One of the club’s vice captains, Kelly has cemented himself as one of the classiest midfielders in the competition since being selected with the second pick in the 2013 AFL Draft. A smooth and composed midfielder originally from Victoria, Kelly made an immediate impact at the GIANTS, claiming the club’s Rising Star Award in his debut season of 2014. By his fourth season, Kelly had earned a place in the leadership group and taken his game to new heights, being named an All Australian and winning the 2017 Kevin Sheedy Medal as the GIANTS club champion. He added another Kevin Sheedy Medal in 2021, joining Lachie Whitfield as the only two-time winners of the award at that point. Kelly then co-captained the club in 2022 alongside Toby Greene and Stephen Coniglio, and in 2023, he was appointed vice-captain alongside Coniglio. While missing a host of games due to a calf injury, Kelly was still at his brilliant best throughout 2024, averaging 24.3 disposals, 3.6 tackles, and 3.1 clearances per game playing as both a genuine midfielder and on the wing. After an injury-interrupted 2025 season which restricted him to just 15 games, Kelly had off-season surgery to address an ongoing hip issue which will likely sideline him for the first half of the 2026 season.
