Northampton footy icons Harry Taylor and Josh Kennedy inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame together

Josh Kennedy and Harry Taylor’s football journeys have shared a special kind of symmetry since their junior days and their paths crossed yet again on Monday night, when both local champions were inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame. Both proud sons of Northampton, the Mid West footy icons have officially been acknowledged among WA’s finest and most iconic footballers alongside five other worthy recipients. Kennedy, 38, and Taylor, 39, locked horns onfield during their AFL careers as key forward and defender, but shared many similarities throughout their careers. “We played under 12s together, played against each other at AFL level and reconnected back with Northampton to win a premiership” Kennedy said. “Now to receive a new award with him is pretty cool.” Meanwhile, Taylor rated Kennedy as one of his toughest opponents. “Just because of his selfless nature,” he said. “He kicked the most goals ever for West Coast, but he also helped set up, I would say, nearly as many. “It’s a team game, so you could stop him potentially at times, but the team would still win because of how he played.” Both products of the Northampton footy factory, they started and finished their career together with the Rams, helping Northampton break a 19-year GNFL premiership drought in 2023. While Kennedy, a dual Coleman medallist, is renown for being the goal kicker among the two, it was Taylor who kicked a goal in extra time to put Northampton in front during the decider. “That was really cool. There was this great photo of the day after the game, with my car in the carpark with the tyres taken off,” Taylor said. “That summarised that year for us, we’d earned enough trust and respect — and the boys know how much I love my Ford Raptor — for them to take the wheels off. “It was a really good metaphor for what great teams are about, trust, respect. We worked hard together all year and were able to achieve something which hadn’t been done for 19 years for Northampton.” Taylor was first to be inducted in the Mid West Hall of Fame in 2022, while Kennedy joined later on in 2025 — welcomed to the club by Taylor. Throughout their AFL days, Taylor won two flags with Geelong in 2009 and 2011, while Kennedy’s sole AFL premiership came in 2018 when he played a key role in winning the West Coast Eagles their fourth flag. They donned the All-Australian blazer several times but never together, as Kennedy achieved the accolade in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and Taylor in 2010 and 2013. Going back to the start, Kennedy was drafted at pick No.4 in 2005 by Carlton, before coming back to WA from 2008. Taylor was drafted by Geelong two years after Kennedy with pick No.17 in 2007. Kennedy formed part of the much-debated high-profile Chris Judd trade, which saw the premiership captain traded to Carlton and West Coast receiving the sharpshooter in return. His service to the Eagles put that debate to bed — in his 271 games in blue and gold Kennedy kicked 712 goals before retiring as the club’s record goal kicker in 2022. Kennedy won the Coleman Medal in 2015 and 2016. Kennedy said it was a “huge honour” to be inducted into the Hall of Fame among some familiar names. “When you start playing AFL, you don’t even think about being in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “I’m lucky enough to have my name etched with a lot of players that I played with and past players like Ian ‘Serge’ Miller, who was a fantastic mentor for me.” Taylor’s career got off to a flying start, recognised by Geelong as the club’s best first year player and featuring in the 2008 grand final side in his maiden season. Premiership success would follow when Geelong defeated St Kilda in 2009, with Taylor coming third in the Norm Smith Medal count after stifling Nick Riewoldt with a remarkable 15 spoils. For Taylor, who hung up the boots after 280 games in 2020, he said the induction was “very special” and “humbling”. “It’s something that you appreciate the older you get,” he told The West Australian. “It’s more for the people that have been there for me along the way. They’re the ones that I hope get to watch, get to read, get to hear about the fact that I’m in there, and I hope they feel the pride of just being able to do something for me along the way.” Fremantle midfielder David Mundy, Collingwood and Fremantle defender James Clement, West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui, Sandover medallist Phil Kelly and respected journalist Alan East were also inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame. Dual Eagles premiership player Peter Matera and East Fremantle centreman Ray Sorrell were elevated to Legend status on Monday night.