Rate a Season # 17 Tadhg Kennelly

[AnnieH]

Rate away ...

[Triple B]

6

Injuries crueled him to some extent. Had the odd good game, but didn't really play to his high standards IMHO.

[reigning premier]

Showed a bit in about two games. Was pretty average in most others and went missing entirely in some. Very poor year by Tadgh's standards though the impact of injuries is probably a lot more significant than anyone first guessed.

5.

[ShockOfHair]

5.
Ditto the above. He was well short of his 2004-06 form when he was one of our top four or five players. Let's hope he gets fixed over the summer.

[573v30]

6/10

What could've been a great season for Tadhg was adversely affected by a dodgy shoulder that kept popping out. Despite that, he still managed to play 22 games for the year, though at times he was better off out of the side.

Compared to his injury-riddled season last year, his disposals were up (avg. 18.6 disposals in 2008 vs. 16.8 in 2007) but down in marks (3.6 vs. 5.2) and tackles (1.6 vs. 1.9).

He did have some good games with 27 disposals against Fremantle, 3 25-possession games against St. Kilda, Western Bulldogs and West Coast and a couple of 24-possession games against Brisbane and Geelong. However, he's had some shockers where his dodgy shoulders affected how he played the game, he squibbed on several occasions in the backline and there were only a few instances where he used his run from the backline to his advantage.

Despite getting plenty of the ball, he needs to dispose it more effectively and an injury-free 2009 should result in his run from the backline without coughing it up to an opposition forward.

[ScottH]

6

Shoulder was firmly strapped on Friday night, so hopefully knee and shoulder issues are in the past.

[liz]

I thought he started the season brilliantly. Apart from the Port game, where Williams clearly focussed on keeping him out of the play (via a Kane Cornes tag), he was one of our liveliest in the first 3rd of the season. Against the Roos, he was the one that got things going in the final term and got the Swans back into a game that seemed to be slipping away.

The knee injury was the start of things going wrong. And although his shoulder problems were an issue with tackling and maybe marking as the season wore on, it was the post-season revelation that he was also suffering with groin problems that explained why the run wasn't there towards the end of the year.

It may be that his body won't ever let him play the way he once promised he might, when he got enough experience under his belt. But wouldn't it be great if the injury gods could smile kindly on him next year and let him have just one rip-roaring injury free year before he leaves us for pastures greener (and rainier).

[Lucky Knickers]

Whilst his start was ok, I felt that he didn't play with a lot of confidence in himself for a large part of the year. That's probably down to injury and knowing that any time he was in a contest he was going to come off second best.
I hope his last year with us makes us all weep with happiness in Round 26 (fingers crossed)

[BSA5]

6. Still a good contributor, but not his usual self. Injuries, and the thought of more injuries (who could blame him for not going in as hard as usual when his shoulder pops out in his sleep), held him back. Not bad, but not great.

[2005]

Rating : 7

Hard to rate , simply due to him carrying a knee early on and his shoulder pretty much all year. Admired his commitment to playing though and giving what he could which was pretty much 60% and still played some OK footy.

[AnnieH]

I gave him 8 'cause he made sure his mum got tickets to the pope's mass.
He's a top bloke - can't understand a word he says - but a top bloke nonetheless!!