Sydney Swans large Josh Kennedy has changeable down the imaginable of determination being a hangover from past year's expansive last loss, backing his aged teammates to proceed connected their upwards trajectory this season.
Sydney were 1 of the stories of the 2022 season, rising from sixth successful 2021 to scope the decider earlier being beaten by 81 points by a rampant Geelong side.
Recent past has not been benignant to teams who person been soundly beaten connected the biggest stage.
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Since 2007, erstwhile Geelong bushed Port Adelaide by a whopping 119 points successful the expansive final, determination person been six different teams to beryllium beaten by 40 oregon much points successful a expansive final.
Of the 7 teams including Port Adelaide, nary squad has finished higher than 4th successful the pursuing season, with 3 of the 7 missing the finals altogether.
Kennedy's Swans rebounded aft being soundly beaten successful the 2014 decider by Hawthorn by finishing 4th successful 2015, and helium believes the existent harvest of Swans tin emulate that team's occurrence erstwhile again.
"I wouldn't deliberation so. You're not considering it every week that you're playing. Time volition tell," helium told Wide World of Sports erstwhile asked astir the imaginable of a expansive last hangover.
"I'm definite the guys volition conscionable proceed to absorption connected the process and spell retired determination and springiness it their each all week.
"I deliberation they'll bounce back. They're an highly resilient group of guys, not conscionable the players, the full nine and enactment unit and everyone involved.
"They'll conscionable proceed to bash what's made them a large footy nine implicit the past 25 years.
"The contention is truthful adjacent that thing could happen, but I beryllium arsenic a Swans protagonist present connected the different broadside of the obstruction and I deliberation for myself and everyone other successful that presumption it's going to beryllium a beauteous breathtaking fewer years ahead."
After being a mainstay successful the Swans' motor country since joining the nine successful 2010, Kennedy was forced to ticker from the sidelines during his team's tally to the expansive last past year, an acquisition helium admitted was "bittersweet".
He played the past of his 290 games successful a circular 10 nonaccomplishment to Carlton and ne'er got picked again, lone being called upon arsenic an unused substitute successful a circular 20 triumph implicit the Giants.
"I would've loved to person finished my vocation playing successful an AFL crippled and knowing it's my past game, but fairytale finishes don't travel astir excessively often," helium said.
"I surely didn't expect it, truthful it didn't fuss maine excessively much. I inactive got a large magnitude of joyousness watching the guys make and getting amended each week and conscionable built connected the excitement passim the twelvemonth of going from spot to strength."
Despite the expansive last defeat, Sydney extended John Longmire's declaration for different 2 years, a woody which was "well-earned" according to Kennedy.
"It's an astonishing feat for him personally," helium said.
"He puts truthful overmuch bosom and psyche into his coaching, his players and the full club.
"The determination to motion connected for 2 years I cognize was a precise considered 1 and helium knows arsenic good arsenic anyone and surely would not underestimate the effort and tendency it takes to get backmost successful the driver's spot and to proceed to propulsion for a premiership.
"He leads by illustration and it's large for the footy club."
While Kennedy is nary longer successful the Swans' motor room, helium leaves down a database brimming with young talent, and named 20-year-old midfielder Errol Gulden arsenic a premier breakout campaigner for 2023.
"He's got a batch of earthy ability, but he's conscionable an implicit sponge and truthful coachable successful presumption of pursuing instructions," helium said.
"He's got an aged caput connected young shoulders being capable to recognize the crippled plan, being capable to soak it each up.
"His strength astir grooming and grooming standards and willingness to get amended combined with his earthy abilities makes for a beauteous breathtaking bundle astatine the opening of his career."
Kennedy whitethorn nary longer beryllium connected an AFL field, but he's go the latest retired large to enactment his sanction successful the chapeau for the 2023 Carlton Draft, joining Kane Cornes, Nathan Buckley, Jordan Lewis and Bernie Vince, and said helium couldn't crook down the imaginable aft proceeding of past players' experiences.
"I was a spot hesitant astatine archetypal fixed I wasn't definite however I'd feel, whether I'd privation to play a crippled of footy, but talking with a fewer radical that person done it successful the past and proceeding from the guys who did it past twelvemonth who said it was 1 of their champion experiences, I thought I'd springiness it a crack," helium said.
Entries for the 2023 Carlton Draft crossed Victoria are present open. To nominate your nine caput to http://www.thecarltondraft.com.au. Entries adjacent March 27 with six fortunate clubs to beryllium announced successful aboriginal April.
"It's been a agelong clip since I've played a crippled of footy wherever you're not putting arsenic overmuch unit connected yourself arsenic I person implicit the people of my career.
"It's truly playing for amusive and getting backmost to the roots of playing sport, it's each astir the enjoyment.
"It's been a agelong clip since that's been the lawsuit truthful I'm looking guardant to getting backmost to it."
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