29 Facts About Stephen Kernahan

Stephen Scott Kernahan was born on 1 September 1963 and is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League and for the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League.

Stephen Kernahan played 16 State of Origin games for South Australia and gained selection as an All-Australian five times.

Stephen Kernahan later served for six years as president of the Carlton Football Club.

Stephen Kernahan is the son of South Australian football legend and Glenelg club champion and administrator Harry Kernahan, and the older brother of former Glenelg and Carlton player David Kernahan.

Stephen Kernahan attended Paringa Park Primary School in North Brighton and Brighton High School.

Stephen Kernahan became a licensed stockbroker and worked at the stock exchanges in Adelaide and then Melbourne throughout his football career.

Stephen Kernahan began his senior career with Glenelg in the South Australian National Football League at age 17 in 1981, and played 116 games, kicking 266 goals, and won three straight best and fairest awards.

Under the coaching of 1961 Magarey Medallist John Halbert, Stephen Kernahan was a member of Glenelg's losing Grand Final teams to Port Adelaide in 1981 and Norwood in 1982.

Stephen Kernahan was twice leading goal kicker for The Bays, in 1983 and 1984 and in 1985 he was awarded the Jack Oatey Medal as best on the ground in the club's premiership win over North Adelaide.

Stephen Kernahan played mostly at full-forward and was the Tigers' second ruckman behind Bays legend Peter Carey.

Stephen Kernahan was signed by Carlton in the Victorian Football League in 1981, but he didn't move to the club until 1986 due to his ambition to play in a premiership with his best mates at Glenelg.

The anticipation of Stephen Kernahan's arrival was heightened when he played State of Origin games for South Australia and his outstanding play, usually at full-forward, saw those in Victoria take notice.

In 1983, Stephen Kernahan was a member of the South Australian side which defeated Victoria in Adelaide for the first time in 18 years.

Stephen Kernahan kicked 10 goals in a losing side against Victoria at Football Park in Adelaide in 1984, winning the Fos Williams Medal as South Australia's player of the match.

Stephen Kernahan was a mainstay of the South Australian state of origin teams throughout his careers at Glenelg and Carlton, playing a total of sixteen games for the Croweaters, winning a second Fos Williams Medal in 1988, and captaining the team in 1996.

In only his second season at the club, Stephen Kernahan was made club captain.

Stephen Kernahan became widely regarded for his leadership as captain, with former club chief executive Ian Collins describing him as "on and off the field, the greatest leader [Carlton] has ever had".

Stephen Kernahan won his first of three club best and fairest awards that season.

In Round 2,1993, against Essendon, Stephen Kernahan had another shot after the siren to win the game.

Stephen Kernahan won another two club best and fairest awards in 1989 and 1992, and he continued to win the club goalkicking annually, with his highest total of 83 goals coming in 1992.

Stephen Kernahan was selected in the All-Australian team in 1992 and 1994.

Stephen Kernahan led Carlton to the 1993 Grand Final against Essendon, which the club lost badly despite Kernahan's seven goals.

Two years later, Stephen Kernahan led the club to the 1995 premiership, kicking five goals in the Grand Final against Geelong.

Stephen Kernahan was selected as an All-Australian five times: three times when the team was selected based on interstate carnival performances and twice when the team was selected based on AFL performances.

Stephen Kernahan is a Carlton and AFL life member, and he has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame and the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Stephen Kernahan is regarded as one of the greatest players in Carlton Football Club history.

Stephen Kernahan was centre half-forward and captain of the club's Team of the Century, he was made a Legend of the Carlton Football Club Hall of Fame in 1997, and as part of the club's sesquicentennial celebrations in 2014 he was named the second-greatest player in the club's history, behind only John Nicholls.

Stephen Kernahan served as president for six years before stepping aside in June 2014.

Stephen Kernahan then handed over his position as president of the club to Mark LoGiudice.