Tim Kelly Biography

Tim Kelly wins his first John Worsfold Medal as the Eagles' best and fairest player for 2023.

Kelly polled 200 votes to finish 37 clear of key forward Oscar Allen (163).

Tim Kelly tests positive to COVID-19 and is in doubt for the Eagles' 2022 sseason opener Gold Coast.

Nic Naitanui says his West Coast teammates have upped their intensity at training following the arrival of Tim Kelly.

"When 'TK' walked through the door, when we found out we signed him, a lot of the guys started sh***ing themselves," Naitanui said.

"They were a bit worried, you know, is this guy going to take my spot? He's not just some midfielder who has come in, he is an A-grader. It made everyone lift a notch a bit higher. And I love it at training."

Geelong list manager Stephen Wells admits that the club had planned for Tim Kelly's departure since his failed bid to head to West Coast at the end of 2018, despite publicly remaining positive about the possibility of him staying.

"I must admit all year we were doing our work as if he was going to go home. It was going to be remarkable for him to not want to go home," Wells said.

"But we did everything we possibly could, we made him contract offers, and I think that Tim and his family had a more enjoyable second year in Geelong.

"It was a little bit easier in the second year, and to Tim and Caitlin's great credit they did it all themselves and fitted in really well in the Geelong community, but the call of home and getting a good contract offer as well meant all year we were preparing as if he was going to go home but hoping he wasn't."

West Coast agrees to send two first-round picks and selection No.24, plus engage in a late swap of picks to facilitate the trade of Tim Kelly from Geelong.

The Cats receive this year's picks 14, 24 and 37 plus next year's first-round selection in exchange for Kelly, pick 57 and a future third-round selection.

The deal also involved Essendon with the Bombers receiving pick No.33 from the Eagles and pick No.57 from Geelong, while giving up pick No.37 to the Cats and No.52 to the Eagles.

"Absolutely delighted. It’s been a fair while in the making, and wonderful to acquire – finally – Tim to our footy club," Eagles football manager Craig Vozzo said.

"He’s an elite player, probably his first two years in the AFL are as good as I can remember in recent times. Adding an elite player, particularly to our midfield, should really help in terms of what we can generate out of that area of the ground."

Kelly's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen said he was "very relieved and very happy" to strike a deal that allows his client to return to his native state.

"He did absolutely give it his best shot to go back to Geelong and try and do his best to have the family live in Geelong," Kelly's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen said.

"He didn't do it lightly. He really enjoyed his playing footy time at Geelong but it didn't really sit well with the family."

Tim Kelly's partner Caitlin cried "tears of joy" when his trade from Geelong to West Coast became official.

"(Caitlin cried) tears of joy. Like a weight has been taken off her shoulders," Kelly said as he was unveiled in blue and gold.

"That was the feeling amongst the family, thrilled, rapt, she can't wait to get all the boys their West Coast gear and get them all in blue and gold. She's absolutely rapt, the same as me."

Patrick Dangerfield storms home to win his third Carji Greeves Medal as Geelong's best and fairest for the 2019 season.

Dangerfield polled 268 votes to finish ahead of departing gun Tim Kelly (259.5), who finished runner-up for a second consecutive season and Tom Stewart (251).

"It's very humbling, it's still bittersweet because of the disappointment from that prelim (final)," Dangerfield said while reflecting on the season that was, and could have been.

"Perhaps if it was (my) first you'd appreciate it in a different way, but the longer you play the more you realise that while you're very proud to win it and it's special but it's not what we're all here to do."

Tim Kelly officially requests a trade to West Coast, ending a season of speculation in which the club had been bracing for his formal decision.

"It is well known by all that are close to Tim and his partner Caitlin that their young family are dealing with some significant challenges with two of their three children being classified as autistic," Kelly's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen said.

"Tim and his family need to be at home surrounded by family and friends who can best assist them with therapy and support.

"After careful consideration Tim and Caitlin believe that West Coast can best provide the right environment for him and his family to prosper."

Fremantle football boss Peter Bell hopes changes at the club will help lure Tim Kelly to Fremantle after the talented midfielder declared in 2018 it was either West Coast or bust, and bust it was no deal was arrived at between the Eagles and Geelong.

"There's been significant change at our football club, we think with that comes some fresh ideas and excitement and hopefully he sees that as well," Bell told Trade Radio.

"By no means are we giving up on the race for Tim Kelly. It's up to us to get in there and pitch as hard as we possibly can."

Following the Cats exit from the finals after a preliminary final loss to Richmond, Geelong coach Chris Scott is not giving up hope of retaining Tim Kelly in 2020.

"I don't even know if this is possible but I'm not letting him go," Scott told reporters post-match.

"It's a half-serious response. I've got absolutely no control over what's going to go on. All I can say is he's been a credit to himself all the way through and he should be proud of himself and we're proud of him.

"If your question is, 'Would you like to keep him?' I'll fight tooth and nail to do that."

Tim Kelly has personally met with Fremantle and West Coast in recent weeks as decision time nears on his future beyond this year.

Kelly is yet to make a call on where he will play in 2020, but it is believed his preference – as it was last year – is to be an Eagle if he, as expected, elects to leave the Cattery.

Kelly is in a stronger bargaining position this time around, given his two-year draft contract will expire at season's end, meaning he will have more options to move.

Tim Kelly says he is happy at the Cats and that money could well be a deciding factor in his decision beyond 2019.

"This club is a great club. I love the club. Right now to be honest, I can't really see myself anywhere else," Kelly said.

"Ultimately it's going to come down to what's put forward, and ultimately what it means for me and my family.

"The reality is I've come into the game at 23 years of age. I'm not going to have the luxury of these 15, 16, 18-year careers that some of my great teammates are having or going to have.

"I've got a short amount of time at this, and I've got to make the most of everything that comes my way."

Tim Kelly says he won't make an immediate decision on where he will play beyond 2019 until the end of the year.

"It's all up in the air at the moment and I'll get to that at the end of the year," Kelly said about his future.

"For now, it's playing the best footy I can and enjoying these boys and it's obviously enjoyable when you're winning."

Fremantle emerges as a surprise contender for Tim Kelly, just months after being excluded from negotiations for the in-demand Geelong midfielder.

It is a significant shift from five months ago, when Kelly's hope to return to Western Australia came with the caveat that he become an Eagle – and an Eagle only.

Fremantle is also better placed than West Coast to scrape together the $650,000-per-season it might take to lure the 24-year-old, although money is just one factor.

Geelong coach Chris Scott praises Tim Kelly despite his failed request for a trade to West Coast.

"High-care players have high needs and we've got to be highly flexible with them. It becomes a lot easier to be flexible with players who have an exceptional work ethic," Scott explained.

"We're not in a situation where we're having to make compromises with the work Tim gets in because he just ticks every box."

Wantaway Geelong midfielder Tim Kelly will spend at least 2019 at the Cattery after West Coast's down-to-the-wire bid fell short.

Negotiations reportedly stalled inside the last five minutes before the 2018 AFL Trade deadline, with West Coast's offer of picks 20 and 22 and a future second-round pick not satisfying Geelong.

It is understood the Cats were demanding the two selections in the 20s and a future first-round choice.

"We'd love him at our club and he expressed a desire to come home, but unfortunately the Cats rated him as highly as we did and wouldn't give him up," Eagles' list manager Brady Rawlings said.

"Our picks in this year's draft were on the table and we were willing to go into the future as well, which is not a decision the club takes lightly.

"We'll monitor Tim's situation, and if he's feeling the same thing this time next year we'll definitely be here and wanting to talk."

West Coast appears unlikely, or unable, to budge on its offer of picks 20 and 22 for Tim Kelly in the face of Geelong asking for a top-10 pick in return.

The Eagles explored trades with teams holding picks in and around the top 10 but have come up empty so far.

Geelong list manager Stephen Wells believes a trade is unlikely as things currently stand.

"We're far enough apart that I don't expect it to get done," Wells said.

Tim Kelly's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen says his client will walk out on the Cats after the 2019 season if a trade cannot be arranged with the Eagles in 2018.

"He will go to West Coast and if he doesn't, he will be playing at Geelong, then he will leave the year after," Van Der Wielen said.

Geelong demands at least a top-10 draft pick for Tim Kelly if the midfielder is to return home to a WA club.

"His value's increased enormously and it's going to have to be an exceptional deal for us to even consider it," Cats list manager Stephen Wells told NAB AFL Trade Radio.

"Definitely he's worth a top-10 pick, I would've thought, and perhaps more.

"Our intention at the moment, unless we're totally satisfied, is he will be playing for us in 2019."

Tim Kelly is set to return home after just one year at the Cats, reiterating his desire for a trade to West Coast.

Living so far away from home with a young family and without the daily support of close friends and family hasn't been easy," Kelly's agent Anthony Van Der Wielen said.

"The club have been exceptional in their efforts to make Tim and his family as comfortable as possible.

"Tim's said himself that if he could pick the Geelong Football Club up and take them to Perth, he'd never leave."

Mark Blicavs wins his second Carji Greeves Medal, edging out Patrick Dangerfield and Tim Kelly by just half a vote in a thrilling count at Crown Palladium in Melbourne.

Blicavs polled 234 votes to edge out superstar midfielder Dangerfield (233.5) and mature-age sensation Kelly (233.5), who tied in second place.

Blicavs enjoyed the best season of his 133-game career in 2018, forced into the key defensive post when Harry Taylor went down with a foot injury in round one and with Lachie Henderson unavailable for the first 15 rounds of the season.

"It was something different, a new challenge and something that probably simplified the game for me," Blicavs said.

"We had a really good bunch of guys back there that enjoyed playing together, we were pretty close-knit. It's something that I just want to be a part of going forward."

Tim Kelly remains undecided on his future as he weighs up whether he will return home to Western Australia after a stunning debut season with the Cats in 2018.

"To be honest, my future is a little bit undecided at this stage," Kelly said.

"There's a lot being said about that, but I love the club. I just need to see what comes my way."

Tim Kelly will wait until the end of the 2018 season before recommencing discussions with Geelong over an extension beyond 2019.

"At the moment, he's there this season and next season, whether he likes it or not … and he loves it. An AFL contract, when you go into the draft, you have two years at the club," Kelly's agent Anthony Van Der Wielen said.

Boom draftee Tim Kelly's management explores options to make him a Cat long-term.

The South Fremantle junior remains undecided about his future with Fremantle and West Coast jostling to bring him home with more than a year to run on his initial two-year deal.

Kelly continues to adjust to life in Geelong with partner Caitlin and their three children, all under the age of three.

"They've shown incredible care for a young family who are (saying), 'We're really appreciative, but we're just not wanting to make a decision right now'," Kelly's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen said.

"It's not all about money or terms (length of deal), it's about how Geelong make it comfortable for Tim and his young family to stay in Geelong."

Tim Kelly makes his AFL debut for Geelong at the MCG with 27 disposals (10 kicks and 17 handballs), 3 marks, 2 tackles and a goal in a 3-point win over Melbourne.

Tim Kelly, Lachlan Fogarty Esava Ratugolea will make their AFL debuts for the Cats in Geelong's season opener against Melbourne.

Cats coach Chris Scott says they forced their way in off strong pre-seasons and were picked on "merit" ahead of a number of more experienced teammates.

"This is not about planning for the future this is about our best team for Sunday," Scott said on Friday.

"They're in based on merit, we highly rate the opposition and we know we need to play at our absolute best."

Geelong are hoping recruit Tim Kelly will be providing the team with some run through the midfield.

"He's mature in ways outside of footy which is really going to help him," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"He's the one we've brought in that we think might be able to help us (with our run and carry)."

Having first nominated for the draft in 2012, Tim Kelly hopes he will finally be picked up in 2017, his sixth attempt at the age of 23.

"I just want to be able to breathe footy," Kelly said.

"The last couple of years I've really knuckled down on my training habits and just doing extras to make it happen.

"Each year, I've showed that I'm building my game. I think I've just shown that as the years have gone on, I've added something and that I'm working on things."