“He’s always given me a lot of good advice,” Kennedy said of his father, Frank.

“He always said if I was good enough, I’d make it, so I guess he was right.”

Kennedy returned to Wagga with Leeton’s Jacob Hopper just 24 hours after an unprecedented draft for the Riverina which saw Hopper (pick no.7), Kennedy (no.12), Harry Himmelberg (no.16) and Matt Flynn (no.41) all selected by the GWS Giants, having been involved in the club’s academy program.

Kennedy, on the advice of his father, wasn’t a part of it until a year ago.

Giants academy manager Jason Saddington points out all four have taken slightly different paths.

“He’s taken the club footy approach through his dad’s advice, which has worked out perfect with him,” Saddington said. 

“It’s the last 12 months we’ve been able to do the work with him in the pre-season and in-season.

“The first point is to develop players for AFL clubs and help these guys realise their dreams.

“The more exciting part is to see them get through to the Giants; to see the club have the confidence to take the four boys.”

Saddington said the Giants are happy to lay claim to the Riverina as their territory, and the former Sydney Swan believes this year’s draft picks will ensure an ongoing interest in the club from this region.

Where once it might have been deemed a once-in-a-generation draft, local officials hope it points to a bright future, lit by two teams in Sydney.

“The Giants being introduced and the Giants being zoned have been the main catalyst,” the AFL’s manager for southern NSW, Jason McPherson, said.

“These boys have done extremely well… it’s a great reflection of our community footy clubs but it reinforces the importance of the Giants being in our region.”

Kennedy said he’s still coming to grips with the fact he’s going to be part of a playing group he was in awe of a year ago.

He’ll be living with his old schoolmate Harry Himmelberg, and chasing a dream with his fellow Riverina draftees – including Hopper who, after finishing his schooling in Ballarat, is happy to be back on the right side of the border.

“It does feel like that now – I was a traitor for two years and back with everyone now in NSW,” Hopper said.

But Frank Kennedy deserves the last word.

How does it feel after so much talk, over so many months, to see Matt drafted?

“No different, no different,” Frank said.

“He’s just your son and I’m just happy for him.”