Farewell #20 Will Kelly

[stui magpie]

^

Nah, I believe it. Like you said, playing him on a wing or flank at VFL level showed he was never going to make it as a KPP at AFL level as long as he had an aperture between his buttocks.

If we want a 194cm wing at AFL level we have Allen and Ash who could play that role.

Hey, he managed a couple of AFL games which is more than I ever got close to. Now he can go back to a local league, train twice a week and pick up a coulple $K per game.

[piffdog]

Just watched the Anzac Day game again and was great to see him and Ruscoe have some good individual moments. Tough list to get a game in at present and by the time he has more of a run at it, he’ll be older and a new crop will be pushing for selection.

Nobody would bat an eyelid if he wasn’t Neds son.

I’ll say thanks for your contribution as a clubman and wish him all the best.

[LaurieHolden]

Just watched the Anzac Day game again and was great to see him and Ruscoe have some good individual moments.

^
True that. I reckon if I'd even been good enough to play 1 or a handful of AFL games for the CFC, playing in an ANZAC Day match and to have been part of that legacy would rest pretty well with me.

[WhyPhilWhy?]

See Club website https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1 ... st-changes

"In other list management news, Will Kelly has been informed he will not receive a contract with the Club."

[warburton lad]

Will Kelly is listed as 194cms and 96kgs.

he has good endurance and is quite quick.

He has had 5 pre-seasons in an elite system.

I would have retained him on the list (we have delisted tall defender Ruscoe and may lose Nathan Murphy).

Still, happy to back Wright and Hine.

Begg, Kreuger and Carmichael have all signed on moving forward.

And we still have Dean, Murphy, Frampton on the list...

Floreat Pica

[David]

May not be curtains for him just yet:

https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1 ... st-changes

The Club will explore the option for Kelly to train with the AFL program during the 2024 AFL's Supplementary Selection Period (SSP).

Collingwood GM of Football Graham Wright thanked Kelly for his contribution to the Club.

"We thank Will for all that he has put in across five seasons with the Club," Wright said.

"Unfortunately for Will, he has faced injury challenges that have kept him out of the AFL side, but his strong willpower and ability to develop through our VFL program should be commended.

"We have informed Will we will consider adding him as a train-on player over the pre-season if we have SSP spots available following the completion of the draft process in November."

[RudeBoy]

Sadly, he always struck me as a great athlete, but an ordinary footballer. I wish him well, and hope he gets an opportunity elsewhere.

[Presti35]

When he came along, I saw him in the VFL and thought, yeah this kid could really be something. Fast forward 5 years and the injuries along with not knowing what position he actually is and he's out the door.

Should never had taken on the #20.

I wonder if another club will go for him. Crows? Essendon? Swans?

[Piesnchess]

Never showed much, injury prone too, not a list clogger per se, but we cant have players that never really come on. I wonder how dad Ned is feeling , such is life I guess. In Fly and Wright we trust.

[piedys]

May not be curtains for him just yet:

https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1 ... st-changes

The Club will explore the option for Kelly to train with the AFL program during the 2024 AFL's Supplementary Selection Period (SSP).
...
"We have informed Will we will consider adding him as a train-on player over the pre-season if we have SSP spots available following the completion of the draft process in November."

Considering all the list changes made over the past few weeks, some unexpected, I think this one is overkill.
Absolutely need him in reserve if another club doesn't take him.

[think better]

Maybe this thread should be re-titled Farewell-ish #20 Will Kelly

[Son of the Boonman]

I hope that Will is Rookied - he has had a horrible time with injuries BUT he is a good size, has pace for a big bloke and has good hands

[Pies2016]

While I agree in hindsight, he never showed much on an AFL list, he showed plenty as an U18 and as a father - son selection, it was another club who picked him first who also must have seen a bit in him.
In his draft year, he had the better of Ben King in the TAC cup ( Max missed the season with an ACL ) and beat Lukosuis and Brownless convincingly in the championships.
On the back of seeing more of him than most as a junior, I thought he would make it but he made a bad decision to keep playing with a bad ankle during the later part of his draft year. That required significant surgery just prior to being drafted and that set his development back considerably. That proved to be the first of many injuries and they obviously haven’t helped his journey at all. Having said all that, you only have to watch him at VFL level to see he struggles with any consistency with his ball use at that level.

[Take_a_Screamer]

Interview with Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly.
Open article about the truth of the Ginnivan trade and good handling of the Will Kelly exit...

‘Stop talking rubbish’: Magpies boss defends the Ginnivan trade
by Jon Pierik, The Age, November 1, 2023
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/sto ... 5egop.html

[Presti35]

Does anyone have any news on where Will is going to play this year?