Kennelly soars with Swans

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL: He described it as "a bit surreal, just unbelievable", and Tadhg Kennelly undoubtedly achieved something special in becoming the first Irishman to win the biggest prize in Australian Rules Football: the Premiership Grand Final.

The Kerry native played a key role in helping his club, the Sydney Swans, land the coveted prize for the first time since 1933, scoring one crucial six-pointer in their 58-54 victory.

There were 91,898 in the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday evening to witness a nail-biting final, with the West Coast Eagles starting as marginal favourites, as the Swans looked to end their long drought.

In the end they were deserving of their four-point victory, allowing the 24-year-old Kennelly to complete his remarkable transition from one of the most promising Gaelic footballers to the arguably the best ball kicker in the AFL.

And he appeared genuinely lost for words in describing the experience.

"It's simply the greatest day of my career," he stated, "and a dream come true. To be honest, I am not really sure how to put into words the joy I am feeling right now. I don't think there are words to describe how much today means to me.

"When I joined the Swans in 1999, I seriously didn't know any rules of the game or what exactly the AFL was.

"If someone had said to me 'you're going to win a Premiership with the Sydney Swans', I'd have said: 'who are the Sydney Swans and what's a Premiership?' Honestly, it's a bit surreal, just unbelievable."

The former Kerry minor and under-21 star from Listowel, who never touched an AFL ball until he was 17, has thus claimed the title that eluded the legendary Dubliner Jim Stynes, who lost two finals during his long career with the Melbourne Demons.

Stynes is still regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the AFL game, and while he did win the coveted Brownlow Medal in 1991, he lost consecutive Grand Finals with Melbourne in 1987 and 1988.

Kennelly produced a highly influential performance on the day, with his back-line play restricting the Eagles to 19 points in the first half, the lowest half-time tally in a Grand Final since 1969. He finished with statistics of seven kicks, seven hand possessions, three marks, three tackles and a goal.

He was present in the team throughout the season, and will probably best remember the final for his 150-metre sprint before kicking a second quarter goal - only his second of the 2005 campaign - to help the Swans establish a 39-19 half-time lead.

His father and former Kerry footballer Tim Kennelly and mother Nuala were also present on the night.

Kennelly now turns his attention back to his native land, and will feature prominently in the Irish International Rules team that next month travels to Australia for the latest two-match series when he can expect to have his club team-mates Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin in opposition.