Tadhg Kennelly has decided to call time on his AFL career, as he bids to follow in his father’s footsteps by winning an All-Ireland with Kerry.
Explaining his decision, Kennelly told his team-mates ‘I want to go back home, to be with my family and to be fit enough to still play back at home.
‘It has been on my mind and making this decision is on par with me coming out here in the first place... it is a risk.
‘It has been a great ten years at the Sydney Swans and I want to thank everyone who has been involved in my career out here.
‘I remember how excited I was to play my first game.
‘To have achieved what I have, to have won a premiership with the best bunch of blokes, has just been amazing.
‘But I am hanging up the AFL boots and going back to be with my family.’
Sydney Swans expressed disappointment at losing Kennelly, but wished him success on his return to Ireland.
‘As a club we knew Tadhg was going to go at the end of this season and we accepted that and were respectful of Tadhg’s decision,’ coach Paul Roos said.
‘Based on the last two years and Tadhg's genuine concern for his body, the injury problems he has had with his groin, shoulders and knees, it has fast-tracked that decision by six months.
‘We have always known that family commitments back home and also a burning desire to play for his county Kerry and follow in the footsteps of his late father Tim Kennelly, would one day take him back.
‘We are totally supportive of Tadhg’s decision.
‘It has come six months before we thought it would but we completely understand that Tadhg wants to go back and have an impact.
‘His genuine fear is that if he got injured this year, as has been the case the last couple of years, he would never fulfil his ambition that he has long had and it would genuinely haunt him for the rest of his life.’
