‘Dad dying made me hate Oz,’ says Tadhg Kennelly

Tadhg Kennelly has revealed how he developed a deep hatred for his foreign base following the unexpected passing of his father Tim in 2005.

Kennelly was a mainstay on the Sydney Swans team at the time of his father’s death and the former AFL player grew extremely bitter of the decision to leave Ireland as a teenager, adding that time spent in Australia had denied him the chance to develop a “real” relationship with the decorated Kerry footballer.

“You often hear stories telling you how good life is Down Under, but that is not always the case,” he told Newstalk’s Breakfast show.