Career : 1904 - 1909
Debut : Round 1, 1904 vs Fitzroy, aged 26 years, 242 days
Carlton Player No. 163
Games : 106
Goals : 13
Last Game: Grand Final, 1909 vs South Melbourne, aged 32 years, 25 days
Height : 170 cm
Weight : 74 kg
DOB : September 7, 1877
Premiership Player 1906, 1907, 1908
Edwin Page “Ted” Kennedy was a star winger for Carlton in the first decade of the 20th century. With Rod McGregor and George Bruce, he formed one of the greatest centrelines of all time; the springboard of three successive Premiership teams.
A true Carlton local, Ted was born in Parkville in 1877 and played his early football at North Melbourne and St Jude's in Carlton, before being invited to a trial match at Essendon. He impressed the Bombers with his speed, sure ball-handling and long kicking, and by 1901 he was a regular in a strong Essendon lineup. Injury robbed him of a place in that year’s Premiership side, but he was back in the team when they were beaten by Collingwood for the 1902 flag.
The following year he split with Essendon after 43 games. Innuendo about his efforts in the beaten Grand Final team was never made public, but Kennedy was a young man with a point to prove when Carlton coach Jack Worrall came calling with an offer to join the Blues. Like most of Worrall’s ideas, this one proved a masterstroke. Kennedy completed a centre line that had skill, and pace to burn, in the busiest part of the ground.
Worrall’s vision came to fruition in season 1906, when Carlton lost only three games on the way to a decisive 49 point demolition of Fitzroy in the Premiership decider. Bruce, McGregor and Kennedy were unstoppable all day, and each was named among Carlton’s best. In 1907 the Blues did it again, losing just four times all year before beating South Melbourne by five points on Grand Final day. A broken nose (suffered in the Semi Final win over St Kilda) kept Rod McGregor out of that decider, and Alby Ingleman replaced him. Nicknamed “Badger,” the tough, committed Ingleman turned on a blinder, and again a dominant centreline was a big factor in the Blues’ triumph.
Carlton’s victory over Essendon for a hat-trick of Premierships in 1908 was the sweetest victory of all for Ted Kennedy. The Blues lost just once (to the Bombers) in the home and away rounds that season, but with Rod McGregor back to his brilliant best in the centre, Carlton won a thriller by nine points. Against his old club, Kennedy dominated his side of the ground all match, time and again driving the Blues forward.
Season 1909 saw Carlton came within two points of claiming four flags in succession. Jack Worrall resigned in July over dissension among the players about match payments and his strict training regime, so Fred Elliott was appointed captain-coach as a temporary measure. Elliott did a wonderful job in getting the Blues to yet another Grand Final, only to suffer the agony of a two point defeat.
Ted Kennedy retired after that disappointment, ending a superb career of 106 games and 13 goals at Carlton. In his nine seasons at two clubs, he had played in six Grand Finals. Ted’s younger brother Jim Kennedy also played at Carlton, racking up 23 games in seasons 1905 to 1907.
Kennedy passed away on the 23th July 1948 aged 70.
Milestones
50 Games (VFL): Round 7, 1904 Vs Essendon50 Games (Carlton): Round 16, 1906 Vs Geelong
100 Games (VFL): Round 4, 1907 Vs Fitzroy
100 Games (Carlton): Round 15, 1909 Vs Fitzroy
Links
Articles: Carlton's Hat-Trick HeroesBlueseum: Summary of playing statistics for Ted Kennedy | Kennedy's Blueseum Image Gallery