James Kelly (born 29 December 1983) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Playing career

Kelly played for the Geelong Football Club from 2001 to 2015. Playing as a midfielder, he was noted for his possession count, running ability, and durable play style. He served as a team leader during Geelong's successful period, becoming one of twelve players to participate in three premiership wins between 2007-2011.

He was a member of Geelong's 2006 NAB Cup Premiership team, as well as the drought-breaking 2007 AFL Premiership Team. He was also a member of Geelong's losing side in the 2008 Grand Final and their victorious sides in the 2009 and 2011 Grand Finals. He was delisted at the end of the 2015 AFL season, despite averaging 20.5 disposals in 17 games, he subsequently retired from the AFL before signing with the Essendon Football Club in January 2016 as a top-up player in the wake of the club's supplements scandal. Under the player top-up rules, he was delisted at the conclusion of the 2016 season, however, in November he re-signed with Essendon during the delisted free agency period. On 16 August 2017, Kelly retired from playing AFL after 313 games with Geelong and Essendon.

Coaching career Kelly joined the Essendon coaching staff for the 2018 season and remained there for three years, retiring in February, 2021.

Kelly re-joined Geelong as an assistant coach for the 2022 season

Statistics

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2002 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 15 || 7 || 5 || 137 || 85 || 222 || 41 || 49 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 9.1 || 5.7 || 14.8 || 2.7 || 3.3 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2003 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 18 || 6 || 8 || 129 || 109 || 238 || 43 || 55 || 0.3 || 0.4 || 7.2 || 6.1 || 13.2 || 2.4 || 3.1 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2004 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 13 || 9 || 4 || 151 || 84 || 235 || 48 || 41 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 11.6 || 6.5 || 18.1 || 3.7 || 3.2 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2005 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 24 || 13 || 7 || 254 || 178 || 432 || 95 || 83 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 10.6 || 7.4 || 18.0 || 4.0 || 3.5 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2006 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 15 || 7 || 2 || 134 || 119 || 253 || 48 || 40 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 8.9 || 7.9 || 16.9 || 3.2 || 2.7 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2007 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 23 || 11 || 10 || 201 || 246 || 447 || 85 || 84 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 8.7 || 10.7 || 19.4 || 3.7 || 3.7 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2008 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 21 || 8 || 7 || 196 || 232 || 428 || 95 || 112 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 9.3 || 11.0 || 20.4 || 4.5 || 5.3 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2009 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 18 || 2 || 2 || 195 || 212 || 407 || 88 || 55 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 10.8 || 11.8 || 22.6 || 4.9 || 3.1 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2010 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 23 || 7 || 1 || 257 || 301 || 558 || 87 || 140 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 11.2 || 13.1 || 24.3 || 3.8 || 6.1 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2011 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 24 || 5 || 12 || 319 || 258 || 577 || 62 || 186 || 0.2 || 0.5 || 13.3 || 10.8 || 24.0 || 2.6 || 7.8 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 19 || 2 || 5 || 257 || 213 || 470 || 59 || 128 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 13.5 || 11.2 || 24.7 || 3.1 || 6.7 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 20 || 10 || 12 || 234 || 202 || 436 || 50 || 153 || 0.5 || 0.6 || 11.7 || 10.1 || 21.8 || 2.5 || 7.7 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 23 || 0 || 4 || 312 || 176 || 488 || 113 || 89 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 13.6 || 7.6 || 21.2 || 4.9 || 3.9 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015 |style="text-align:center;"| | 9 || 17 || 1 || 7 || 185 || 163 || 348 || 80 || 71 || 0.1 || 0.4 || 10.9 || 9.6 || 20.5 || 4.7 || 4.2 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016 |style="text-align:center;"| | 47 || 20 || 2 || 3 || 268 || 238 || 506 || 129 || 86 || 0.1 || 0.2 || 13.4 || 11.9 || 25.3 || 6.5 || 4.3 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017 |style="text-align:center;"| | 47 || 20 || 0 || 0 || 209 || 196 || 405 || 115 || 74 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 10.5 || 9.8 || 20.3 || 5.8 || 3.7 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3| Career ! 313 ! 90 ! 89 ! 3438 ! 3012 ! 6450 ! 1238 ! 1446 ! 0.3 ! 0.3 ! 11.0 ! 9.6 ! 20.6 ! 4.0 ! 4.6

Personal life In 2008, Kelly was an ambassador for an anti-alcohol-fuelled violence campaign run by the Geelong Advertiser titled "Just Think". In this role, Kelly appeared in advertising alongside fellow ambassadors, and Geelong teammates, Tom Harley and David Wojcinski.

Honours AFL 3× AFL Premiership: 2007, 2009, 2011 2× AFL Pre-Season Premiership: 2006, 2009 All-Australian team: 2011 Jim Stynes Medal: 2011 AFL Rising Star nominee: 2001

Geelong Geelong FC Best First Year Player Award: 2002 VFL Premiership Player: 2002

TAC Cup TAC Cup Premiership: 2001 TAC Cup Team of the Year: 2001

References

External links