Kennelly, whose flair and dash from the Sydney Swans backline became a trademark of the club's most recent halcyon days, has become an iconic figure in the AFL.
While others such as Demons Stynes and Sean Wight (via Scotland) came from the Emerald Isle before him, many would say Kennelly has been a ground-breaker when it comes to players travelling to Australia to play our game.
However one sees him in the annals of history, his success has signalled a new wave of international recruits.
Kennelly might not have the longest list of individual achievements but he was an integral part of the Swans' success under coach Paul Roos.
While stars such as Barry Hall have been ever-present in the powerful Swans teams that have featured in finals in the past six seasons, it was significant that the coach once labelled the wiry Irishman as the club's "most important player".
When Kennelly was up and running from defence, the Swans looked a far better team.
His journey began back in 1999, when after being a standout Gaelic footballer with his County Kerry he agreed to join the Sydney Swans.
He was offered a rookie position and elevated to the senior list after round two of the 2001 season, and a week after his 20th birthday the exciting youngster helped the Swans come from behind to beat Carlton by 10 points at the SCG.
The following season he graduated from the No.41 jumper to No.17 – the guernsey AFL fans would get used to seeing dashing out of the Swans backline for the next seven seasons.
In 2002 he earned a Rising Star nomination, cementing himself as one of the young guns of the competition.
In subsequent years he continued his rise to prominence, helping the Swans improve as Roos moulded a team destined for September glory.
The highlight came in 2005 when Kennelly's superb second half helped his club win its first premiership in 72 years. In the process, he became the first Irishman to earn a premiership medallion.
Sadly in December that year, less than three months after Kennelly's footballing triumph, his father Tim – a former All-Ireland Championship winner with Kerry – died suddenly.
Kennelly returned to Australia the following season, but leaving family and friends was tough. And having conquered the AFL's highest mountain, thoughts of one day returning to Ireland to accomplish what his father did soon surfaced.
He would continue to star for the Swans, helping his club to a second grand final in as many seasons.
He also represented his home country in International Rules for the fourth time in 2006, complementing Ireland guernseys earned in the 2001, 2002 and 2004 series.
In those matches he found himself alongside his own countrymen and up against some of his clubmates such as Hall and Ryan O'Keefe.
Speculation mounted towards the end of the 2006 season about Kennelly's future: would he remain in Australia or would he head back to Ireland?
But resisting the urge to return home, and perhaps with the sour taste of a grand final loss to the Eagles in his mouth, the Irishman signed a three-year deal, tying him to the club until the end of 2009.
However the 2007 and 2008 seasons were not Kennelly's best.
Injuries severely hampered his progress, with knee – anterior cruciate and dislocations – as well as shoulder and groin problems meaning he was unable to take the field as regularly as previous years.
When he did, he was usually carrying an injury.
Courageously he battled through the pain barrier, playing through the Swans' finals campaign last season despite being injured.
The sight of teammates or the club doctor re-locating his shoulder on the field was not uncommon last year.
The gutsy defender leaves his club and the game with a legion of fans – not only from his own club's loyal supporter base but from the wider football community.
Hopefully, as long as the International Rules Series continues, AFL fans haven't seen the last of Tadhg Kennelly.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
