Given a baptism of fire in the Newcastle Jets' AFC Champions League campaign, Ben Kennedy handled it like a seasoned veteran instead of the debutant on the regional stage that he really is.
GettyImages
Big week ahead for Newcastle Jets keeper Ben Kennedy
When former Socceroo Ante Covic walked out after just two games of the Jets' Asian foray in mid-March, the 22-year-old goalkeeper found himself facing J-League giants Nagoya Grampus at the Mizuho Athletic Stadium a couple of weeks later.
Kennedy helped the Jets earn an invaluable point in Japan on April 7th and has turned in a string of outstanding performances to lift the Australian club into the knockout stages. On June 24th, they play Pohang Steelers in the Korea Republic, with the winners advancing to the quarter-finals.
His superb display in the final group game, also in South Korea, on May 20th made sure Newcastle followed Adelaide United last season as the second Aussie team to advance from the group phase of the AFC Champions League. Needing a point to get through, the Jets exceeded expectations to grind out a 1-0 victory over the highly-rated Ulsan Hyundai.
Newcastle's flamboyant owner Con Constantine was one man who was impressed with the way that Kennedy stepped up to the challenge.
''Look at the kid we had to put in goals,'' he told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. ''I give him 10 out of 10 for his effort. He's a local boy and he showed his true colours.''
The heroics from the 'Kid' have come after he sat on the bench for the Jets for the past two seasons. Kennedy made just one appearance when Newcastle won the 2007-2008 Hyundai A-League title and saw no game time last season as they slid from first to last.
But the patience is finally paying off for the quiet and down-to-earth lad from the township of Thornton, near Maitland. He's one of six born-and-bred Novocastrians in a Newcastle squad that was boosted by the arrival of 10 new players at the end of the last A-League campaign.
A sharp shot-stopper, Kennedy is a tall and lean goalkeeper who's blessed with good distribution and confidence with the ball at his feet. He's a two-footed player who's known to practice free kicks after training.
And Ben Kennedy has been a popular name with Newcastle sports fans for almost a decade now. His namesake - former Australian Rugby League forward Ben Kennedy - played for the Newcastle Knights for five seasons, including their 2001 NRL Premiership win.
That Ben Kennedy hails from Casino, further up the New South Wales' coast towards Brisbane. Incidentally, the Jets' Ben Kennedy - known simply as BK - loves his Rugby League and keeps his teammates up-to-date with scores from the other football codes, including AFL, whenever Newcastle are on the road. His closest friends within the squad are the fellow local youngsters including Ben Kantarovski and Jason Hoffman.
And like Kantarovski and Hoffman, Kennedy has worn the colours of his country - earning one cap with Australia's under-23 side, the Olyroos two years ago - in the countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Ahead of Newcastle's make-or-break trip to Pohang - Kennedy's fifth match of the Asian campaign and the Jets' seventh - Kennedy sat down with Soccernet to reflect on a hectic couple of months and look forward to another sizeable challenge on unfamiliar territory.
Q: Ben, how do you rate helping Newcastle make the knockout stages of the ACL in your career achievements so far?
It's definitely a highlight in my career, especially being only the second Australian club to make it to the knockout stages.
Q: How big a surprise was Ante's abrupt departure?
It wasn't such a big surprise to me, as he told me a few weeks beforehand. Still, it was sad to see him leave as I have learned a lot from him and he is a good friend.
Q: What did it feel like to go from relative inactivity to be thrown into the fray in Newcastle's ACL campaign?
It was a bit tough, but I felt like I was ready to step up to the challenge and I have felt like I have done well so far.
Q: Why is there such a difference between this Newcastle side and the one that came last in the Hyundai A-League?
I think the main difference is the new players that we have brought in. We have brought in a lot of quality players which has really helped.
Q: You were instrumental in helping Newcastle get the result they needed at Ulsan... what do you need to do at Pohang?
Pretty much the same thing that we did in the last game. I felt that we defended quite well as a team, which makes it easier for me. Hopefully we can do the same in Pohang.
Q: What goalkeepers in world football do you admire the most?
Iker Casillas from Real Madrid is always someone I look up to.
Q: What is your biggest ambition in football?
Eventually I would love to play overseas and develop my game further. I am looking to do something like that at some stage in the near future.
Q: What examples can you give me of mistaken identity when it comes to having you mixed up with the other Ben Kennedy, the former Newcastle Rugby League player?
There haven't been too many examples of those kinds of mix-ups for me. Sometimes there's a bit of confusion at the doctors or physios about my name, but nothing too major.
• Jason Dasey (www.jasondasey.com) is an international broadcaster, corporate host and media trainer.
