Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon believes Greater Western Sydney midfielder Josh Kelly didn’t display courage when West Coast’s Josh Kennedy crunched him on the weekend.
Kelly was taken off after the hit, as Kennedy got up and kicked an important goal late in the final term. While some have lauded Kelly for his courage, Lyon thinks it was the result of a player getting lost and standing in the way of Kennedy’s leading pattern.
“That was a player that got lost,” Lyon said of Kelly on SEN Breakfast.
“The commentary around it at the time was, this is the most courageous act we have ever seen on a footy field. No it wasn’t, he just got lost.
“I think Kelly is a very courageous footy player, but he wasn’t going back with the flight to try and punch the ball. He was just running into an area where he didn’t know what was coming.”
Kelly came back on after receiving some medical attention, and was instrumental in the Giants’ victory. The in-demand midfielder amassed 43 disposals, 34 of which were effective, 19 contested possessions, eight clearances and seven score involvements.
Josh Kelly left the field with the blood rule after this clash with Josh Kennedy. #AFLGiantsEagles pic.twitter.com/SB0zdvT06Q
— AFL (@AFL) August 19, 2017