Kennelly appointed to IRS Coaching Panel

Kennelly, who played in the drought-breaking 2005 Swans’ premiership as part of a 197-game career in Sydney, will join Fremantle coach Ross Lyon and Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott as one of Clarkson’s three assistants.

Evans said he was delighted Kennelly had accepted the invitation to be part of the Australian coaching structure with a focus on opposition analysis, particularly with his outstanding record in the hybrid series as a player for Ireland.

Kennelly played 12 matches for Ireland, across six series in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2011, playing in seven wins and one draw for the Irish team across the duration of his AFL career.

“Tadhg will be a key for our coaching group in terms of fast-tracking the skills of the Australian teams, and he will head up our opposition analysis with his knowledge of the Irish players to be invaluable for the rest of our coaching staff,’ Evans said.

“Tadhg’s enthusiasm for the IRS matches has been a constant across his entire career and he was also a pivotal player for Ireland when he took the field, and we will benefit greatly from his detailed tactical knowledge,” he said.

Kennelly said he was delighted to join the Australian coaching group, to further benefit his own coaching development, and he had always enjoyed the international competition when representing Ireland.

“I’ve always been a strong supporter of representative football and the commitment of the best players and a great coaching staff under Alastair Clarkson will be tremendous for the Test match in Perth,” Kennelly said.

The 33 year-old is currently a mentor at the elite AFL Academy Program for the nation’s best Under 16 and Under 18 players, coming out of the NAB AFL national championships, and he also coaches the NSW/ACT Under 16s at the national championships.