Heading home

By Thomas Kane BBC Sport NI

The 28-year-old leapt onto the presentation area in the Hogan Stand at Croke Park and danced an Irish jig. A smile beamed from ear to ear.

Tadgh Kennelly's reaction said it all. For 10 years he was a Sydney Swan, watching from the other side of the world, as his fellow county men won All-Ireland titles.

Tadgh Kennelly celebrated 2009 All-Ireland success with Kerry

During that time, he was living a professional life, getting well paid for playing sport.

But it was not his sport. It was not the sport which he grew up playing in the garden. It was not the sport which made his late father Tim a hero in the county of Kerry.

Now he was home. It had all been worth it. It was worth walking away from a quarter of a million pounds a year. Worth walking away from the Sydney sun, and worth all the hard work and criticism he took while trying to adapt again to the round ball.

Tadgh Kennelly's mission was complete.

Today, Martin Clarke's mission to emulate Kennelly's achievements begins. Down's Clarke left Ireland with the reputation of being one of the most talented underage Gaelic footballers ever. He signed for Melbourne giants Collingwood, and was an instant hit.

The An Riocht youngster adapted to Aussie Rules quicker than any previous Irish player, and made his senior debut in front of 80,000 fans just a few months after taking up the sport. At the end of his first season, Marty was hailed on both sides of the world as a phenomenon. It prompted scouts from all over Australia to see Ireland as an untapped recruiting ground for the AFL.

Clarke went on to play 46 senior games with Collingwood in three years. Each season became tougher, more was expected of him and he was no longer a surprise package. He began to lose his place as an automatic selection, and the frustrations of not playing week in week out were hard to take for someone who had been such a dominant Gaelic footballer.

Martin Clarke has left Collingwood after three years in the AFL

What made it harder was the fact that he was on the other side of the world from his closest friends and family. He loved Australia, he had many close friends there, but it was not home.

In opting to return to Ireland, Clarke walked away from the chance to earn a lot of money. While out of the team, he could easily have moved to another Aussie Rules club, and been a first team regular. But the burning desire to fulfil his potential on the Gaelic pitch, to play alongside his brother John, and his An Riocht team mates ,outweighed the dollar signs.

He wants to become a teacher, it has always been his ambition. A straight 'A' student, the chance to go to university was an opportunity that Aussie Rules did not afford him. He hopes to enrol next year as a 22-year-old and follow that career path.

In terms of what is next for Martin Clarke the Gaelic footballer, well that is a more immediate learning curve. It has been three and a half years since he played consistently. Adapting back to a game and a round ball will be challenging. The hype of a prodigal son-like return will not bother him because he is used to the attention and will not let it get to his head.

606: DEBATE What do you think of Clarke's return to Down? GAA on 606

Unlike Kennelly though, who returned to his county and walked into a dressing room of All-Ireland winners, Clarke will not have that luxury. He will be under pressure to star straight away in the black and red of Down.

The former aristocrats of Ulster football need a spark. Perhaps Clarke might provide it, but one player is not going to change to fortunes of a county. He could, however, prove to be the catalyst.

Whether Clarke will regret his decision to walk away from a professional life remains to be seen. No doubt the opportunity to return to Australia within the next few seasons is still open to him.

A couple of years ago, I asked Clarke, would he prefer to play in a Premiership final with Collingwood, or an All-Ireland final with Down? His response was "what do you think?"

Today, I think I got my answer.