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

[msb]

Massive news. The picture is building and it?s starting to look same same as 2005 but different.

Mal (back to full flight), Mattner, Teddy, Shaw, Tadhg, (excepting LRT) will be ominous force to be reckoned with - with all this run out of the backline we won't need a midfield. ROK will therefore be able to concentrate on playing out wide but up forward. The flood will return but it will be a forward line flood ie rather than kicking the ball long to a 50/50 contest the Swans will run the ball long with all the backline run into a packed inside 50m. I?m already expecting Tadhg and Roos to be doing a joint jig at the MCG come the last week of September.

Oh how I wish that to be true!

[caj23]

A fit Tadhg is easily in our best 22 so I don't see what all of the angst is about. Even in 2008 when his shoulder was falling off his form still warranted a spot in the team.

[Captain]

Awesome news. Hopefully this means Shaw can move to a wing.

[Jeffers1984]

Awesome news. Hopefully this means Shaw can move to a wing.

I'm more hoping Mattner is released for this role. Those long racking left footers down the wing of the SCG to J-dubb or Bradshaw would be awesome.

[goswannie14]

I'm more hoping Mattner is released for this role. Those long racking left footers down the wing of the SCG to J-dubb or Bradshaw would be awesome.

I was thinking the same thing.

[pinkemu]

After bagging him for the last 12mths, looks like I'll have to suck it up and say I was wrong. If this was the plan all along, i.e. to let him go fulfill his ambition to win a Premiership in Ireland and then return to Sydney, well done to the Swans and Tadhg. Still not haoppy with him leaving us a player short this year but in hindsight, probably made no difference anyway. Provided he's fit and commited, this could be the biggest signing of the off season. I'll certainly welcome him back with open arms.

Nice one RP. It's always refreshing to see such honesty.

Welcome back Tadhg.

[timthefish]

If he plays like @@@@, I won't be happy.

planning to carry on a bit with an assessment in hindsight are you? good for you.

as with every seasoned player, there is risk but kennelly is worth the punt. he's effectively had a rehab year to recover from chronic injury and will hopefully return with some physical restoration and great emotional enrichment. considering the year we just had, the break may be most fortuitous.

i'm backing him to be hitting top form by the middle of the year and bringing in just a bit more that he will have learnt from playing his native game at the top level.

[Cheer Squad]

Why the obsession with youth? You need the right balance to be competitive. We've got a lot of promising youngsters and we just picked up another three during the trade period. We'll add a few more at the National Draft. A 28 year old Kennelly or a punt on a kid late in a shallow and compromised draft? Absolute no brainer.

I could not be any happier with the club at the moment.

I agree with you about the need for a balanced team. I just don't think Kennelly will bring the balance we need. The harsh reality is that he's injury prone and was unreliable in his last couple of years with us. I think he is past his prime and we are better off developing someone else.

[Cheer Squad]

planning to carry on a bit with an assessment in hindsight are you? good for you.

as with every seasoned player, there is risk but kennelly is worth the punt. he's effectively had a rehab year to recover from chronic injury and will hopefully return with some physical restoration and great emotional enrichment. considering the year we just had, the break may be most fortuitous.

i'm backing him to be hitting top form by the middle of the year and bringing in just a bit more that he will have learnt from playing his native game at the top level.

Talk about laying it on with a trowel!

[CJK]

Thank god this saga is over.

Welcome back Mick Boy, your procrastination better be worth it.

[Kirkari]

Fantastic! Love the Tiger!!

[timthefish]

Talk about laying it on with a trowel!

yeah, a bit overblown now that i read it back but he has achieved his lifetime ambition and resolved a few important issues that were connected to his emotional core so i don't think i was too far off the mark.

[AnnieH]

planning to carry on a bit with an assessment in hindsight are you? good for you.

as with every seasoned player, there is risk but kennelly is worth the punt. he's effectively had a rehab year to recover from chronic injury and will hopefully return with some physical restoration and great emotional enrichment. considering the year we just had, the break may be most fortuitous.

i'm backing him to be hitting top form by the middle of the year and bringing in just a bit more that he will have learnt from playing his native game at the top level.

He hasn't "effectively had a year to recover from chronic injury". He played gaelic footy for that year. Might not be as rough and tumble as AFL, but he still played ... he didn't take a year off to "rest".

I'm backing him to be injured and out by Round 6.

I'd be happy to eat my words if I have to, but don't pull out the salt and pepper just yet.

[Damien]

How many games did he miss in 2008? I never remember things like that. I think his year off playing an amateur sport but still at a very high level would have done him wonders.

By the way, I predict at least one Swans player will be injured next year at some point of the Season or Preseason. Can't wait to play I told you so with you all.

[dimelb]

He hasn't "effectively had a year to recover from chronic injury". He played gaelic footy for that year. Might not be as rough and tumble as AFL, but he still played ... he didn't take a year off to "rest".

I'm backing him to be injured and out by Round 6.

I'd be happy to eat my words if I have to, but don't pull out the salt and pepper just yet.

I didn't want him to rest. He's done lots of running, no tackling or being tackled, is not soft and is highly motivated. He'll do OK.