Is Tadhg kennelly coming back to the swans? YES HE IS!

[Lofty]

Does anyone know

Does anyone know definatly is Tadgh Kennelly coming back or not some have said yes some have said no can someone please give me an answer

[Matt79]

From the information provided thus far:

*He has finished playing Gaelic Football with Kerry.

* He is coming back to Australia in the coming weeks to market his book.

* He is yet to make a decision whether A) He will play AFL again and if so that the Swans are that team or B) Return to Ireland.


This is what I gather, we wait and see...

[ScottH]

Does anyone know definatly is Tadhg Kennelly coming back or not some have said yes some have said no can someone please give me an answer

He IS coming back, allegedly.
He will decide how when where why Monday, tomorrow. Allegedly

[BSA5]

i wonder why they want Tag for only one season ?

I also wonder how many top4 teams would Malceski, Bevan, LRT and Mattner start in ?

LRT and Mattner would start in any side's backline (for St. Kilda, LRT> Zac Dawson, Mattner>Baker). Malceski in top form would start in any side (it's just a question of whether he'll ever regain that form, but he's certainly worth persevering with, most players have shoddy years after a knee reco), Bevan in 2008 form would be in most sides (not on 2009 form though).

[The Big Cat]

Contrary to Irish reports there is no offer from St Kilda

Kennelly yet to decide, despite Irish reports - RFNews - theage.com.au

[Auntie.Gerald]

LRT and Mattner would start in any side's backline (for St. Kilda, LRT> Zac Dawson, Mattner>Baker). Malceski in top form would start in any side (it's just a question of whether he'll ever regain that form, but he's certainly worth persevering with, most players have shoddy years after a knee reco), Bevan in 2008 form would be in most sides (not on 2009 form though).

Im sure most Saints supporters would have glady traded LRT and Mattner in 2009??

........geese BSA5 you and I are are too cut and dry and a little sensational in our claims.......that is a corker !

Mal is fantastic if he recovers to pre knee but he hasnt yet.....lets hope

Bev is handy but no really a top 4 team starter week in week out methinks

[BSA5]

Im sure most Saints supporters would have glady traded LRT and Mattner in 2009??

........geese BSA5 you and I are are too cut and dry and a little sensational in our claims.......that is a corker !

Mal is fantastic if he recovers to pre knee but he hasnt yet.....lets hope

Bev is handy but no really a top 4 team starter week in week out methinks

Any team would be glad to have LRT and Mattner. Mattner wasn't quite as involved on the counter-attack this year, but his defensive game improved markedly (at times even playing as an undersized KPD, though this was rare and only in a pinch). LRT enjoyed career-best form this year, and despite a couple of poor games (his Brissy game, Rd 3 I think, was one, and I think he had another shocker at some point), was very, very good. Certainly better than Zac Dawson, who was OK but received more recognition because of how maligned he was before this season.

I agree, let's hope on Mal. His best is worth a bit of patience.

Typical Bevan isn't a top 4 starter week in week out. Confident, fit, secure Bevan is. Unfortunately, we've only seen one full year of this sort of Bevan, 2008, with just flashes of potential amidst what is mainly fairly ordinary football for the rest. Not really arguing with you on this point, but he's got enough in him that he could still be a very good player.

I think sometimes people forget just how closely matched each team is. I'd be tempted to say that the top 15 players from each team would make just about any other team's best 22.

[Primmy]

Any team would be glad to have LRT and Mattner.

Typical Bevan isn't a top 4 starter week in week out. Confident, fit, secure Bevan is. Unfortunately, we've only seen one full year of this sort of Bevan, 2008, with just flashes of potential amidst what is mainly fairly ordinary football for the rest. Not really arguing with you on this point, but he's got enough in him that he could still be a very good player.

I think sometimes people forget just how closely matched each team is. I'd be tempted to say that the top 15 players from each team would make just about any other team's best 22.

Some very good points here BSA. The growth rate of LRT in 2009 was outstanding, Mattner keeps doing his job and turns out that he can kick an unexpected goal on the run. As for Mal, he is always going to be a gun, its just not been properly loaded recently. But he did get 2nd B&F in 2007 so the talents there, its just going to take a bit of time. He is a good one. As for Bevo, I think people forget some of his acrobatic saves and uncompromising tackles that have highlighted his career. Not everyone is given the task of taking towering marks or kicking impossible goals.

It seems from a few of these posts that the opinions of the Melbourne media are the only ones that count which is not valid as they don't rate the Swans unless they forced to. You only have to listen to some of the discriminatory commentary to work that out, although I admit this year the parroting of the same old bleat about Sydney being a boring team was continually tempered with "this is a great game". They must have been given a hard line directive to do so. But if you believe all that the media have dished out about the Swans then we wouldn't won the GF in 2005, we didn't murder Port in 2003, and we would finish bottom of the pile in 2006 (What on Earth Was that about!!!). It appears to be a continued source of amazement that we have missed the top eight only once in seven (?) years. Almost an affront. But that's the media, and the fairly horrid callers of the game. You have to make your own assessment.

My assessment is that we have some fantastic players, we have some great players, we have some mid range players that are sometimes great. Fairly even across the board of the AFL club ranks I would think. So why would the guns be locked and loaded? Doesn't make sense to me.

[caj23]

Bev is handy but no really a top 4 team starter week in week out methinks

Admittedly a few years back, but he was good enough to be a regular starter in a premiership team

[AnnieH]

Little birdy says yes.

[reigning premier]

Some very good points here BSA. The growth rate of LRT in 2009 was outstanding, .........

Yeah... All those uncontested posessions as a loose man in defence certainly helps pad those stats nicely. I can see why he'd appear to be a much better player to some.

[liz]

Little birdy says yes.

Was starting to get worried about Little Birdy because he'd been very quiet over the past few days.

[BSA5]

Yeah... All those uncontested posessions as a loose man in defence certainly helps pad those stats nicely. I can see why he'd appear to be a much better player to some.

Firslt, I personally haven't looked too closely at his stats this year (he's one of the few). He's always tended to pick up a few loose possessions. He regularly beat his opponent (he usually played as the second defender, only occasionally was he played loose), and showed great composure down back, which is why people were impressed with him this year.

Secondly, just having a look at some stats now, 30% of LRT's possessions were contested. For a KPD, those are good figures.

Also, when playing as a key position defender, uncontested possessions are nothing to be sneezed at. They reflect an ability to peel off your man at the right time to hurt on the counter attack, something which LRT has improved on IMMENSELY from late 08 (not just finding the ball, but his decision making and confidence too). He used to occasionally get caught out trying to do this. He is great at it now. Not "Dusin Fletcher great", but still pretty good.

[reigning premier]

Firslt, I personally haven't looked too closely at his stats this year (he's one of the few). He's always tended to pick up a few loose possessions. He regularly beat his opponent (he usually played as the second defender, only occasionally was he played loose), and showed great composure down back, which is why people were impressed with him this year.

Secondly, just having a look at some stats now, 30% of LRT's possessions were contested. For a KPD, those are good figures.

Also, when playing as a key position defender, uncontested possessions are nothing to be sneezed at. They reflect an ability to peel off your man at the right time to hurt on the counter attack, something which LRT has improved on IMMENSELY from late 08 (not just finding the ball, but his decision making and confidence too). He used to occasionally get caught out trying to do this. He is great at it now. Not "Dusin Fletcher great", but still pretty good.

No doubt, he played with a lot more composure and his decision making and general disposal were much better. Nonetheless, more often than not, he was playing uncontested football and without a direct opponent.

[hammo]

I think sometimes people forget just how closely matched each team is. I'd be tempted to say that the top 15 players from each team would make just about any other team's best 22.

Really? I doubt we'd get more than a half a dozen players into the Geelong or St Kilda sides.