But for Nick Malceski, who himself underwent knee reconstruction surgery in 2004, the image of Kennelly’s agony was a stark reminder of his own injury.
"I was right next to Tadhg when it happened and I was just yelling out to the bench to come and put his knee back in because I looked at it and it didn’t look to good," Malceski says.
"It just made me feel ill, having been through it. I was just hoping that it wasn’t too serious and thankfully it isn’t."
Malceski was recruited from the Eastern Rangers in the 2002 AFL Draft. After a successful first season with the reserves, the club was confident that he would make his senior debut in 2004. A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, sustained during a trial game in Canberra, ended any such hope.
"I just remember getting up (after it happened) and it felt really weak. I was just hobbling around and my knee was giving way," Malceski says.
"I didn’t know what it was until the next day because we didn’t have a club doctor there, so it was another doctor. He knew but didn’t tell me. The next day I found out and I was just shattered that I was out for the year."
The 22-year-old says that although recovery is tough, you can use it to your advantage.
"It does mentally get to you because you’re watching the boys play every week and you’re going to training every week and you really just want to be out there. I think it just really motivated me to push myself and try and do the best I could.
"I guess the year I did have off I learned a lot because I was helping out the twos (reserves) and sitting in the coaches box, and I think just from general knowledge of the game and what the Swans wanted as a collective group, I learned a lot. I think it did put me in good stead for the next year."
In 2005 Malceski made his comeback and was rewarded with a senior debut. He played four matches in the 2005 premiership season and scored his first career goal. However, 2006 saw his season being interrupted by injury again.
He played his first game for the seniors in round three, and was presented with a new guernsey, No.9. It wasn’t always a lucky number though. It was in the ninth round that Malceski injured his hamstring.
“Having a serious injury does make you stronger. When I did my hamstring I looked at it as a positive rather than a negative. Obviously I’d done my hamstring and I was going to miss games. But I just thought this is just a small injury, and I’ll be back in a few weeks and that definitely kept me strong through rehab,” Malceski says.
This year, thankfully has gone uninterrupted so far. The talented midfielder has played all five games and his speed and accuracy off half-back has seen him record several standout performances – none more so than at the weekend when he recorded a season high of 28 possessions and 12 marks.
He even features in this week’s afl.com.au team of the week.
However, Malceski says he’s just glad to be injury free and playing football on a consistent basis.
"Because I have had an injury I do enjoy every game and every opportunity I get and that the coaching staff gives me. I go out there and give it my all every week, because the footy club has done so much for me and I just want to pay them back."
