JOSH Kennedy was asked to introduce himself. On a leg of the Sydney Swans' pre-season community camp in February, Kennedy, resplendent in a red club polo top and tossing a mini-football from hand to hand, was one of six players conducting a clinic at the Shell Harbour Junior Football Club on the south coast of New South Wales.
 
In front of more than 100 children - all of whom said they played 'AFL' - Kennedy followed teammate Tadhg Kennelly to the stage with microphone in hand. He introduced himself, explained what position he played and, tellingly, spoke of his background.

He told the crowd of his family history at Hawthorn, and then, without prompting, said he had made "the best decision of my life" when he left the Hawks for Sydney at the end of 2009. Since joining the Swans, he has excelled and established himself as an emerging midfielder of the competition.

There is not much fuss about Kennedy as a player. He dives into packs unconcerned about what might lie ahead of him, gets the ball out, and then goes and does it again. He is an old-fashioned footballer. There are no theatrics; nothing fancy about his style.

It's simple but effective.

Kennedy never appears flustered on the field. He calmly bustles through traffic before deciding which teammate to off-load the ball to. He has a clear head off the ground, too. Making the move to Sydney really was the best football-related decision he has made.

Kennedy's Hawthorn background is well documented. When he made his debut for the Hawks in 2008, he became a third-generation Kennedy to play League football for the club.

His grandfather, legendary Hawthorn figure John Kennedy snr, played 164 games for the Hawks from 1950-59. Then, in 1960, aged just 31, he became coach and transformed Hawthorn into the club it is today, leading it to its first three premierships, in 1961, 1971 and 1976.

His father, John jnr, was a star for the Hawks, playing 241 games from 1979-91, including four premierships (1983, 1986, 1988 and 1989).

Naturally, football and Hawthorn had always been in the forefront of Josh's mind. The game, he said, was something he'd "always loved.
 
"I'm not sure whether I got a choice from a young age, but when I did have a choice, it was definitely No. 1," Kennedy said. "I was lucky enough to have so many people around me to teach me and guide me along the way."

Hearing a footballer talk of getting help 'along the way' isn't unusual, but Kennedy's circumstances certainly are.

He can call upon both his father and grandfather for football advice, as well as his uncle (Ray Ball, who played 55 games for Richmond and South Melbourne in the late 1960s and early '70s), and cousins (Ray's sons) Luke Ball, the Collingwood star, and Matthew Ball, who played 17 games for Hawthorn from 2004-06.

Josh's mother, Bernadette, is the daughter of former St Kilda wingman Felix Russo (who played 14 games for the Saints in the 1950s) and sister of dual Hawthorn premiership player Peter Russo, who played 162 games for the Hawks from 1978-88 before playing two seasons at St Kilda.

But matching the achievements of his relatives only became an ambition Kennedy took seriously in 2005 when he was overlooked for the Vic Metro squad for the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships.

"From probably then," Kennedy said, "instead of going out and playing and not thinking about it too much, I worked really hard and started thinking about my strengths and weaknesses more. I worked on them to become a better player."

Hawthorn, John jnr said, had been interested in Josh for some time. After starring for prestigious school team Xavier College - the breeding ground of five players on the Swans' list - the Hawks saw enough in Kennedy to announce mid-year in 2006 they would select him later that year under the father-son rule in the 2006 draft (40th overall.)

On July 19, Kennedy left school at lunchtime - "I was pretty happy with that," he said, laughing - to be introduced at Hawthorn's then Glenferrie Oval headquarters.

On his right sat his father. To his left sat coach Alastair Clarkson, and to Clarkson's left sat John Kennedy snr. Behind the four of them sat the club's nine (to that stage) premiership cups, and a mural depicting Hawthorn's Team of the Century.

"I remember it vividly," he said, when reminded of the day. "I was just overwhelmed, very excited and very proud. It was a great day and a great moment in my life. However, I knew - mainly because of the people next to me that day - that it was the easy part and it was only going to get harder from there."

"It was a big day for him," John jnr said, "but he understood what lay ahead of him. It was never going to be an easy task."

By November, 2006, Kennedy had finished Year 12 - he now studies part-time at the University of New South Wales, saying "it can take footy off my mind or can just add to the pressure, depending on the week" - and had joined the Hawks full-time.

However, he didn't join the club at peak fitness. A torn piece of cartilage in his knee had made 2006 a difficult season for him. Because he was young, and had so much football ahead of him, it was decided to go for longer-term treatment rather than a short-term fix.

"I think it set me back a couple of years," he said. "I felt I was ready (to play) when I first got to the club, but it was a long road to my first game."

The knee injury limited his first pre-season campaign, but he was still able to finish top-10 in the Box Hill Hawks' best and fairest in the VFL. He found it tough preparing like he was playing AFL matches, but then driving out to suburban grounds every week to put it into practice.

"I wasn't always able to do that. It would be the same for most young players who are trying to find that consistency in preparation and performance," he said.

In round nine, 2008, Kennedy finally made his debut as a Hawthorn player against Melbourne. He played another two games that season. On Grand Final day, as Hawthorn upset Geelong by 26 points to claim its 10th premiership, Kennedy sat in the second tier of the MCG with the rest of the squad.

He watched, and enjoyed the game, but by then his approach to Hawthorn and football as a profession had changed. He better understood the mechanics of football clubs and the game at the elite level, and just how fierce the competition was to get a game.

"I obviously would have loved to have been playing, but I was pretty grateful for the games I did play and really enjoyed that part of the year. I embraced it although I wasn't playing, but there was obviously a difference," he said.

"Having said that, the week following the premiership was something I'll probably never forget, and something I want to experience on a first-hand basis. It gave me a real desire to be able to be part of something like that."

After playing the last nine games of 2009, Kennedy was offered a three-year deal by the Swans. He met with Hawthorn, which offered him a one-year deal, and the Swans, to see where he sat in both clubs' plans.

The Swans had watched him closely all year, even at Box Hill, and wanted him. It was a perfect fit. With veteran on-baller Brett Kirk close to retirement, the Swans identified another inside midfielder capable of winning the ball and using it. Kennedy suited the Swans and the Swans were perfect for him.

"With a clear mind," he said, "I was able to make the right decision for both parties."

The choice was vindicated going by his first season at the Swans in 2010. Kennedy played every game (24), averaging 20 disposals a match and kicking 10 goals. He led the club for hard-ball gets (129), was fourth for tackles (107) and second for handballs (273).

Ironically, it was against Hawthorn in round 10 when he felt truly comfortable at the club. He had only 18 possessions and the Swans lost by two points, but it was the first time Kennedy had started on the ground for the Swans.

He carried that momentum through the year, and was rewarded at the end of the season with third place in the Swans' best and fairest. Kennedy was named the club's best finals player, after collecting 29 disposals in the elimination final against Carlton and 32 in the semi-final loss to the Western Bulldogs.
 
"I couldn't have hoped for anything more," he said. "I was completely and utterly ecstatic at the end of last year and I hope to be able to continue it and repay the faith Sydney has shown in me."

Talking to the broad-shouldered midfielder, you get a sense he's torn between playing the straight bat to some questions and opening up to others.

Few footballers openly suggest they are thrilled with how something has turned out, but Kennedy has reason to. The Swans welcomed him to the club; it wanted his services and made him feel like he belonged.

"I was obviously very nervous and anxious coming up, but as soon as I was here for a couple of days it felt like I had been here for a couple of weeks, and after a couple of weeks it felt like a couple of months and after a couple of months it felt like a couple of years," Kennedy said. "It's something the club should be very proud of and something I hope remains that way."

His decision was further vindicated at the end of 2010, when Hawthorn delisted Beau Dowler, Beau Muston, Garry Moss and Travis Tuck. Kennedy had spent time playing for Box Hill with all of them, battling for positions at AFL level. He knew he could have been one of those sacked.

"The thing that separates me, I guess, was the opportunity to play (at the Swans). If I hadn't have made that decision, I could very well have been in the same position. But, fortunately, I made the right one," Kennedy said.

This season, Kennedy said he has improved.

He wants to work on his consistency - "I've had a couple of quieter games" - but, in the last three rounds, notably in last week's loss to Carlton, he has been his team's best player.
 
Before the loss to the Blues, Kennedy said the Swans had the right blend of experience and youth to challenge the best teams.

"Every week we've been improving and the confidence within the group has been building with the feeling we can match it with the teams above us," he said.

The same quiet ambition exists in Kennedy, who has developed a reputation for being one of the best clearance players in the competition.

Last year, only six players won more clearances for the season. This year, he's ranked sixth, with 74 in 12 games. But, putting strength and natural ability aside, what makes him so good at the stoppages

He said he had picked up attributes from his peers at Hawthorn, including Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell and Luke Hodge, and then developed them alongside Brett Kirk and Jude Bolton at the Swans. He had been able to take little things from each and create a rounded approach, however, he said it all came down to a simple philosophy.

"The basis for me is that if it's my turn to get it, then just go in and get it, and the rest is really instinctive and habits I've developed over a number of years," he said. "Obviously a few more technical aspects come into it in terms of positioning and flight of the ball, but it really comes down to that basic element."

It shouldn't surprise that Kennedy, who is in line to play his 50th match on Saturday night against Collingwood, brought matters back to basics. He is a footballer with a handle on the essentials. He is not quick, is not a brilliant kick or a great mark above his head, but knows what he is good at and plays to those strengths.

Moving to Sydney, his Dad said, has seen Josh "develop as an individual as well as a footballer." He lives with teammates, does his own cooking, cleaning and finances - he had lived at home before moving to the Swans - and understands the life of an AFL player better.

Right decision "Definitely," Kennedy said.