Irish Echo Sport

Tadhg Kennelly has revealed that he is considering a return to the AFL amid a storm of controversy that has blown up in Ireland in the wake of comments in his autobiography.

An excerpt from his new book, Unfinished Business, which was published in last week’s Sunday Independent, indicated that Tadhg had intentionally struck Cork’s Nicholas Murphy in the opening minutes of the All-Ireland final. 

Kennelly received no punishment for the tackle at the time and was promptly cleared by a match review panel, but controversy has again reared its head over the incident due to the comments in his new book.

In a statement released on Monday, Kennelly claimed that the newspaper excerpt had been taken out of context, and that he had been misquoted in the book by Melbourne ghost writer Scott Gullen, but that he took “100 per cent responsibilty” for not proof reading the final chapter himself.

“I’m going to charge in and hit someone at the start,” he is quoted in the book as having said to room mate Paul Galvin on the eve of the decider, while the rest of the controversial excerpt read: “My theory was that I really wanted to set the tone for our side. We wanted Cork to know that we were a totally different animal to the one they’d faced three months earlier. 

“As we got to our positions, I looked across at [Paul] Galvin, who nodded, and then positioned myself on the line ready to race in when the referee put the ball in the air. My eyes were almost rolling around in the back of my head. I was like a raging bull.”

In his statement, however, Kennelly tried to distance himself from the remarks, putting the blame on Herald Sun sports journalist Scott Gullen, and the Sunday Independent newspaper for printing an excerpt he claims was out of context.

“The words, ‘while I hadn’t wanted to come in and seriously injure anyone, I was determined to make a statement’ were not included in the extract from the book, even though this sentence followed on. That one line would have clarified my intentions but it was not included in the piece,” Kennelly’s statement read.

The Kerryman also revealed how deeply the furore had upset him and his family, adding that the whole episode has been his worst period since his father Tim’s death in 2005.

“The controversy arising from the incident involving Nicholas Murphy in the All-Ireland final, and an account of which was published in the Sunday Independent, has devastated both me and my family. I have been publicly vilified and I want to tell the truth.

“I admit I have made a mistake and a big one. I should never have allowed the piece regarding the incident with Nicholas to be described in the fashion it was.

“I gave an interview to the Australian ghost writer Scotty Gallon just a couple of days after the All-Ireland. I didn’t read it over as I should have, and the first account I saw of the incident was on last Sunday morning.

“Scotty used an expression ‘cop that’ to describe my feelings immediately after I connected with Nicholas. I said no such thing.

“The Wednesday after the All-Ireland was a rush. We had a deadline to meet. Books don’t get formatted and printed overnight. I was on a high and the last thing I wanted was to talk to Scotty over the phone. Looking back on it, I should have read a proof of the finished chapter. I didn’t and I paid the price. My fault 100 per cent.”

The Echo has approached Mr Gullen for comment but is yet to hear back from him.

Meanwhile, the former Premiership-winning player’s return to the AFL may be just around the corner, as he revealed yesterday that he has just 10 days to make a call on his future. The list deadline for AFL club’s is October 31.

“The offer was always there [to return to the Swans]… It’s no secret that Sydney are looking to recruit and they see my experience counting with some of the younger players… It’s obviously a huge decision but it’s one I have to make in the next 10 days.”

Kennelly also revealed that a coaching role could be part of his brief if he did return.

“There would be a coaching opportunity there at some stage. I’d say at the most I’d have two years left in me as an AFL player, maybe three. There are a lot of things to consider and obviously financial security is one. My girlfriend Nicole is also living there. But I honestly haven’t made up my mind. I’m torn on it.”

Kennelly is due in Sydney in early November for the launch of the book at which time a decision on his future is expected.