World Footy News

Setanta O’hAlpin (pictured left) and Tadhg Kennelly (right) have both started the AFL season in highly impressive form but as yet are the only Irish players to have played senior football in the AFL in 2010. Kennelly has been instrumental in the Sydney Swans shock rise to first place in the ladder after six matches, winning five and only losing a tight contest to premiership favourites St. Kilda. Setanta has kicked 16 goals for Carlton including a personal best 5 goals against arch rivals Collingwood last week and has been in career best form.

Following the opening day loss to St. Kilda the Swans have comfortably accounted for some of the poorer sides in the AFL but last week's 20 point win against high flying Brisbane shows they are a team not to be taken lightly. Kennelly, as he has been all year, was full of running from half back and has been regularly claiming close to 30 disposals a match.

Kennelly looks extremely fit and has obviously benefitted from his year in Ireland, helping his native Kerry win the All Ireland championship. In 2008 his season was severely curtailed by injury as over 150 games playing in the AFL took its toll on his body. A year spent in the less physically demanding Gaelic football, with importantly far less games to play in an All- Ireland championship, has seen Kennelly come back rejuvenated. Indeed he has said that his body feels better than ever.

Due to Brendan Fevola’s controversial departure from Carlton, O’hAlpin has been given a central role in a key forward position. He began his season by kicking three goals in Carlton’s comfortable victory over a poor Richmond side. He backed that up with a further four goals the following week in defeat to the Brisbane Lions and he looks to have finally found his best position in the side. Carlton has revamped their forward line with Setanta the main target man supported by three small forwards, Eddie Betts, Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett.

While he has at times been inaccurate from set shots he has shown great skill in kicking more difficult snap shots. Sunday's performance was undoubtedly his best ever in a Carlton shirt, doing what no Irish player has done before in kicking five goals in a match. His all round performance was also excellent with several tackles and two goal assists. However the Blues currently lie in mid table with three wins and three defeats.

Pierce Hanley was named as an emergency for the Brisbane Lions' recent clash with the Western Bulldogs and as such must be close to adding to his previous three senior matches he has played for the Lions. During the pre-season NAB cup Michael Quinn and new recruit Tommy Walsh were named in the squads of Essendon and St. Kilda respectively but neither made it into the match day squads. Walsh has been playing for the Saints' feeder side Sandringham in the VFL as a fullback. Saints captain Nick Riewoldt spoke in glowing terms of Walsh’s potential on television recently saying that he “… is too good an athlete not to make an impact in the AFL.” It remains to be seen however, how long he will have to wait before he gets an opportunity for the senior side.