FORMER Sydney Swans premiership defender Tadhg Kennelly has been appointed as an assistant coach under Alastair Clarkson for the upcoming International Rules Series.

Kennelly, who grew up playing Gaelic football before moving to Australia to pursue a career in the AFL, will join Fremantle coach Ross Lyon and Geelong coach Chris Scott on the Australian coaching panel.

The 33-year-old's role will focus mainly on opposition analysis, given he played 12 matches for Ireland across six International Rules series throughout his AFL career.

It's not the first foray into coaching for Kennelly, who coaches the NSW/ACT under 16s at the national championships, and the former Swan is eager to further his coaching development.

“I’ve always been a strong supporter of representative football, and the commitment of the best players and a great coaching staff under Alastair Clarkson will be tremendous for the Test match in Perth,” Kennelly said.

AFL football operations boss Mark Evans said Kennelly would be able to provide the team with invaluable insight into the game and the Irish team.

“Tadhg will be a key for our coaching group in terms of fast-tracking the skills of the Australian team," Evans said.

“Tadhg’s enthusiasm for the International Rules Series matches has been a constant across his entire career.

"He was also a pivotal player for Ireland when he took the field, and we will benefit greatly from his detailed tactical knowledge."

Australia will host Ireland in a one-off Test at Patersons Stadium on Saturday, November 22.