Kilkenny ‘will give it everything towards being a success in AFL’
Kennelly made history winning a Premiership crown with the Sydney Swans in Australia before playing a key role in Kerry’s All-Ireland SFC title success in 2009.
And former Dublin minor star Kilkenny, who joined up with AFL giants Hawthorn this week, has big ambitions for his sporting career.
“I’m going to give everything I have towards being a success in the AFL. I would like to come back at some stage but I do not know what the future holds for me.
“Hopefully I will be back in six or eight years time and I will be able to put an All-Ireland medal in my back pocket, and I will be back in the off seasons to play with the club and give them a hand in any way I can.”
The Castleknock clubman admitted to plenty of soul searching before opting to ink a deal with the famous Melbourne club.
“It was a hugely difficult decision. I was changing my mind every second day. The decision to stay or go was hanging over me for a year and it was difficult, especially with the Leaving Cert. In the end I decided I did not want to look back in years to come and wonder what would have happened if I had gone to Australia,” he said on Raidió na Gaeltachta.
“I really like the game of Australian Rules. It has a great mix of skill, strength and speed and that appeals to me. The tackle, and releasing the ball when tackled, are the main things that I will have to practise and learn. I don’t think it’s a rough game. I think I’m ready for it and I’ll be alright. I went in to do a bit of boxing with Billy Walsh and the Irish team and they were saying that I was big, but when I went on trial to Australia they were wondering if I was going to get taller! The players are so tall over there. I am 6’3, which is the average for a player over there. I would be one of the slighter players compared to the others in the squad, but I think I will be ok.
“In Australia there is a great emphasis on athletics in training. The emphasis they put on things like five kilometre runs is unbelievable. You have to have great aerobic endurance to play the game so they focus on that in training. They do a lot of other activities as part of training like boxing and swimming to get you ready for games. Because they play every week the body has to be in peak condition.”
Kilkenny has already made a good impression with his performance in a punishing pre-season run at Waverley yesterday receiving plaudits on the club website.
And he believes the future for Dublin GAA is also in good hands. “There are some great minor teams coming through, and the underage talent there is in Dublin is unreal, so I think they will be fine. Jim Gavin has already brought in a lot of the young lads into the senior football squad. It’s a good time for both football and hurling in Dublin right now.”
