TheMase
19th January 2003, 10:10 AM
http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2003/01/17/1042520778165.htm
Swans say it's time to set 'lab rat' free
January 18 2003
'A ball in the air every day': Determined to improve, Tadhg Kennelly hits the training ground. Photo: Steve Christo
The experiment is over, and Tadhg Kennelly and the Swans believe they have developed the right formula, writes Jessica Halloran.
The Irish charm has expired and he is no longer the 'Irish experiment'. He's a footballer with great expectations heaped on him - and the Sydney Swans want him to deliver.
Tadhg Kennelly is happy that the green hype is fading, glad to get rid of a sometimes unsettling tag. "They wrote in the papers, you know 'Irish experiment', it was like I was some kind of lab rat," Kennelly said, laughing.
"I didn't really like that a lot. I know I'm unique, I'm always going to be different ... but people are expecting a lot more of me now."
Kennelly likes the focus being no longer on his background, but on how he plays for the Swans.
One of the players who thrived under the then-interim coach Paul Roos, towards the end of last season Kennelly produced some memorable moments of football.
The athletic 21-year-old really started to mark out his patch of turf, often streaking through the midfield to sneak goals. This year, expectations haven't diminished.
Swans coach Roos anticipates Kennelly will form part of the Swans midfield on a rotational basis but is also hoping for a lift in skill level from the Irishman.
"We are expecting big things from him," Roos said. "He should be part of the starting line-up and he doesn't want to get complacent.
"The end of last year was a fantastic sign but other areas, like his marking and body work, coming from a Gaelic footy background [means] he's still getting used to things: it's a conditioning process."
Swans assistant coach Steve Malaxos agrees and said a more consistent year is expected from Kennelly. Skills are to be the focus.
"There's areas - his marking, his spoiling and tackling - that still have a big scope for improvement," Malaxos said.
"We expect him to be just more consistent. It's always the next step for a player, he's got the ability to, and at times he's a real game breaker. He does it quite naturally, but we just want him to be consistent."
Kennelly knows his weaknesses and said his marking is one definite focus for improvement. "I'm 6 feet 3 inches and it should be a strong point, I want to get stronger at marking," he said.
"In a game situation if Roosy said 'we are struggling down back, we need another tall, we'll send Tadhg down, he's a good mark', then that would be great for the team."
For the next six weeks Kennelly plans on "having a ball through in the air every day", practising his marking.
Over the last two seasons, Kennelly said he had battled with his confidence, and that there had been some very hard times where he considered giving the game away - honestly thinking he didn't have the ability to play football.
While most of his teammates were spoon-fed the game from a young age, Kennelly's Gaelic football background meant that, until recently, he was still grappling with the basics on the training ground.
"My teammates, they all know they are good enough, and it was something I had to get around my head and work on it," he said.
"Whether I was good enough, right up to last year I had doubts. That wasn't a good thing - I was always thinking, am I good enough for this?"
As time went on, game by game, Kennelly realised he could "have a crack".
He said he feels like "one of the boys now", and he is now starting to help out the younger players around him. He's become a little bit of a leader and come match day he wants to become a "game breaker" for the Swans.
Roos said that Kennelly has slotted into the club well.
"He's one of the guys now - he's very vocal around the club," Roos said. "However, the accent - the blokes sometimes laugh at him. He really works hard on the track [and] he's a naturally fit kind of guy."
Since he arrived, pale and skinny, at Sydney airport a few years ago, Kennelly's weight has increased from 72 to 86 kilos, and he has also grown eight centimetres taller.
While bigger and stronger, Kennelly is still learning to adjust to the intensity of playing two hours of football - in Gaelic football, a match runs for just over 75 minutes.
"My skills tend to drop off a bit," Kennelly admitted.
But he feels settled at the SCG now, and ready to really focus on his football. With some of the senior players gone, and Roos promoting a youth ethic, Kennelly believes he now has greater opportunities.
"I feel now I can make a name and step up and have a big career," Kennelly said. "[I can] take more responsibility on the field, it's very exciting."
Swans say it's time to set 'lab rat' free
January 18 2003
'A ball in the air every day': Determined to improve, Tadhg Kennelly hits the training ground. Photo: Steve Christo
The experiment is over, and Tadhg Kennelly and the Swans believe they have developed the right formula, writes Jessica Halloran.
The Irish charm has expired and he is no longer the 'Irish experiment'. He's a footballer with great expectations heaped on him - and the Sydney Swans want him to deliver.
Tadhg Kennelly is happy that the green hype is fading, glad to get rid of a sometimes unsettling tag. "They wrote in the papers, you know 'Irish experiment', it was like I was some kind of lab rat," Kennelly said, laughing.
"I didn't really like that a lot. I know I'm unique, I'm always going to be different ... but people are expecting a lot more of me now."
Kennelly likes the focus being no longer on his background, but on how he plays for the Swans.
One of the players who thrived under the then-interim coach Paul Roos, towards the end of last season Kennelly produced some memorable moments of football.
The athletic 21-year-old really started to mark out his patch of turf, often streaking through the midfield to sneak goals. This year, expectations haven't diminished.
Swans coach Roos anticipates Kennelly will form part of the Swans midfield on a rotational basis but is also hoping for a lift in skill level from the Irishman.
"We are expecting big things from him," Roos said. "He should be part of the starting line-up and he doesn't want to get complacent.
"The end of last year was a fantastic sign but other areas, like his marking and body work, coming from a Gaelic footy background [means] he's still getting used to things: it's a conditioning process."
Swans assistant coach Steve Malaxos agrees and said a more consistent year is expected from Kennelly. Skills are to be the focus.
"There's areas - his marking, his spoiling and tackling - that still have a big scope for improvement," Malaxos said.
"We expect him to be just more consistent. It's always the next step for a player, he's got the ability to, and at times he's a real game breaker. He does it quite naturally, but we just want him to be consistent."
Kennelly knows his weaknesses and said his marking is one definite focus for improvement. "I'm 6 feet 3 inches and it should be a strong point, I want to get stronger at marking," he said.
"In a game situation if Roosy said 'we are struggling down back, we need another tall, we'll send Tadhg down, he's a good mark', then that would be great for the team."
For the next six weeks Kennelly plans on "having a ball through in the air every day", practising his marking.
Over the last two seasons, Kennelly said he had battled with his confidence, and that there had been some very hard times where he considered giving the game away - honestly thinking he didn't have the ability to play football.
While most of his teammates were spoon-fed the game from a young age, Kennelly's Gaelic football background meant that, until recently, he was still grappling with the basics on the training ground.
"My teammates, they all know they are good enough, and it was something I had to get around my head and work on it," he said.
"Whether I was good enough, right up to last year I had doubts. That wasn't a good thing - I was always thinking, am I good enough for this?"
As time went on, game by game, Kennelly realised he could "have a crack".
He said he feels like "one of the boys now", and he is now starting to help out the younger players around him. He's become a little bit of a leader and come match day he wants to become a "game breaker" for the Swans.
Roos said that Kennelly has slotted into the club well.
"He's one of the guys now - he's very vocal around the club," Roos said. "However, the accent - the blokes sometimes laugh at him. He really works hard on the track [and] he's a naturally fit kind of guy."
Since he arrived, pale and skinny, at Sydney airport a few years ago, Kennelly's weight has increased from 72 to 86 kilos, and he has also grown eight centimetres taller.
While bigger and stronger, Kennelly is still learning to adjust to the intensity of playing two hours of football - in Gaelic football, a match runs for just over 75 minutes.
"My skills tend to drop off a bit," Kennelly admitted.
But he feels settled at the SCG now, and ready to really focus on his football. With some of the senior players gone, and Roos promoting a youth ethic, Kennelly believes he now has greater opportunities.
"I feel now I can make a name and step up and have a big career," Kennelly said. "[I can] take more responsibility on the field, it's very exciting."