The €250,000 All-Ireland medal
And Kennelly’s sacrifice could end up costing him €1million if he decides not to return to Aussie Rules
Tadhg Kennelly
OF the seven All-Ireland medals that now adorn the famous Kennelly household in Listowel, just one carries a valuation that can be based on something other than sentimentality or pride.
The late, great Tim's haul of five Celtic crosses between 1975 and 1981 was supplemented by Noel's win in 2000 but it's the medal Tadhg won last Sunday that represents the greatest single monetary sacrifice Gaeldom has witnessed.
In the aftermath of Sunday's final, Tadhg Kennelly struggled to hold back the tears after realising his long-stated dream of winning an All-Ireland medal with his native county.
In deciding to return to Ireland, Kennelly not only left behind the life that he had spent 10 years building in Australia that included a girlfriend and a home, he also walked away from what were set to be some of the most lucrative years of his professional career in the AFL.
Shortfall
Kennelly left a Sydney Swans contract and related endorsements that were reportedly set to earn him up to €300,000 in 2009 alone.
Instead, he secured a coaching position with the Kerry County Board and a number of minor promotional deals with the likes of sportswear manufacturer Puma (who he also worked with in Australia) and car maker Opel that earned him less than a sixth of what he could have made Down Under meaning he has already suffered a €250,000 shortfall since coming home.
There was also the option of a contract extension for another year on similar terms while a former Swans team-mate of the Listowel man, Leo Barry, insisted recently that Kennelly would have "three or four years of footy left in him" if he decided to return to the AFL, meaning between now and the end of his playing career, Kennelly's decision to come home could cost him in the region of €1m.
Barry, who spent 142 games playing alongside Kennelly in Sydney's back line, believed it was still a "50-50 call'' whether he would return to Australia.
"Taking a year away from the game, for anyone it would be extremely hard, but I'd be pretty confident he would be able to step straight back in," insisted Barry, who retired last month after 15 seasons with the Swans.
"The way he moves and his ability to read the play, you don't lose that overnight, and he hasn't taken a year off really, he's still been running and keeping up the workload in Gaelic football.
"I think he's got at least three or four years of footy left in him. He's only 28, and, sure, he had his shoulder injury but he hasn't had any major knee or ankle operations, or leg problems, so that won't be an issue either."
Some of those staggering losses will be recouped when he travels Down Under to promote his autobiography, which is set to be a hit on both sides of the world, in early November.
He has also become one of the most marketable assets in Irish sport, and has now joined the handful of GAA players which have the potential to earn as much as €30,000 per year in endorsements, while he has put on record that he would like to undertake some media work in the future.
"He has reached the pinnacle of both Irish and Australian sport and there is no doubt that he is now one of the most marketable personalities around," said Pembroke Communication's sponsorship expert and former Dublin footballer Mick O'Keeffe.
Transcend
"He would be seen as ideal for product endorsements. There are only a handful of people in GAA that transcend county rivalries and Tadhg is definitely one of them now."
But, regardless of how marketable he becomes, Kennelly will never come close to matching the salary he walked away from in pursuit of an All-Ireland medal.
Kennelly has already insisted he is staying with Kerry for 2010, but sources in Australia suggest they have not given up hope of persuading the 2005 AFL league winner to return to Sydney.
Whatever he decides to do, Kennelly's massive sacrifice is testament to the never-ending love affair between Kerry footballers and Sam Maguire, as well and the enduring appeal of a September Sunday in Croke Park.
- Donnchadh Boyle
