Tadhg Kennelly

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**Tadhg Kennelly**
Personal Info
Birth	July 1, 1981, Ireland
Recruited from	County Kerry (Gaelic Football)
Height/Weight	190cm / 86kg
Playing Career¹
Debut	Round 14, July 8, 2001, Sydney Swans vs. Carlton, at Sydney Cricket Ground
Team(s)	Sydney Swans (2001-) 101 games, 27 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season
Career Highlights
International Rules Series 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 (representing Ireland) Premiership player 2005

Tadhg Kennelly (born 1 July 1981) is a former Gaelic football player from Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland, who is now a backline Australian rules football player for the Sydney Swans, in the AFL. He is the son of Tim Kennelly, a former champion footballer with Kerry. His name is persistently mis-spelt in Australia as Tadgh.

The Irishman continues to amaze, with considerable improvement from season to season. After his debut in 2001 (following elevation from the rookie list), he now is a permanent in the Sydney line-up as a dashing rebound defender. Highly skilled, he was second (behind Leo Barry) for rebounds (77) from the defensive 50-metre arc in 2004.

Kennelly became the first Irishman to win an AFL premiership medal in 2005, after playing all 26 games for the Sydney Swans that year. The hype surrounding Kennelly's appearance in the AFL Grand Final was so much that Network Ten sent out its usual game-day boundary rider, Andrew Maher, over to County Kerry to visit Tadhg's family for the week and watch the Grand Final with them. Upon receiving his premiership medallion, Kennelly performed a brief Irish jig on stage.

In December 2005, Kennelly's father Tim died suddenly at age 51. Kennelly has always expressed a desire to return home to Ireland and leave the AFL, he has indicated a desire to emulate the success of his father and win an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal with his native County Kerry. It is believed his father's death may have some bearing on that decision.

On the last day of August, 2006, Tadhg Kennelly ended months of speculation by announcing he would be staying on with the Swans for a further 3 years. This new 3 year contract will have supporters breathing a sigh of relief, not yet ready to say their goodbyes to the loveable Irishman. Kennelly says this will be his last AFL contract and will be returning to Ireland to live at the end of the three year contract.