KERRY FOOTBALL:KERRY'S TADHG Kennelly has defended himself in the controversy over remarks in his autobiography about the incident when he flattened Cork's Nicholas Murphy early in the All-Ireland football final.

Speaking to Darragh Maloney on RTÉ Radio One's

Sport at 7

he said that he had received "hate mail" as a result of remarks, which suggested that the foul was pre-meditated, but that he had never set out to injure his opponent.

"I described the incident too well. As far as people are concerned saying it was pre-meditated and that I looked over at Paul Galvin but that's something I'd done all year. I roomed with Paul Galvin all year.

"I never went to Paul the night before the game and said 'I'm going to charge in, I'm going to hit Nicholas Murphy and going to hit him a belt of the shoulder.

"That's crazy stuff - the first minute of an All-Ireland final and Kerry lose a player, we're down a man. That's something I'd never do in my life.

"Yes I was pre-meditated to be physical and be in Cork's face because I wanted to show that we were a totally different team to what they'd played three months ago.

"Never once in my life did I go out intentionally to hurt or injure a footballer and I suppose that was what was so hurtful about the way people were thinking.

"I actually talked to Nicholas after the game and at the time it happened I thought it was fine. I actually slowed down and Nicholas turned into me and I hit him a shoulder. I never raised my elbow and I thought it was fine but looking back on the video in slow motion you can see I clipped him on the chin."

Having reviewed the incident on video Kennelly acknowledged that he had been "very, very lucky" to escape as lightly as he had.

He also said that he will decide by next Monday whether to return to his Australian Rules career in the AFL, saying that he had received offers from other clubs as well as the Sydney Swans with whom he won a premiership in 2005.

Meanwhile, Ger O'Sullivan has named just one player from Kerry for tomorrow's Interprovincial football final against Ulster.

Ulster boss Joe Kernan has delayed naming his side until the weekend.

MUNSTER:P Fitzgerald (Tipperary); T O'Gorman (Waterford), J McCarthy (Limerick), P Reidy (Kerry); M O'Gorman (Waterford), M Shields (Cork), P Ranahan (Limerick); N Murphy (Cork), S Scanlon (Kerry); P Kelly (Cork), P O'Neill (Cork), D O'Connor (Cork); G Hurney (Waterford), C O'Neill (Cork), L Ó Lionnain (Waterford).