He had a 164-game playing career and was a multiple VFL premiership coach either side of his stint at Stawell. Selectors named him non-playing coach in Hawthorn’s official Team of the 20th Century.

He came out of retirement in 1985 to coach North Melbourne where he spent four years at the helm.

He was AFL Commission chair from 1993 to 1997.

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