#45 Conor McKenna - the first six years

love how its automatically.

‘■■■■ the club im staying in ireland’ with some of you.

Without being specific: no need to panic.
Listen to DJR - he can't be specific but there's nothing to worry about.
Cause his family lives in Ireland?
So what if his family lives in Ireland, plenty of players live a long way from family. As a professional footballer his commitment should be to the club, especially now learning to adapt and play with the returning players.

He’s training with GAJ… just trying to learn some super awesome football player skillz.

I understand he hasn't returned from Ireland yet. How come he get's away with a late commencement of training when everone else has to be back? For god's sake he is not elite.

Why does Laverde get away with slacking off just because he had his appendix taken out? If he was serious about being a professional footballer he would have had it removed the moment the season finished.

I understand he hasn't returned from Ireland yet. How come he get's away with a late commencement of training when everone else has to be back? For god's sake he is not elite.
Why does Laverde get away with slacking off just because he had his appendix taken out? If he was serious about being a professional footballer he would have had it removed the moment the season finished.
Had 18 years to do it before being drafted. It's not like he was using it.

Best position is the role that McGrath will play

Best position is the role that McGrath will play

Hopefully not for long though re McGrath’s position

Best position is the role that McGrath will play
McGrath's a wingman?

Good to see Conor #backin-oz. Covered in mud.

Some Irish news from the past few months -

WOW… McKenna looking the part in Australian Rules…

Eglish and Tyrone GAA minor star, Conor McKenna, moved to Australia just over one year ago and made his debut in the Ozzie Rules for Essendon FC one year ago today, on 29th August 2015. #Tyrone

His athleticism and immense quality were well publicised in Tyrone’s run to the 2012 All Ireland minor championship final (lost out narrowly to Mayo) and it was envisaged that he would play a starring role for the Tyrone seniors too in the years following that minor decider.

Professional sport beckoned though and McKenna has really made his mark. He scored a brilliant goal on his debut one year ago and last week made another hugely impressive play as his name continues to make the headlines in the major high profile sport down under!

On this latest evidence we have no doubt he would indeed be playing a starring role for Tyrone GAA (if he was still in the Red Hand colours) and what a moment it would be to see him donning the white and red against the Dubs at Croke Park…

Tadhg Kennelly came back to win an All Ireland with Kerry having starred in Australian Rules football and Martin Clarke and Tommy Walsh are others who have returned and played inter-county football after spells in Oz. You never know…

Essendon’s Conor McKenna hasn’t given up on Tyrone dreams


Former Tyrone minor Conor McKenna has settled Down Under and has established himself with the Essendon first team squad this year, yet the Eglish man insists he would love to don the Red Hand jersey again in the future

AFL star Conor McKenna hasn’t given up on his dream of playing for Tyrone.

The 20-year-old has just completed his second season with Essendon, establishing himself in the first team squad this year.

The Eglish man was targeted by several Aussie Rules clubs after coming to prominence in a string of stand-out displays for the Tyrone minors, for whom he played for three seasons.

He was called into Mickey Harte’s senior squad in 2014 while still a minor, before opting to answer the call from Down Under.

But he revealed yesterday that he could be back to boost the Red Hands before he reaches his mid-20s.

“I would love to come back home and play for Tyrone,” said McKenna.

“I’ll maybe have five or six years here, but 100 per cent I want to play for Tyrone.

“I’ll have to see what happens over the next few years, but that’s’ the plan.”

He missed out on an All-Ireland title with the Tyrone U21 team last year, one of many regrets he harbours in reflecting on what might have been had he continued with his GAA career.

“That was a big miss, but you never know what might happen in the future,” he added.

McKenna is currently back home for a close-season break, before returning to Melbourne next month to begin preparations for Essendon’s 2017 challenge for AFL honours.

He played 12 games for the club’s first team this year, kicking three goals in an initial stint in attack, before reverting to a defensive role, and has become a big favourite with fans at the MCG.

“I was playing in the forwards most of the time last year, but I moved into the backs for the last few games of the seasons and that made a bit of a difference.

“It will be a massive year next year. It will define how you do in the seasons ahead over there.

“I’ll go back around the tenth of November for pre-season, with the season starting in mid-February or March.

“It will be a massive year and hopefully I’ll get a few more games and push on, get my place in the team.

“When I get back it will be very tough. It’s more or less four months of running and putting the work in. When you put the work in, you get the rewards, so I’ll just have to do everything I can, follow the instructions and get the games.”

The former Tyrone underage protégé is now happily settled in his adopted home following an initial spell of restlessness soon after his arrival.

“There was a bit of home-sickness last year, but I moved in with a few players at the end of the year, and that helped settle me in,” he said.

“You have a lot of spare time, but when you’re with other players, we’re all off at the same time so we’re always doing something together.”

He’s the only Irish player on the Essendon books, but Louth’s Ciaran Byrne, who plays for Carlton, lives nearby and the pair get together regularly for reflections on life back home.

“He lives about five minutes from me and we meet up every couple of weeks, have a bit of a chat about home and about the GAA,” he said.

And there are also frequent visits from family members and friends who show up as welcome faces on the other side of the world.

McKenna readily admits that he’s still learning the game, but it has been an upward curve since he made a sensational AFC debut last year – scoring a goal with his first touch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Richmond.

So…did everyone reads those two articles with a Northern Irish accent?

Although, putting Ian Paisley’s voice in there did grate a little, and it didn’t have the word Papists in there often enough.

“…since he made a sensational AFC debut last year”

Not one mention of the saga!

But he revealed yesterday that he could be back to boost the Red Hands before he reaches his mid-20s.

“I would love to come back home and play for Tyrone,” said McKenna.

“I’ll maybe have five or six years here, but 100 per cent I want to play for Tyrone.

“I’ll have to see what happens over the next few years, but that’s’ the plan.”

But he revealed yesterday that he could be back to boost the Red Hands before he reaches his mid-20s.

“I would love to come back home and play for Tyrone,” said McKenna.

“I’ll maybe have five or six years here, but 100 per cent I want to play for Tyrone.

“I’ll have to see what happens over the next few years, but that’s’ the plan.”

He’d been drinking when he said that…Ah, the Irish and their drinking!

WTF

A lot of the Irish lads don’t see their stint down here as a career whereby they will play until they are in their early 30’s when a standard career of a decent player tends to end.

They come here for 4 or 5 years, make some money to play sport and experience life in a foreign country.

Then head back home to family and familiar surrounds and play their amateur sports.

Marty Clarke did something similar.

A lot of the Irish lads don't see their stint down here as a career whereby they will play until they are in their early 30's when a standard career of a decent player tends to end.

They come here for 4 or 5 years, make some money to play sport and experience life in a foreign country.

Then head back home to family and familiar surrounds and play their amateur sports.

Marty Clarke did something similar.

agreed, if they prove that they’re more than good to exception reckon he’ll stay.

Finally a thread to panic in. He’s gaaaawn.

If he takes a gap year to fulfil that dream so be it.

Will be on $250k/yr + so will not be easy to give that up / not come back.

Was it Clarke that went back to Ireland and then returned to Pies a year later?