The Interview: Tadhg Kennelly (Page 2)
Were there people back home dark on you when you originally came out here?
Oh yeah. I come from a traditional family, and a very traditional game in Gaelic football. My line was to grow up, play under-age football, follow my dad’s footsteps, win an All-Ireland medal and that was it. My life was planned out for me. So, when I made the decision it was a shock to a lot of people. They were telling me ‘Don’t be stupid.’
When I eventually made it and started playing senior football, I kind of released how right the decision I made was. God, I put in a lot of hard work.
It’s changed me. At home, I relied on a lot my ability. My work ethic was nowhere near what it is here.
You reckon it was the dollars that people objected to?
People were telling me I sold my soul. Look, I’ll be brutally honest, it (the money) obviously had a lot to do with it. You get paid to kick around a football here, at home you don’t.
When your father passed away last year, how close were you to giving it away?
Extremely. Extremely close. I was home for about six to eight weeks when he passed away, and probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done was leave at the end of that.
I came back, and, um, I just didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to be training. I was turning up to training and wondering how my Mum was. I just wanted to get home. I was playing bad football and my head just wasn’t right.
Roosy (Sydney coach Paul Roos) gave me a good week off and said “Just take it easy, and if you want to go home, go home”. I decided not to go home, because it would have been too hard to leave again.
So I left the footy club, got away from people I know for a while, and I stuck it out. Thank God.
How was Roosy during all of that? I bet he was terrific…
Absolutely fantastic. He’s unbelievable. He’s got a wife, Tammy, who’s from America, so obviously he’d know her situation, where she’s left a lot of family and friends, so he’s got a good understanding. He’s a good man.
Page 2
| > | The interview: Anthony Mundine |
| > | The interview: Mark Ricciuto |
| > | The interview: Tadhg Kennelly |
| > | The interview: Craig Bellamy |
| > | The interview: Brian Waldron |
| > | The interview: Mark Geyer |
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