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Tadhg decides to add gold to green
13 March 2004 Herald Sun
By REBECCA WILLIAMS
SWAN Tadhg Kennelly admits the move has the potential to create a selection dilemma for the next International Rules Series.
As of this week, the Irishman will have a foot planted in both camps when he takes out Australian citizenship.
The 22-year-old will be naturalised in a ceremony outside the Sydney Opera House on Monday as part of the national Harmony Day launch.
Coach Paul Roos and teammates Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin will join him at the ceremony.
Kennelly said he would always "have Irish in me", but felt the time was right to officially become an Australian after almost five years Down Under.
"I haven't told a whole lot of people yet at home because I'll cop a bit of flak early on," Kennelly said.
"But I'm pretty proud of it. I've been here four or five years and just settled into the lifestyle.
"I might go home with a bit of an Aussie twang now and they'll say, 'You sound like one of them' and I'll be able to say, 'I am actually one of them, now'."
But Kennelly is not quite sure where he will stand for the next International Rules Series.
"That will be strange," he said.
"It all depends who I'm selected for. If I'm selected for Ireland, I'll play for Ireland. If I'm selected for Australia, I'll play for Australia.
"But it would be strange to go back to Ireland playing for Australia. I don't think that would go down too well.
"I don't know if I'd be doing that."
In the tradition of former Melbourne champion Jim Stynes, Kennelly's development as an AFL footballer after adopting the game at a late age has been a great success story.
Kennelly clocked up his 50th game for Sydney last year, averaging more than 15 disposals a game, and finished seventh in the club's best-and-fairest.
His drive out of defence was one of the keys to the Swans' success in 2003.
But the attacking half-back flanker said he still had plenty more to learn.
"To a certain degree I'm on a par, but obviously I'm still a bit behind everyone else," Kennelly said.
"Obviously they've been playing the game since they were eight or nine years of age. So I've still got a lot of learning to do.
"That's the thing I always look at, I've still got a lot of improvement and that's not going to stop throughout my career.
"I'm always going to keep learning and that's going to help me be a better footballer."
Kennelly originally planned to spend two years in Australia, but it didn't take long for him to settle in at the Swans -- and to the lifestyle.
"I think at the time I decided I would come over for two years, learn the game and go home after two years," he said.
"Things change. You get a feel for the boys, get a bit of respect for the team. You actually fit into the place.
"And the variety of foods . . . at home it's just spuds, spuds, spuds."
But don't expect Kennelly to start singing Advance Australia Fair just yet.
"At a couple of games, I actually tried to sing the Irish national anthem to myself while the Australian anthem was going on," Kennelly said.
"I'll have a crack at learning it, but we'll see how we go."
The AFL will distribute Harmony Day ribbons to spectators at tonight's Wizard Cup final, and players will shake hands with the umpires before the match to mark the occasion.
13 March 2004 Herald Sun
By REBECCA WILLIAMS
SWAN Tadhg Kennelly admits the move has the potential to create a selection dilemma for the next International Rules Series.
As of this week, the Irishman will have a foot planted in both camps when he takes out Australian citizenship.
The 22-year-old will be naturalised in a ceremony outside the Sydney Opera House on Monday as part of the national Harmony Day launch.
Coach Paul Roos and teammates Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin will join him at the ceremony.
Kennelly said he would always "have Irish in me", but felt the time was right to officially become an Australian after almost five years Down Under.
"I haven't told a whole lot of people yet at home because I'll cop a bit of flak early on," Kennelly said.
"But I'm pretty proud of it. I've been here four or five years and just settled into the lifestyle.
"I might go home with a bit of an Aussie twang now and they'll say, 'You sound like one of them' and I'll be able to say, 'I am actually one of them, now'."
But Kennelly is not quite sure where he will stand for the next International Rules Series.
"That will be strange," he said.
"It all depends who I'm selected for. If I'm selected for Ireland, I'll play for Ireland. If I'm selected for Australia, I'll play for Australia.
"But it would be strange to go back to Ireland playing for Australia. I don't think that would go down too well.
"I don't know if I'd be doing that."
In the tradition of former Melbourne champion Jim Stynes, Kennelly's development as an AFL footballer after adopting the game at a late age has been a great success story.
Kennelly clocked up his 50th game for Sydney last year, averaging more than 15 disposals a game, and finished seventh in the club's best-and-fairest.
His drive out of defence was one of the keys to the Swans' success in 2003.
But the attacking half-back flanker said he still had plenty more to learn.
"To a certain degree I'm on a par, but obviously I'm still a bit behind everyone else," Kennelly said.
"Obviously they've been playing the game since they were eight or nine years of age. So I've still got a lot of learning to do.
"That's the thing I always look at, I've still got a lot of improvement and that's not going to stop throughout my career.
"I'm always going to keep learning and that's going to help me be a better footballer."
Kennelly originally planned to spend two years in Australia, but it didn't take long for him to settle in at the Swans -- and to the lifestyle.
"I think at the time I decided I would come over for two years, learn the game and go home after two years," he said.
"Things change. You get a feel for the boys, get a bit of respect for the team. You actually fit into the place.
"And the variety of foods . . . at home it's just spuds, spuds, spuds."
But don't expect Kennelly to start singing Advance Australia Fair just yet.
"At a couple of games, I actually tried to sing the Irish national anthem to myself while the Australian anthem was going on," Kennelly said.
"I'll have a crack at learning it, but we'll see how we go."
The AFL will distribute Harmony Day ribbons to spectators at tonight's Wizard Cup final, and players will shake hands with the umpires before the match to mark the occasion.