After five AFL Grand Finals[1] and a then-record 495 games, Kennedy announced his retirement on 10 August 2011.
Kennedy completed his secondary schooling at St. Bernard's College, Melbourne[3] where he previously taught as a Physical Education and a maths teacher.
Kennedy had his Australian Football League umpiring debut in 1988, officiating a game between North Melbourne and Carlton.
Both Kennedy and Cook had been field umpires together on the cadet squad at the beginnings of their careers and both reached the pinnacle of achievement on the same day having followed very different paths.
[7] In 2006 he umpired the match between St Kilda and Fremantle, along with Matthew Nicholls and Michael Vozzo, where the officials missed the full-time siren.