Tadhg Kennelly
2001-2008; 2010-2011
197 games
30 goals
Premiership Player 2005

How does it come to be that an Irish boy who'd never played Australian rules football, never even watched a game, joins the Sydney Swans—15,000 km from home? According to former Swans recruitment manager Ric Barham, it took much persistence. The Kennellys owned a pub in Listowel, and when Barham called, he'd hear the barman call to Tadhg's mum, "Nuala, it's that man from Australia again; he wants to take your son away."

The prospect of playing professional sport had always excited Kennelly. At 15, he signed a three-year contract with the English football club Blackburn Rovers. "I went over there, but I only lasted three months. It was pretty difficult for me as a fifteen-year-old, and I thought that was it."

Through benefactor Basil Sellers, the Swans initiated the Ron Barassi Scholarship, aimed at recruiting international talent. After viewing Kennelly's talents in an Under 17 International Rules match, Barham pursued the young Kerryman as its inaugural recipient. But, Tadhg's dad, Tim, had won five All-Ireland Gaelic Football championships with Kerry—a legend of the sport—and his older brother Noel had just debuted for Kerry too. It was taken as an article of faith in Listowel that Tadhg would follow suit.

However, armed with a supreme sense of ambition and adventure, Kennelly took the two-year scholarship and joined the Swans as the ninth selection in the 1999 AFL Rookie Draft.

After boarding a plane for the first time, Kennelly arrived at the club in November '99. Swans Player Welfare Manager Phil Mullen met him at the airport, and Kennelly told him, "You know I'm not here for a holiday. I'm serious. I'm going to make it." That tenacity drove Kennelly his entire career, and Mullen describes him as one of the most determined people he's ever met.

He later enrolled at the University of NSW and set to work on his football. Assistant coach George Stone, known for his composed approach to teaching the game's fundamentals, took Kennelly under his wing. Stone outlined a set of objectives, and the pair agreed on what they'd call the 'patience, persistence, and perspiration clause'. To succeed, all parties needed clarity and accountability.

"George truly was a father figure," Kennelly recalled. "His ability to understand what I was going through, but also what made me tick, and how to challenge and motivate me, was enormous. He put so much time and effort into me. I still have that agreement we signed, I've framed it, and I still look at it occasionally because a big part of my journey was that first relationship with George."

After spending the 2000 season developing his craft in the reserves and prioritising his kicking skills, Kennelly travelled home on his end-of-season leave, arriving in time to watch Noel win an All-Ireland championship with County Kerry. He returned to play in a pre-season match against Collingwood, excelling in his first taste of senior football. Kennelly followed Stuart Maxfield's lead at training and quickly earned his teammates' respect.

Elevated from the rookie list early in the 2001 season, Kennelly waited patiently for a Round 14 debut against Carlton at the SCG. He woke his parents at 4am with the news, and from that point, his life changed. Tadhg’s mum Nuala arrived the morning of the game, and watched on as her son impressed in the Swans' 10-point win, after which Stone sprinted onto the ground to embrace his Irish protégée.

Kennelly played eight games, and the first of his 18 finals, to finish the '01 campaign filled with confidence. During the upheaval of the Swans' 2002 season, Kennelly mainly played wing or half-forward. When Paul Roos took over from Rodney Eade, he designed to play Kennelly off a half-back flank. As a junior athlete, Kennelly showed great promise as a runner, and the new coach wanted speed and creativity in his defensive line. It proved to be a masterstroke.

He played every game in 2003, and Sydney played a preliminary final against Brisbane at Stadium Australia. Although their season ended there, the Swans had become one of the AFL's best teams, building a reputation as a ruthless, uncompromising opponent. Roos' coaching philosophies empowered the players, who felt ready to challenge.

In 2004, Kennelly's progression continued, with his superior run and carry creating significant headaches for opposition coaches and players alike. During the stand-alone midseason clash with Collingwood, he surged past a group of Magpies defenders to kick the match-winning goal in a brilliant one-point victory.

The Sydney Swans played exceptional football during the 2005 season following a sluggish start. After a pulsating finals series, they reached the Grand Final against West Coast. Kennelly lapped up the traditions of Grand Final week in Melbourne and felt mainly in control. Kennelly recalled, "Every man in red and white had a trait that made him special and the team better. I knew that I didn't want to let any of the boys down, and I could guarantee that was the same way they felt. It was the Bloods way."

In the most dramatic circumstances, the Swans claimed their first premiership in 72 years by four points, as Leo Barry soared across a pack of players, including Kennelly, to take his famous match-winning mark. At the final siren, Kennelly—one of his team's best—jubilantly jumped on Barry's back.

Kennelly had just become the first Irishman to win an AFL premiership. In his autobiography, Unfinished Business, he describes the moments before accepting his premiership medallion. "Just before I walked through the maze of people to get to the stage, I told Nic Fosdike about my plan. He smiled and gave me a high-five. It was the perfect message to send home to everyone watching in Ireland."

"Once the medal was placed around my neck, I turned and looked around at the 91,828 people in the stadium and started dancing—doing an Irish jig just like I would if I was home in Listowel."

Once the celebrations subsided, Kennelly returned to Ireland with his mum and dad, greeted by thousands of adoring fans in his hometown. Tragically, he'd return just a few months later under very different circumstances after the sudden death of his beloved father, Tim.

Returning to Australia, Kennelly immersed himself in football. The Swans again qualified for the Grand Final in 2006, with the Eagles eagerly awaiting a re-match. This time, West Coast claimed the flag with a one-point victory. A critical cog in the Swans machine, Kennelly was now part of the club's leadership group.

After bravely fighting homesickness for years, Kennelly returned to Ireland following the 2008 AFL season. After 10 years in Sydney, the time was right to chase one last footballing dream—to win an All-Ireland championship with 'The Kingdom of Kerry'. He achieved that lifelong goal when Kerry defeated Cork in the 2009 All-Ireland Final, joining his dad and brother as national champions. Kennelly's trademark jig made a second victorious appearance.

Kennelly returned to Sydney and played the 2010 and 2011 seasons before retiring at 30 after 197 games in red and white. Paul Roos once said he’d choose Kennelly alongside Brett Kirk as the two most determined players he'd ever seen. John Longmire said, "He was incredibly driven to succeed. People saw Tadhg's outgoing, upbeat personality, but behind that was a steely resolve to be the very best player he could be."

Tadhg Kennelly’s is one of the great sporting stories. The first footballer to win an AFL premiership and an All-Ireland championship, he gave Swans supporters untold joy. The club recognised Kennelly's outstanding career with induction into the Swans Hall of Fame in 2015.

"To be part of such an incredible football club and to have made a small impact on reshaping its trajectory is something I'm extremely proud of," Kennelly said. "The club has been so good to me over such a long period of time, and I'll always be a Swan."