BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 16, 2006 16:29:52 GMT
Kennelly wants shot at Sam 16 May 2006
Tadgh Kennelly has given the biggest indication yet that he may be ready to come home to Kerry for good as homesickness and the prospect of winning an All-Ireland medal with his native county intensify.
The 24-year-old has yet to sign a new contract with Aussie rules side Sydney Swans and it is widely speculated that Kennelly is ready to pack in the game and return to Ireland for good.
Kennelly has gone through a torrid time since becoming the first Irishman to win a Premiership medal in Aussie Rules. Only a couple of months later, his father Tim passed away unexpectedly at the relatively young age of 51.
The former Kerry minor was given extended time off by the club, but when he returned to Sydney, a shoulder injury ruled him out of action for the first few rounds of matches.
However, Kennelly has now returned to action and is back to his best, although the lure of a return home to his family and the chance to don the Kerry colours is something that plays strong on his mind.
“It’s going to be a big decision when I finally decide, but I won’t make any rash decisions without talking to mum and my brother and sister,” said Tadgh.
“There will always be something missing if I don’t at least have a crack at winning an All-Ireland. I’ll never die a happy man if I at least don’t have a crack at it.”
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Jo90
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Post by Jo90 on May 16, 2006 17:22:41 GMT
He should stay on to make a few million which will set him up for life and then at 30 or 31 try and fulfill his dream of winning an All-Ireland with Kerry. He could be another Kieran McGeeney as far as longetivity is concerned with the professional training and diet he's on. He should wait until Darragh Ó Sé has retired before coming back anyway!
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Post by Tadhgeen on May 16, 2006 19:36:10 GMT
I'm sure Tadhg is thinking of Kerry and his family more and more since the untimely death of his father. It wouldn't surprise me if he did come home sooner rather than later. I'm not sure when his contract expires and when he might be available though?
There is more to life than money and sure can't he always go back to Sydney after a few trips to Croke Park and when he is reaching a respectable age .
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Post by stricin on May 16, 2006 23:19:33 GMT
His current contract expires at the end of the 2006 season. Cant see him going home for another three or four years. He is way too influential at Sydney for them to let him go. Its a pity but I think his future is in Australia at the moment.
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JOAN
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Post by JOAN on May 17, 2006 0:01:40 GMT
What ever he decides I wish him well. Would love to see him in the green and gold though
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Post by FatTom on May 17, 2006 8:23:06 GMT
Would be unreal at Full Forward or Midfield for us. Class act - can't wait to see him in the green and gold again at some stage.
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seamus
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Post by seamus on May 17, 2006 8:23:16 GMT
I thought i heard on the radio that he signed a new deal last week?
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Post by stricin on May 17, 2006 8:35:05 GMT
He has no deal signed yet. It was reported in the guardian newspaper that he had but there was no truth in it.
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Post by kerrygold on May 17, 2006 8:54:18 GMT
Tadgh would transform our attack at full forward this summer,the ultimate ball winner and distributer inside.If his club suffered the blues trying to retain their championship would and could he be considered from august onwards.I often wondered why the last two kerry managers havent involved him in panel activities while home over christmas periods etc.on the off chance he may become available later in the year.eg.2002.
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Post by wewillyeah on May 17, 2006 10:02:19 GMT
IMO, I would think that it is highly unlikley that he will be back this year(or even in the next two-three for that matter) The contract that Sydney will offer him this time around will set him up for life and i heard he just bought a million dollar beach house for himself on bondi recently.
In fairness, it would be great to see him back but i think the whole county (and country for that matter) take a great level of pride in the lad doing so well in the australian code. We all saw the impact he could make in croker when Ireland played Oz in two years ago, he was brilliant. His fitness, strength and engine would set him apart from most of the current batch of inter-county midfieders in ireland, With respect to Donaghy (who has acquitted himself well so far this year) Tadhg and O Se would be a frightening prospect for any midfield combination in the country.
In 2002 he was led to believe he was going to be in with a shot of making the panel for the final if he played well for the u-21's in an all-ireland semi or quarter final (i cant remember which) against Galway. He played midfield that day and destroyed Joe Bergin, (until he got injured). He then went training with the senior panel afterwards in the lead up to the final, i recall that at the training sessions he was hammering all the boys in the sprints and his fitness and desire really shone through, but Paidi and Co did not give him the nod for a panel place come all ireland final day. I suppose they had their reasons for that but we can only speculate now if he had have been on the panel perhaps 02 might have gone the other way..
There was also an interview in the kinggdom afterwards with Tadhg, expressing his dissapointment at being led to believe he would be included if he impressed, and how he had forgone any holidays abroad etc to give his commitment to the kerry panel in august/sept 02.
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Post by Mickmack on May 17, 2006 10:28:20 GMT
2002 was a debacle from every angle.......paidi wanted him there but was overruled
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Post by kerrygold on May 17, 2006 10:30:16 GMT
i dont see why he couldn't be named as a kerry panel member at the start of the year in the off chance he becomes available for august an september and be involved in panel ativities while at home on holidays.its no secret that the championship doesn't start till august now for the connacht and munster counties. Tadgh and his club have reached a cross roads,the club want to keep him,he possibles wants to stay for another while but still has burning desire to wear the green and gold on all-ireland final day i dont see why the kerry county board,the kerry management team,Tadgh and his austrialian club cant sit down around a table and come to some compromise and make comitments to each other. it wouldn't be rocket science,everthing in life doesn't have to be black and white.
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Post by kerrygold on May 17, 2006 10:34:21 GMT
2002 was a debacle from every angle.......paidi wanted him there but was overruled all-ireland titles dont grow on trees like a flush of apples in septembers autum sun.
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Post by kerryman on May 18, 2006 9:45:23 GMT
No mention of it on the Sydney Swans site anyway (not since last October at least).
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 18, 2006 15:40:41 GMT
i think as much as he wants a celtic cross financially he will stay with the swans.if he plays there for another few years he'll have no money worries for the rest of his life and then i'd say he'll come home and give it a try.i still wonder would he be allowed to play as he is a pro or would a presadent be set for him provided of course that our game is still amateur when he returns
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 18, 2006 15:45:10 GMT
just found this,get the hankies out lads and lassies
In the Herald Sun today, Swans supporters gotta be happy with this. And sick of Auroragate, Ossie, and other stuff, a new topic all together. and great name on the journalist.
Kennelly seeking new deal with Swans Nikki Tugwell 03may06
DYNAMIC Sydney half-back Tadhg Kennelly has indicated he wants to stay in Australia beyond 2006, ending speculation he will return home to Ireland when his contract expires at season's end.
It is understood preliminary discussions have started between the Swans and the Irishman's management geared towards keeping Kennelly in Sydney until the end of season 2008 or 2009. It was reported in Australia and Ireland after last year's Grand Final that Kennelly was contemplating a return home to chase all-Ireland glory and that he might walk away from AFL at the end of this year.
Speculation intensified after the death of his dad, Tim, in December. Kennelly was given a month of compassionate leave from pre-season training to be with family.
"I have had some discussions with the club about going forward," Kennelly's manager Michael Quinlan said yesterday.
"There are still issues about the salary cap, what it is going to be. But we've had discussions and we're looking at going to the next step, which would be putting a contract offer in place. We're looking at a term of two to three years."
Kennelly, 24, missed six weeks -- which included the first three rounds -- with a shoulder injury but has been impressive on his return.
He added another dimension to the Swans in his first game back against Melbourne and was outstanding in the win against Geelong on Saturday night.
Critical to the Swans structure, he had been the missing link in the indifferent opening to their season.
The popular defender, who has played 103 games for the Swans, last season became the first Irishman to win an AFL premiership.
Talks have also begun to extend Amon Buchanan's contract, which expires at season's end.
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 18, 2006 16:00:41 GMT
i'll bow to ur knowledge on the theme
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Post by austinstacksabu on May 18, 2006 16:35:36 GMT
He was indeed - Tommy Docherty did his nut in '76 when he returned to Man Utd all black and blue from the manly GAA challanges he was getting.....he had been given exemption of a few weeks to play in the semi, return, play soccer and then play in the All Ireland final.
Sure Anthony Tohill hopped off to Oz too once, was a pro and then came home.
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Post by kerrygold on May 18, 2006 17:52:10 GMT
just found this,get the hankies out lads and lassies In the Herald Sun today, Swans supporters gotta be happy with this. And sick of Auroragate, Ossie, and other stuff, a new topic all together. and great name on the journalist. Kennelly seeking new deal with Swans Nikki Tugwell 03may06 DYNAMIC Sydney half-back Tadhg Kennelly has indicated he wants to stay in Australia beyond 2006, ending speculation he will return home to Ireland when his contract expires at season's end. It is understood preliminary discussions have started between the Swans and the Irishman's management geared towards keeping Kennelly in Sydney until the end of season 2008 or 2009. It was reported in Australia and Ireland after last year's Grand Final that Kennelly was contemplating a return home to chase all-Ireland glory and that he might walk away from AFL at the end of this year. Speculation intensified after the death of his dad, Tim, in December. Kennelly was given a month of compassionate leave from pre-season training to be with family. "I have had some discussions with the club about going forward," Kennelly's manager Michael Quinlan said yesterday. "There are still issues about the salary cap, what it is going to be. But we've had discussions and we're looking at going to the next step, which would be putting a contract offer in place. We're looking at a term of two to three years." Kennelly, 24, missed six weeks -- which included the first three rounds -- with a shoulder injury but has been impressive on his return. He added another dimension to the Swans in his first game back against Melbourne and was outstanding in the win against Geelong on Saturday night. Critical to the Swans structure, he had been the missing link in the indifferent opening to their season. The popular defender, who has played 103 games for the Swans, last season became the first Irishman to win an AFL premiership. Talks have also begun to extend Amon Buchanan's contract, which expires at season's end. hard to blame him in when you look at the bigger picture,i think its the right decision if he goes with it.Good luck to him.
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 19, 2006 10:31:56 GMT
getting paid €122k a year by the aussies would be hard to give up
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Post by kerrygold on May 19, 2006 10:44:53 GMT
getting paid €122k a year by the aussies would be hard to give up where did you hear that figure bigmac,thats not huge,if claims that eoin kelly is getting 50k from endorsements are true.
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 19, 2006 11:22:56 GMT
getting paid €122k a year by the aussies would be hard to give up where did you hear that figure bigmac,thats not huge,if claims that eoin kelly is getting 50k from endorsements are true. its on the afl site,barry hall gets €221k,the average a player gets paid is €127k
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 19, 2006 11:34:52 GMT
getting paid €122k a year by the aussies would be hard to give up where did you hear that figure bigmac,thats not huge,if claims that eoin kelly is getting 50k from endorsements are true. bear in mind thats just for playing the game and does not include any sponsership deal he may have
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 19, 2006 11:37:22 GMT
Footy Blog The Great Debate - Do AFL players deserve a significant pay rise? 10:30:00 PM Fri 28 April, 2006 AFL Record
YES - Brendon Gale CEO, AFL Players’ Association
The AFL is the most successful and popular elite sporting competition in Australia.
Financially, the game has never been stronger.
The strength of the AFL is a credit to those who manage our national game both at AFL and club level. It’s also a credit to football fans who continue to support the game in record numbers.
But significantly, it’s a credit to our outstanding players who make an enormous contribution to the strength and value of the game – on and off the field.
With their special abilities and courage, AFL players ensure that the game continues to be a magnificent spectacle. In doing so, players make many sacrifices, often to the detriment of their personal welfare. The short-term nature of their profession has never been more apparent.
Off the field, players are being asked to do more than ever before to promote and protect the image of the AFL. In 2005, AFL players as a collective devoted more than 50,000 hours to game development and promotion. Further, many players spend additional time supporting a range of community-based charitable initiatives.
The salaries of Australia’s top 600 lawyers, bankers or businessmen are rarely questioned, yet most would earn significantly more than AFL footballers. Similarly, successful musicians, actors, boxers and golfers often earn significantly more than most AFL players over careers that last much longer than the AFL average of just four years.
The AFLPA believes players should be recognised and well rewarded for the significant value they bring to the game at a time when the AFL has never been stronger financially. Players should have the right to capitalise on their special abilities and earn a fairer share of the income they generate.
Brendon Gale played 244 games for Richmond and is the CEO of the AFLPA.
NO - Mike Sheahan Chief football writer for the Herald Sun
The players are entitled to a pay rise, for they are the stars of the show, but the suggestion of an increase of 15 per cent is excessive. By a long way.
Similarly, the AFL needs to bend on the five per cent increase suggested by AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou.
Understandably, the players want their share of the next broadcast rights deal with the Seven and Ten networks, who are committed to pay $700 million in cash from 2007-11 - an increase of $280 million on the arrangement with Foxtel and the Nine and Ten networks that ends this year.
But how much more can they expect when all players who took the field last year earned, on average, $213,952? Of the 547 players who played at least one game, 381 earned $100,000 or more, with three earning $800,000 or more.
From 1996 to 2005, total player payments rose more than 300 per cent - from $36.8 million to $110.9 million. That's direct benefits only. The AFL also paid $7.8 million to the AFL Players' Association last year, plus special funds totalling $4.2 million to the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and the Kangaroos. Distributions that help keep 120 players in work.
The AFL also spent $5.1 million on upgrades at the MCG and AAMI, Skilled, Telstra and Aurora stadiums, arguably improving the players' workplace.
The AFLPA will argue that there's no game without the players, which is a given, and that the industry generated income of $528 million last year. According to AFL figures, club revenue in 2005 totalled $415 million, while the central administration generated $203 million. Roughly $90 million of AFL income was included in club revenue as dividends.
Players are the undisputed stars of the show, but let's keep things in perspective and arrive at a fair, reasonable and prudent conclusion.
Mike Sheahan is the chief football writer for the Herald Sun and a commentator on 3AW and Fox Footy.
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Post by kerrygold on May 19, 2006 12:26:51 GMT
cheers bigmac,hard to see him giving that up for a while.
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mossie
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Post by mossie on May 19, 2006 13:06:05 GMT
I am a bit tired of the Tadhg coming home to play for kerry story. Jim Stynes used to talk a lot about coming back to play for dublin. It was just that talk. it never happened.
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BIGMAC
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Post by BIGMAC on May 19, 2006 13:10:10 GMT
when u look closely at it it would be hard for the lad to give up the potential earnings in years to come,hes still a young lad and as had beeb said b4 he could still comeback when he's finished and possibally get a crack at a celtic cross
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Aine
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Post by Aine on May 19, 2006 13:13:52 GMT
If he does come back it is up to himself. It is hard to turn down that kind of money and he is still young to see out this contract and then come back. He would only be 27.
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Post by kerrygold on May 19, 2006 13:18:01 GMT
when u look closely at it it would be hard for the lad to give up the potential earnings in years to come,hes still a young lad and as had beeb said b4 he could still comeback when he's finished and possibally get a crack at a celtic cross the longer you leave these things the harder it gets,there no gaurentee kerry will be competitve for a while after this year.it could pass him by if he stays away.he could have 2 or 3 celtic crosses in his pocket if had come home by now. personally no money for me could buy what people like seamo,dara,daragh and gooch have achieved in the game. theres 35 years for malking money after the age of 32.
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seamus
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Post by seamus on May 19, 2006 13:18:07 GMT
My feeling all along was that he was going to stay and the 'Coming Home' story was just a way of bumping up his salary negotiations. The guy is living the dream as a professional sportsman in the best climate in the world and knows how to use the media to the maximum.
What would he do if he came home? Foot the turf in the bog or get a job as a sales rep for a fifth of his current earnings? My reading is that he will stay there until he is 30 or 31 and then come back to try for an AI when he has money made, given it his all and has still bucket loads to offer Kerry.
Fair play to him. I have great admiration for him in making it over there.
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