He had enrolled in a surveying degree, coming fresh out of Rotorua Boys’ High School. It was simply time to be a student and play a bit of rugby on the side.
He ended up getting the degree, but the only thing he is surveying these days is a rugby paddock.
After a lengthy career on the field, Donnelly has moved into coaching. After three years as assistant coach with Otago he has now stepped up to the head coaching role.
"When I finished playing in 2017 I sort of looked around and thought about maybe going back to surveying. But I hadn’t really done any of it since I was at Uni. It would have been like 15 years I would have had to catch up on," Donnelly said.
Rugby won out and he has begun a coaching career which has made some real progress in three short years.
Donnelly was playing in France when he decided to hang up the boots. He had played 98 games of Super Rugby, 82 games for Otago and 15 tests for the All Blacks. It was a good career, but it had come to an end.
He looked around, saw Otago was on the lookout for an assistant coach and that sparked his interest. He applied and surprised himself by getting the gig. Within six weeks he was back in Dunedin and being the forwards coach for the blue and golds.
After three seasons the 38-year-old has now moved up to the big job, one he is looking forward to immensely.
"I have learnt some good stuff from the very best coaches and picked up on. I’ve also learnt some bad stuff from other coaches which you don’t want to follow.
"But you’ve got to follow your own path. Obviously, I love the game and all around it.
"The best thing for me is the camaraderie which is through the game. You are with a good bunch of mates who you get to hang around with most of the time. That is the reason I played and now I still get to experience that but don’t have a sore body all the time."
Donnelly, who is married to Jacque and has three children, Harvey (7), daughter Charlie (4) and Felix (6 months), said 2020 had obviously been a challenging year, but he had just worked through it.
"Really, with Otago we are sort of used to that. Having to manage with what you’ve got and just getting on with it. That is the attitude we have carried on with, and all that has been going on."
The former lock forward said Otago had come together well and the squad was enjoying its time together before the season started.
The Mitre 10 Cup was undoubtedly a tough competition and would be even more so this year as All Blacks littered the competition. Otago does not have any at the moment, but Donnelly is not using that as any excuse.
Otago is one of only two teams — Northland is the other — which has been stuck in the lower Championship since the provincial competition went to a two division system in 2011.
"There is no hiding from it. We want to win the thing. That is what you go out and try and do every season."