32 Facts About Tadhg Kennelly

Tadhg Kennelly was born on 1 July 1981 and is an Irish-Australian former international sportsperson turned recruiter and coach.

Tadhg Kennelly is most known for his top-level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football being the first holder of both an AFL Premiership medallion and a Senior All-Ireland Championship medal, the highest-possible team-based achievement in both sports.

Tadhg Kennelly has represented Ireland in the International Rules Series.

Tadhg Kennelly is best known in Australia as the first Irish-born player to have received an AFL Premiership medallion and the first AFL player to represent Ireland against Australia in the International Rules Series.

Tadhg Kennelly returned to his native Listowel to play in the 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Tadhg Kennelly was born in Listowel in 1981 to mother Nuala and father Tim Tadhg Kennelly, a former All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner with the Kerry county team.

Tadhg Kennelly grew up playing Gaelic football and was recognised as a highly talented underage player in Kerry GAA.

Tadhg Kennelly was scouted by a number of English soccer teams, including Tranmere Rovers and West Brom, and had underage trials for the Irish national team before being recruited by Blackburn Rovers.

Tadhg Kennelly first played with the Kerry minor team in 1997 when he won a Munster Minor Football Championship, overcoming Limerick.

Tadhg Kennelly was underage again in 1998 and won a second Munster MFC title after another win over Limerick.

Tadhg Kennelly missed out on three in a row in 1999, as Cork took the title.

Tadhg Kennelly won a Munster Under-21 Football Championship title after overcoming Cork in the final.

Tadhg Kennelly made a return to the under-21 team in 2002, lining out in the All-Ireland semi-final loss to Galway.

Tadhg Kennelly earned an AFL Rising Star nomination in Round 19 of 2002, consolidating his reputation as an upcoming young talent.

Tadhg Kennelly was second for rebounds from the defensive 50-metre arc in 2004.

Tadhg Kennelly became the first Irishman to win an AFL Premiership medal in 2005, after playing all 26 games for the Sydney Swans that year, including his 100th AFL game in the Preliminary Final against St Kilda.

Tadhg Kennelly was reportedly earning an annual salary of $750,000 while playing for the Sydney Swans.

In 2007 and 2008, after several seasons missing only a handful of games, Tadhg Kennelly suffered a series of serious leg and shoulder injuries which became major setbacks to his AFL career.

Tadhg Kennelly's knee buckled from a heavy tackle from the Melbourne Demons' Byron Pickett, causing an anterior cruciate ligament tear and seeing him miss several matches, including later matches due to complications.

Tadhg Kennelly was selected in the Dream Team for the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match, but he later withdrew due to injury.

Tadhg Kennelly was quick to recover and made an appearance for the Swans the following week, though again succumbed to the injury curse.

On several occasions during his AFL career, Tadhg Kennelly had expressed a desire to return home to Ireland and leave the AFL, as he wanted to emulate the success of his father and win an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medal with his native county's team, Kerry.

On 31 August 2006, Tadhg Kennelly ended months of speculation by announcing he would be staying on with the Swans for a further three years.

Tadhg Kennelly said that this would be his last AFL contract and that he would be returning to Ireland at the end of the three-year contract.

Tadhg Kennelly played his first senior competitive game for the Kerry county team on 8 March 2009 when he came on as a substitute in the Irish NFL against Derry, and there was speculation that he would be a member of the Kerry squad for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Tadhg Kennelly went on to win an Irish NFL medal when Kerry defeated Derry in the final at Croke Park.

Tadhg Kennelly picked up an injury during the All-Ireland qualifier series, but his form continued to improve, and after an impressive appearance as a substitute in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Dublin, he broke into the starting team for the semi-final in which Kerry defeated Meath.

In November 2009, Tadhg Kennelly informed the Kerry County Board of his intention to return to the AFL in 2010.

On 12 November 2009, Tadhg Kennelly signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Swans, marking his return to the AFL.

Tadhg Kennelly was very consistent throughout the year, playing in his customary role off half-back.

Tadhg Kennelly played his final AFL game in Sydney's semi-final defeat at the hands of Hawthorn on 16 September 2011; he played 197 AFL games.

In October 2022 Tadhg Kennelly was appointed Academy coach of the Swans cross town rivals Greater Western Sydney Giants.