McKenna can match historic Kennelly in AFL final

Tyrone man Conor McKenna has nan chance successful nan early hours of Saturday greeting to go only nan 2nd All-Ireland Senior Football medallist to besides play successful a winning Australian Football Rules Grand Final team.

Kerry man Tadhg Kennelly helped Sydney Swans clinch nan 2005 AFL showpiece earlier winning nan Sam Maguire Cup pinch his autochthonal region 4 years later.

A superb underage gaelic shot profession successful Tyrone led Eglish autochthonal McKenna to beryllium snapped up by AFL nine Essendon successful precocious 2014.

He spent six seasons astatine nan Melbourne-based nine earlier returning location to thief Tyrone onshore nan 2021 All-Ireland title, scoring two goals successful nan melodramatic semi-final win complete Kerry earlier mounting up Darren McCurry's decisive awesome successful nan last against Mayo.

But aft Tyrone's disappointing defence of nan All-Ireland title successful 2022, McKenna opted to return Down Under and signed for Brisbane Lions.

Now, he stands connected nan brink of emulating Kennelly pinch - appropriately - nan Swans their guidance successful Saturday's large game.

McKenna came adjacent to matching nan Kerryman's feat past twelvemonth erstwhile he played successful nan Lions squad that mislaid narrowly to Collingwood successful nan Grand Final.

The Tyrone man's 2024 run has been hindered by wounded and aft fighting his measurement backmost to fitness, he has been employed successful a substitute's domiciled successful Brisbane's past 3 games.

“I’d alternatively beryllium playing (in nan 22) but that’s my domiciled astatine nan moment,” McKenna, 28, told news.com.au earlier this week.

“If I’m selected to play this week, I’d emotion to play from nan commencement but if not, I’ll beryllium nan sub again and travel connected and person an effect for illustration I’ve had for nan past 3 weeks."

That effect included a superb footwear walk which group up team-mate Logan Morris' final-quarter extremity successful past weekend's 10-point triumph complete Geelong astatine nan MCG.

Oscar McInerney's misfortune successful dislocating a enarthrosis past week led to McKenna's preamble and pinch McInerney ruled retired for this weekend, nan Tyrone man again looks definite to spot action.

Despite playing chiefly arsenic a guardant during his gaelic shot career, McKenna has mostly operated arsenic a half-back during his clip successful nan AFL but his effect sub little successful caller matches has been arsenic an attacker and he seems to beryllium revelling successful nan much violative role.

“I’ve talked to ‘Fages’ (Lions coach Chris Fagan) astir playing guardant this year, and you tin do much worldly for illustration that successful nan guardant line,” said McKenna of nan portion he played successful Morris' extremity past weekend.

“There’s little consequence than doing it successful defence, truthful it’s thing I want to support moving on. It’s thing I tin person an effect pinch erstwhile I travel on."

The imaginable of McKenna playing successful a Grand Final winning squad seemed complete successful precocious 2020 erstwhile nan Tyrone man returned location aft uncovering himself embroiled successful a contention nan erstwhile June aft his testing affirmative for Covid-19 led to nan postponement of 1 of Essendon's fixtures.

He received a one-match prohibition for breaching Covid-19 protocols and wrong 3 months was backmost location successful Ireland pinch his AFL profession seemingly finished.

But 4 years later, McKenna could subordinate Kennelly successful an exclusive nine and pinch his AFL profession looking group to proceed fixed nan twelvemonth that's near connected his Lions contract.