This Tigers father-son prospect's football bloodlines run deepEligible to join Richmond as a father-son this year, Louis Kellaway's football bloodlines run deeper than just father Duncan
By Callum Twomey
afl.com.au
Sep 23, 2025
Louis Kellaway in action for Sturt in 2025. Picture: Cory Sutton/SANFLLOUIS Kellaway's football links on one side of his family are very well known. The son of former Tiger Duncan, he is eligible to join Richmond as a father-son at this year's draft. His uncle Andrew also played 172 games for the Tigers.
But Louis' football bloodlines also hold significance on his mum, Alexandra's, side, with his uncles former AFL players Nick and Ben Holland. Between his dad and uncles, Kellaway has 722 games of experience to lean on, and he does.
"Dad has been huge, especially this year. He helped set a few goals for me and obviously he knows what it's like to play at the level and go through the process," Kellaway told AFL.com.au.
"He told me about what I needed to do to get there and every week he has a bit of feedback pre-game depending on the opposition, and then after the game talks about what I did well and what I could work on. He's been a big influence.
"Ben Holland was at the Tiges with Dad, that's how my parents met, and my uncles are always interested to see how I'm going and how I'm faring, especially this year with a big under-18s year."
It has been a big under-18s year for Kellaway, who featured in South Australia's under-18 championships win mid-season and closed out his campaign with a win in Sturt's under-18 SANFL Grand Final earlier this month.
The midfielder's skills and ball use have stood out, and he gathered 17 disposals and a goal in the win over West Adelaide, closing out the year averaging 24 touches. Next month, he will test at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne as one of 13 prospects from South Australia making the trip.
"I wanted to show this year I could go with the best," he said.
"The big thing and our focus at the championships was to play for each other. From the start 'Bangers' (coach Tony Bamford) made that a real focus. We had our team phrase 'You plus me equals we'.
"We focused on that and played for each other and were less individual compared to years before and we made each other look better by winning games and playing selfless footy."
Louis Kellaway chases Tyson Gresham during South Australia's Marsh AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships clash against Vic Metro on June 8, 2025. Picture: AFL PhotosDuncan's influence has gone beyond just the on-field advice. Kellaway has been Adelaide's physio and rehab coach since 2012, having previously been at Geelong as physio post career. Louis doesn't get much special treatment at home – "He saves it for the players he reckons," he said – but a close hand for any physical preparation has also been a bonus in his draft season.
But his dad's role has also made for some challenging days in the stands when backing a team in Crows and Tigers battles.
"They're my two teams. I go for them unless they're playing other, so I'm always rooting for them," he said. "The 2017 Grand Final was a bit of a tough one… I think I was going for the Tigers as the underdogs."
Richmond has tracked Kellaway's progress closely, having had him at the club in recent years and had him train with it for a stint over the pre-season. The Tigers have had only two father-sons since 2003 – Patrick Naish in 2017 and Maurice Rioli jnr in 2020.
"It would obviously be really cool to play where Dad and a couple of my uncles played, but I have a really good understanding of the system and the Tiges have to do what's best for the club. I'd just be grateful for the opportunity to play anywhere and getting into the system would be really cool to see how I go at any club," Kellaway said.
"We went over as a family for Christmas and watched them train a couple of days and last year I went during the season before the Anzac Day Eve game, so that was pretty cool going in pre-game and seeing how they went about it in the season.
"At the very end of last year when the AFL Academy boys went out to the clubs I went out and did a week of pre-season and (Oakleigh Chargers prospect) Louis Emmett was at the club as well so that was really good."
Kellaway has had time to focus on his draft hopes, having graduated school last year and now begun a science degree at university. Like his cousin Campbell, who is tracking towards an Australian cricket debut as a promising batsman, Kellaway is hunting his own goal.
"I went down the science pathway because it's so broad, so I could get an understanding of what I wanted to do. It was between that and commerce and I went with the science pathway, so I am doing biology, a couple of geology and environmental subjects," he said.
"Now I'm looking ahead to the Combine and am preparing for that, and trying to live in the moment rather than thinking ahead about what the future holds too much."
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1428558/this-richmond-tigers-father-son-prospect-louis-kellaways-football-bloodlines-run-deep
