Kerry star Tadhg Kennelly may be set for a return to Aussie Rules full time next season.
The Listowel native travels to Australia next week to promote his autobiography and is likely to sit down with the Sydney Swans to discuss a possible return to the AFL.
He has not made any official announcement about his plans for next year, but the Irish Examiner reports that he has confided to friends that he will not be playing for Kerry next season.
Star forward Tommy Walsh has already signed with the St Kilda side in the AFL and David Moran is seeking to become his teammate there. The loss of Kennelly as well would be a hammer blow to Jack O’Connor’s side and their hopes of retaining Sam Maguire in 2010.
Kennelly’s contribution throughout the business end of the Championship this year won him an All-Ireland medal as well as an All Star. But the revelation in his autobiography, ‘Unfinished Business’ that he ‘targeted’ Cork’s Nicholas Murphy at the outset of the All-Ireland final caused furore.
The 28-year-old apologised unequivocally: ‘I wouldn’t go out to deliberately do anything to sully my father’s memory or the good name of Kerry football. And I never have. I’m not that type of footballer. I sincerely apologise to all Kerry supporters and the management team if I have in any way caused distress.’
It is unclear whether this controversy has prompted Kennelly to reconsider his future in Ireland, or whether the lure of the financial security that a new AFL contract would bring is too tempting to resist.
Swans coach Paul Roos says he will not try to persuade Kennelly to come back to his AFL side. Kennelly technically is still a member of the Swans’ squad and thus Roos can delay until 2 December before making a final decision.
Roos told the Irish Examiner: ‘It’s really up to Tadhg. The main thing is to make the decision himself. At the end of the day you’ve go to be happy with your own decision.’
