West Coast Eagles Wiki
Advertisement
Tim Kelly
Photo: aflphotos.com
DOB
26/7/94
Height
182cm
Weight
82 kg
Junior club
South Fremantle/Palmyra JFC
Arrived
Traded from Geelong at the end of the 2019 season with pick 52 (exchanged on academy bid) and 2020 third-round pick for pick 14 (Cooper Stephens), pick 24 (Jeremy Sharp), pick 33 (Nick Bryan) and 2020 first-round pick
Number
Debut
Round 1 2020 vs Melbourne
(249th Eagles player)
Games
96
Goals
31
Honours
B&F Top 10
5 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Best Finish
1st (2023)
Other clubs
Geelong (AFL) 2018-2019
South Fremantle (AFL) 2013-2017

South Fremantle product Tim Kelly was drafted as a mature-age recruit by Geelong and became an instant star, before returning to West Coast in a mega-trade.

Geelong career[]

Kelly made his debut for South Fremantle in 2013 and spent several years plying his trade for the Bulldogs before a breakout 2017 season in which he finished second in the Sandover Medal saw him drafted by Geelong in the second round of the national draft. He immediately slotted into the Cats' midfield, finishing runner-up in the club's Best and Fairest in his two years at the Cattery and being named an All-Australian in 2019, recording a top-five finish in the Brownlow Medal that year.

West Coast career[]

With three very young children, Kelly was never settled in Geelong. He requested a trade to West Coast at the end of his first season but it could not be arranged. After seeing out his draftee contract, he again sought a trade to West Coast, who gave up a significant amount of draft picks to see the midfielder don blue and gold.

Kelly's first year as an Eagle was the 2020 coronavirus pandemic-affected season, with the star midfielder slowly integrating into the West Coast engine room. Although he only infrequently showed his Geelong form, he led the club to a stirring victory against St Kilda late in the season and finished seventh in the best and fairest.

Kelly began to become the player West Coast hoped to recruit in 2021, with a series of strong performances including a Glendinning-Allan Medal-winning 42-possession game against Fremantle. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury midway through the season and struggled to replicate that form. He was solid but unspectacular in 2022, and it was perhaps a sign of the club's struggles that season that Kelly nevertheless finished in the top three of the best and fairest.

During the club's horror 2023 season, Kelly was a rare standout, leading the side in disposals, clearances and tackles and kicking 10 goals from the midfield, and was a deserving winner of the John Worsfold Medal as the best and fairest. He didn't quite achieve the same heights in 2024, although he benefited from the arrival of Harley Reid and the return of Elliot Yeo to regular action.

Stats[]

AFL Gm G B K M H D T Cl WAFL Gm G B K M H D T
2020 18 5 4 207 46 153 360 76 73 N/A
2021 19 6 8 245 62 209 454 64 101 WCE 0
2022 17 6 5 211 60 201 412 67 95 0
2023 22 10 6 288 75 333 621 104 130 0
2024 20 4 9 240 55 238 478 97 110 0
Tot 96 31 32 1191 298 1134 2325 408 509
Avg 0.3 12.4 3.1 11.8 24.2 4.2 5.3

News[]

9/10/19: Kelly finally becomes an Eagle in monster trade deal

Tribunal record[]

Year Rd Charge Outcome
2020 13 Rough conduct against A.Kennedy (GWS) Accepted $1,000 fine
2022 19 Striking R.Marshall (StK) Accepted $2,000 fine
2022 21 Rough conduct against S.Berry (Adl) Accepted 1-match suspension

References[]

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/T/Tim_Kelly.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kelly_(footballer)

Advertisement