Kennedy sat on bench for South Sydney in the 1939 premiership decider. He also played in the 1939 State Championship final for South Sydney.
Kennedy was educated at Patrician Brothers and Mount Carmel schools in Waterloo. Kennedy was a prolific point scorer in his Mount Carmel school days, scoring 74 in 1935, 165 in 1936 and setting a Metropolitan Catholic Schools record of 184 points in 1937.
Kennedy made his senior grade premiership debut with South Sydney in the 1939 Round 1 Third Grade clash against St George at Earl Park, after being named Third Grade captain in 1939. He stepped up into reserve grade in the 1939 Round 12 clash against Canterbury-Bankstown at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Two weeks late he stepped up again making his first grade premiership debut in the 1939 Round 14 clash against North Sydney at the Sports Ground.
Kennedy was a small in stature player.
Kennedy's career was interrupted by military service for the Australian Army in World War II in 1942. He saw action on the Kakoda Trail and suffered a bout of malaria and had to overcome shoulder injuries suffered in the war before resuming his playing career.
Kennedy played 7 seasons with South Sydney between 1939 and 1946. He played 49 first grade club games, which included 41 first grade premiership games and 6 first grade cup games. He played 75 senior grade club games with South Sydney, which includes 67 senior grade premiership games. He also played in the 1943 short form games with South Sydney.
Kennedy played his final first grade and senior grade and premiership game in the 1946 Round 14 first grade clash against Eastern Suburbs at the Sports Ground.
Playing - Height / Weight
5ft 4in / 8st 7lb
Representative Qualification
NSW City
Date of Birth
Redfern, NSW - 25th November 1921 (Died - 2010)
South Sydney Junior Club
Cleveland Street
Previous Clubs
Mount Carmel School (1935-37)
Military Service (1941-44) Army Private 39th Infantry Battalion (Served in New Guinea)
Playing Career at South Sydney (1939-41,43-46)
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1939 Aug 12 Rd14 SSG v North Sydney (17y 260d)
First Grade
Premiership : State Championship : Tour
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1939 1 1 - 1 - - 3 : 2 2 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1940 - - - - - - -
1941 6 6 - 2 - - 6 : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1943 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
1944 12 12 - 4 - - 12 : 3 3 - 3 - - 9 : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
1945 13 13 - 5 - - 15 : 1 1 - - - - - : 1 1 - 1 - - 3
1946 9 9 - 3 1 - 11 : : - - - - - - -
TOTAL 41 41 - 15 1 - 47 : 6 6 - 3 - - 9 : 2 2 - 2 - - 6
SS Cup 6 6 - 3 - - 9
SS FG 49 49 - 20 1 - 62
South Sydney Senior Grade Debut
1939 Apr 22 Rd01 Earl v St George (c) (Third Grade)
1939 Jul 15 Rd12 SCG v Canterbury (Reserve Grade)
Lower Grades
Reserve Grade : Third Grade
Year M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1939 3 3 - 1 - - 3 : 10 10 - 3 1 - 11
1940 8 8 - 2 - - 6 : 6 6 - 2 - - 6
1941 4 4 - 1 - - 3 : - - - - - - -
1943 8 8 - 1 - - 3 : 4 4 - 1 - - 3
1944 2 2 - 1 - - 3 : - - - - - - -
1945 1 1 - 1 - - 3 : - - - - - - -
1946 - - - - - - - : - - - - - - -
TOTAL 26 26 - 7 - - 21 : 20 20 - 6 1 - 20
South Sydney Senior(FG/RG/3G) Grade Career
Premiership : Cup : All Matches
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
CAREER 67 67 - 28 2 - 88 : 6 6 - 3 - - 9 : 75 75 - 33 3 - 103
Short Form
Short-Game Knockout
M S R T G/A FG Pts
1939 - - - - - - -
1943 1 - - 3
1946 - - - - - - -
TOTAL 1 - - 3
SS SF 1 - - 3
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
First Grade : Lower Grades
Year Premiership( W- D-L %) : Cup & Tour( W- D-L %) : RG( W- D-L %) : 3G( W- D-L %)
1939 : : : 10( 4- 0-0 40%)
TOTAL : : : 10( 4- 0-0 40%)
CAREER 10( 4- 0-0 40%)
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE never
Player Awards
Year Award 1977 - South Sydney DRLFC Life Membership 2008 - South Sydney Junior Team of the Century (Halfback)
Representative Honours at South Sydney
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG none
After Leaving South Sydney
Subsequent Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
Cessnock (1947) (Captain-Coach)
Newtown (1948-49) 9 2 1 - 8
Grenfell (1950) (Maher Cup winner)
Subsequent Rep Honours M T G FG Pt
NSW Country (1947) 1 1 - - 3 (c)
Rest of NSW (1947) 1 - - - -
New South Wales (1947) 1 1 - - 3
Kennedy went on from 1951 to become the most successful U21s Presidents Cup coach for South Sydney.
Ref - SSLC-S v2n9 p10 / BLA-11 p35 / RLN v27n3 p15 / Wiki / RLP / ANC / NAA-228061 / FN-46
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