AFL
Ton of respect as Kelly brings up Eagles milestone
When Tim Kelly arrived at Geelong, he was a 23-year-old WAFL star that had finally earned his crack at the top level.
When he walked into West Coast two years later, he was genuine top-flight AFL footballer.
But the storm around the South Fremantle product’s trade home to the Eagles — and the club’s massive outlay to bring him back — meant he’s spent much of his career in Perth under a spotlight of expectation.
Now, as he prepares to play his 100th game for West Coast, one former teammate has remembered him as an “exceptional player and an exceptional bloke” that blocked out the noise around his trade to become one of the club’s most important players.