The 27-year-old half-back's abrupt departure came at the end of a troubled off-season, with some senior figures in the famously tight-knit group expressing disillusionment.

"I want to go back home to be with my family and to be fit enough to still play back at home," Kennelly said yesterday.

The announcement of Kennelly's departure came as coach Paul Roos confirmed Leo Barry would be sidelined for three months after undergoing knee surgery last week and will miss the opening rounds of the competition. He is expected to be back running by mid-March.

The walk-out of Kennelly, who has endured a string of serious knee, shoulder and groin injuries, came just days after the club's general manager (football) Andrew Ireland ridiculed a report in the Irish Daily Mail claiming he was set to return home immediately.

Kennelly had also denied reports earlier this month he planned to quit the club, telling the Herald : "I've got one year left and I'll make the most of it and enjoy myself, and hopefully we can have some more success."

Ireland yesterday claimed the Swans did not know about Kennelly's intentions until the past few days and had not bothered to approach him despite the detailed Irish Daily Mail report. He said Kennelly had a sudden change of heart after being offered a part-time job in Ireland. The Irish Gaelic football competition is amateur, meaning he will forego up to $450,000 this season.

Other reports yesterday suggested that the Swans had known of Kennelly's intentions and tried to entice him to stay with an improved contract.

Having conquered a foreign game, Kennelly will be remembered for his key role in the Swans' drought-breaking 2005 premiership and his joyous Irish jig on the presentation stage.

"It has been on my mind," he said of his return home. "Making this decision is on par with me coming out here in the first place. It is a risk. I've always wanted to go home and play Gaelic football. It's been well-documented in the past couple of years I've had a few injuries and I decided if I did stay and play then I probably wouldn't be happy.

"I'd be worried about getting injured and that I wouldn't be performing to the best of my ability because in the back of my mind I'd want to go home and be a Gaelic footballer.

"I've spent 10 years here, the best 10 years of my life, and I love a lot of blokes in that room and it was very difficult," he said. "But with the credit crunch happening around the world, it's probably not the smartest financial move. Anyone out there who wants to give me a job, I'll gladly take it."

Asked why it meant so much to him to succeed at his native game, Kennelly laughed before replying, straight-faced: "I grew up idolising my father." His father, Tim, achieved his son's goal of winning an All-Ireland Championship with Kerry no less than five times.

Roos yesterday said the club respected Kennelly's decision and praised his contribution to the club that began when he arrived in Sydney as a 17-year-old Gaelic football prodigy. Under the tutelage of development coach George Stone, Kennelly amazed with his development and played the first of his 158 games against Carlton in round 14, 2001.

The Kennelly walk-out and Barry surgery reports follow an unusual period of turmoil for the Swans, during which:

■ Decorated forward Ryan O'Keefe walked out, believing he had been offered a below-par contract. The Swans were then unable to exchange O'Keefe for a high draft pick leading to an awkward reconciliation.

■ Star forward Barry Hall made no secret of his disappointment about his treatment by the club's leadership group after his on-field meltdown last season.

■ Premiership midfielder Nic Fosdike retired after being told he would not be guaranteed a game because of his chronic knee injury.

■ The club announced a $797,520 loss for 2008 after reductions in corporate support and membership and have began across-the-board cost-cutting, including to the football department. Although $500,000 of the loss was establishment costs for the Club Swans gaming venue in Kings Cross, the club acknowledged the venture might struggle to add significantly to the club's non-football revenue in the short-term.

■ There has been disgruntlement from some members who have been asked to pay significantly more this season for prime seating, although prices in some areas were reduced.