Jay Kennedy Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Kennedy Harris
Kennedy Harris playing for Melbourne in June 2019
Personal information
Full name	Jay Kennedy Harris
Nickname(s)	JKH
Date of birth	(1995-03-21) 21 March 1995 (age 30)
Original team	Oakleigh Chargers
Draft	No. 40, 2013 national draft
Debut	Round 1, 2014, Melbourne v. St Kilda, at Etihad Stadium
Position(s)	Forward
Club information
Current club	Melbourne
Number	24

Jay Kennedy Harris was born on March 21, 1995. He is a former Australian rules football player. He is best known for playing with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Jay was a small forward. He was 1.73 meters tall and weighed 75 kilograms. He could play both in the forward line and in the midfield. He started playing top-level football early. He played for the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup when he was younger than most players. He also played for Vic Metro in the 2013 AFL Under 18 Championships.

As a junior player, Jay achieved some amazing things. He was the first Indigenous player to be captain of a TAC Cup team. He was also chosen for the TAC Cup team of the year. The Melbourne Football Club picked him in the 2013 AFL draft. He made his AFL debut in the 2014 season. Jay left the Melbourne Football Club after the 2019 AFL season. Since then, he has studied construction management and now works in the building industry.

Early Life and Junior Football

Jay Kennedy Harris grew up in Endeavour Hills, Victoria. His parents are Heather Kennedy and Edgar Harris. Jay is an Indigenous Australian. His family comes from the Gugu-Badhun and Yidiny groups in far north Queensland.

He went to St John's Regional College. Then, in 2009, he moved to Trinity Grammar. A school friend, Luke McDonald, encouraged him to join the Kew Comets Junior Football Club. Later, Jay joined the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup in 2012. He was part of their team that won the premiership that year.

After finishing school in 2012, Jay started studying science at the University of Melbourne. In 2013, he became a co-captain for the Oakleigh Chargers. This made him the first Indigenous player to captain a TAC Cup team. He played twelve games that season. He was also named in the TAC Cup team of the year.

Jay also played for Vic Metro in the 2013 AFL Under 18 Championships. Experts thought he would be picked early in the 2013 AFL draft. They compared him to other great small forwards.

AFL Career Highlights

Kennedy Harris warming up before a pre-season match in February 2017

The Melbourne Football Club chose Jay Kennedy Harris in the 2013 AFL draft. He was the 40th player picked overall. His first game for Melbourne was in a pre-season match in 2014. He kicked three goals in the last quarter, helping Melbourne win.

A journalist from AFL Media praised him. She said he "demanded attention" with his speed and creativity. Because of his great pre-season games, Jay made his official AFL debut in Round 1 of the 2014 season. He played the first eleven games that year.

He then spent some time playing for Melbourne's reserve team, the Casey Scorpions, in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He returned to the main team later in the season. In his first year, he played fourteen games and kicked nine goals.

Playing in 2015

Before the 2015 season, Jay signed a new contract. This meant he would stay with Melbourne until the end of 2017. He also played for the Indigenous All-Stars team.

It was harder for Jay to keep his spot in the senior team in 2015. This was because the club brought in another small forward, Jeff Garlett. Jay played in the first game of the season. He then played eight games in total for the year.

Injuries in 2016

The 2016 season was tough for Jay because of injuries. He hurt his hamstring three times. The first time was during the pre-season. The second time was in the first game of the VFL season.

He returned to play in the VFL in June. But then he injured his hamstring for a third time. This meant he missed more football. He managed to play four VFL games at the end of the season. Because of these injuries, he did not play any senior AFL games in 2016.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season

Acting Career

Before he became an AFL player, Jay Kennedy Harris was also an actor! He had a regular role in a TV show called Dead Gorgeous in 2010. He appeared in all 13 episodes of the show as a character named Charlie.

He was also in an episode of the famous TV show Neighbours. In that show, he was credited as "Cub Scout No. 2". Jay also appeared in a movie called Blessed, where he played a character called Young Jimmy. He even appeared in a commercial for Victoria Police to help recruit protective services officers.

Filmography