Josh Kennedy was the team’s best player in last Friday night’s semi final loss to Hawthorn, racking up an incredible 25 contested possessions, to take his tally to 353 for the season - more than any other AFL player.

And he gathered 168 clearances for the year - also more than any other player in the competition.

Over the season he averaged 15 contested possessions per game, and seven clearances making him one of the premier inside midfielders in the competition.

Josh talks to sydneyswans.com.au about season 2011 and why he thrives on finals footy. Make sure you re-visit the site every day over the coming six weeks as the playing list and coaches go through their personal highs and lows of the season.

What was the highlight of the season in a team sense?

The best thing for the team was beating Geelong in Geelong.  It was a great feeling not only because we won, but because no-one had beaten them there in a couple of years and it came on the back of what had happened during the week. We didn’t have Macca out there and everyone rallied together which made it really special.

And then it really propelled us into the last part of the year and gave us real confidence heading towards the finals, and made us realise we could achieve a lot if we were all on board.

How did you rate your own season?

I think it was an improvement on last year. Over the whole year I think I played a more important role, my game time increased. Last year I was consistent but it was at a lower level, whereas this year my better games have been pretty good. I also received a bit more attention from other clubs which was something that I had to learn to deal with.

You won the club award for Best Player in the Finals Series in 2010 and had another great finals series this year. What helps you perform well in those big games?

I play my best games when my intensity is up and I’m aggressive and getting to more contests, and when I’m mentally peaking. Finals brings that out in you.

It’s a long season - this is my first full pre-season and season - and I played every game including every NAB Cup game and it is hard to stay mentally fresh and energised every week, which is often why your form can dip. But being finals that is what you play for.

Was there any satisfaction from playing well against your old team, Hawthorn, in the semi-final?

Of course but I would have liked it much more if we won.

Amongst your team-mates, who really took a step up this year and impressed you?

All our leaders really stepped up another level this year. Goodesy had an outstanding year, he had one last year but took it to a new level this year. The same with Jude, he was ultra-consistent throughout the year. Ryan O’Keefe struggled with injury most of last year and he was able to have a good consistent year as well.