Kennelly not ruling out Kerry return

Tadhg Kennelly has given mixed messages about a potential return to the Kerry football team.

The Listowel Emmets man, 31, is over a year retired from Australian Rules football but after famously taking a year out of the AFL game in 2009 to play for Kerry, winning an All-Ireland title, he has refused to rule out rejoining the panel again.

In the event of a call from new manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice, half-forward Kennelly said he’d seriously consider any approach.

“Look, of course I’d take the call,” said Kennelly. “Jeez, who wouldn’t? But that’s ifs, whats, wheres and what nots. I can’t really answer that. I am over and back from Australia. If I wanted to do it I would have to honestly decide can I or can’t I do it, with work?

In a tempting admission, Kennelly said it would be possible for him to gain full Championship fitness in just six weeks.

“No problem, yeah,” he continued. “Most athletes with the muscle memory they’ve got in their bodies could do that. If they’ve been a professional footballer or any athlete at a high level for more than five or six years, it’s only going to take you the bones of six weeks or two months to get back up to fitness.”