Tadhg Kennelly is the only holder of both an AFL Premiership medallion and a Senior All-Ireland Championship medal, the two highest achievements in each sport. He left Ireland in 1999 and went down under to Australia, where be began his career with the Sydney Swans Aussie Rules team. 14 years on, he’s retired from playing but still works in the sport as an international talent coordinator. Tadhg is back home at the moment because he’s travelled here with the Australian AFL team, who came to play against Ireland on Saturday. Ireland came out on top with 57 – 35.
He told Breakfast how he first got into Aussie Rules and that he was offered a trial by AFL scouts who were on a trip to Ireland in search of talent. He said even though it wasn’t easy, it was about the professional lifestyle.
“It was about getting up in the morning, putting on your boots and being able to say that it’s your job. When I left I was an 18 year old. They gave me 40,000 a year… They gave me a car and accommodation. Yes it was appealing but it wasn’t down to finances, it was more about the adventure… “
Kennelly told Chris and Ivan how life isn’t always greener in Australia and that you’ve got to make it yourself and do research. He described the fear of getting a call in middle of the night from home with bad news. Sadly, he got that call from his brother with news of his father’s death.
"It was an instant hatred I got. You know I was 18 years of age when I left and at that stage I was 24 when my father passed away. I felt the country taking away 6 or 7 years of me getting to know my real father... As a young bloke you don’t really get that connection. It took me a few years to get over that actually.’
Tadhg gave his opinion on professionalism in the GAA and how he doesn’t think players within the association should be tested for drugs.
“I think you shouldn’t be testing an amateur footballer. If it’s their daily livelihood and it’s their professional lifestyle. Then you’re signing up to it. Amateur is not a professional lifestyle. You’re not getting paid to do the sport.’
Tadhg’s full interview can be heard here:
