#45 Conor McKenna - the first six years

I hope they put subtitles on his interview.

aye potatoes
good job young lad.
i was worried he might have been delisted when this thread went to the top last night.
I think he has earned it.
I was hoping he would turn into a elite midfielder with pace, but a elite half back will be very handy too.

Absolutely crazy. No offence to Conor but him being elevated at the same time Will Hams is delisted is an insult to Will. “Not happy Jan.” :s

This is awesome!

Absolutely crazy. No offence to Conor but him being elevated at the same time Will Hams is delisted is an insult to Will. "Not happy Jan." :s

Conor’s listing has zero to do with Hams’s delisting

Absolutely crazy. No offence to Conor but him being elevated at the same time Will Hams is delisted is an insult to Will. "Not happy Jan." :s

Yeah… well we were all fans of Will. But Will had 4 seasons, and a once in forever opportunity to cement a spot in the side this year, and couldn’t do it. He had 8 straight games mid season, and was then dropped for the last few games. His career had him drafted, then dropped from the senior list to the rookie list, and now delisted.

Conor has had 2 seasons of football… ever… at any level, and has already played one more senior game than Will managed. He had a couple of patches of 2 games early on in the season, and then got an extended run of 8 games holding his spot in the side through to the end of the season. He has an elite skillset, albeit with some deficiencies born of not having grown up with the game.

I don’t think anyone should be surprised at the decision making, and it is certainly not absolutely crazy. Will might forever be the better footballer, but Conor surely has a higher potential ceiling. Whether he gets there or not, well here is hoping he does.

Absolutely crazy. No offence to Conor but him being elevated at the same time Will Hams is delisted is an insult to Will. "Not happy Jan." :s

fkg spare us.

Absolutely crazy. No offence to Conor but him being elevated at the same time Will Hams is delisted is an insult to Will. "Not happy Jan." :s

Conor is a better footballer despite only playing the game for two years.

It also means an extra rookie B spot!

It also means an extra rookie B spot!

EZEKIEL

Absolutely crazy. No offence to Conor but him being elevated at the same time Will Hams is delisted is an insult to Will. "Not happy Jan." :s

Conner can kick! I know we have an aversion to players who can put the ball through the 2 middle posts, but personally I think he is one of the most reliable and creative field kicks, and the best kick for goals in the side.

Great news. Kid is a contender for the best 22, so should be on the main list. Hope he keeps on improving as he has.

What I'm pleased with is that there was little downside to keeping him as a rookie. Other than the whole "can't play him for the first half of the season" (lol) he cost us nothing in the cap or in the list of 44. Would have been tempting to chew up all his time we can on the Rookie B list. Instead we show him a vote of confidence and give him the upgrade he deserves.

Of course, he could have had a trade offer a la Jenkins which may have forced our hand but there’s been no talk of that.

Good on you Connor!


Actually, this year we can fill the rookie B list, so the advantage of an extra list spot by keeping him there is lost.
Comhgháirdeachas, a bhuachaill !

Conor deir, Dul Bombers!

Great news. Kid is a contender for the best 22, so should be on the main list. Hope he keeps on improving as he has.
What I'm pleased with is that there was little downside to keeping him as a rookie. Other than the whole "can't play him for the first half of the season" (lol) he cost us nothing in the cap or in the list of 44. Would have been tempting to chew up all his time we can on the Rookie B list. Instead we show him a vote of confidence and give him the upgrade he deserves.

Of course, he could have had a trade offer a la Jenkins which may have forced our hand but there’s been no talk of that.

Good on you Connor!


Actually, this year we can fill the rookie B list, so the advantage of an extra list spot by keeping him there is lost.

I get the impression that Woosha is quite happy with the talent we have on the list ( there are usually some roles that need added backup to ensure adequate depth ). It seems promoting Conor was more about reward and encouragement than wanting to recruit as many players as possible.

I think Woosha is taking Conor seriously as an option on the HBF, he may also swap around with Raz or Walla in a forward role.

While I'm happy for the kid doesn't this mean we have 1 less draft pick or list spot?

I would of preferred if he stayed on the Category B rookie while giving us more flexibility with our drafting and DFA choice’s.

Correct me if I’m wrong

With the new indigenous and non-traditional rookies this year we may have 3 B-list rookies by the end of the draft. Plus this is reward for effort, which is a good signal to give young players.

Indigenous rookie list aye

So you’re telling me we can have a triple benfti special?

@benfti , sooo… you’ve got 3 rookie B list spots. What do you do? How do you pick 3 guys, and what set-up do you put in place, to give them the best chance of surviving the culture shock and succeeding?

Do you pick up 3 blokes who all know each other, employ a couple of surrogate parents with some idea of both Tiwi and Melbourne culture, house them all together, and try and set-up some sort of community / family?

Any insight?

Does anyone else think it’s a bit strange that they’re elevating him but only giving a one year extension?
I love this guy and think he could end up a gun, so I just hope we can secure him long term.

deleted

Does anyone else think it's a bit strange that they're elevating him but only giving a one year extension? I love this guy and think he could end up a gun, so I just hope we can secure him long term.

Yep, I found it surprising. I expected 2 years. 1 is pretty odd.

I suspect we will now randomly suggest outrageous reasons why it is only 1 year.

Members First Email:

Conor McKenna’s AFL dream is set to continue with the Irishman agreeing to a one-year contract extension that will see him remain at the Bombers until the end of 2017.

McKenna was recruited to the Club as a Category B Rookie in the National Rookie Draft in 2014 and as part of his new deal will be elevated to the Club’s senior list.

McKenna said he was excited to continue his future in the red and black.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at the Bombers so far and am looking forward to what we can achieve under Woosha’s leadership,” McKenna said.

“Since arriving at the Club, I’ve worked really closely with the coaches to fast-track my development as much as possible and am really happy with the way things are progressing.

“I’ve learnt a lot this season, and I can’t wait to get back into training ready for 2017.”

Senior Coach, John Worsfold, says the Club is pleased to secure McKenna’s services for the upcoming season.

“Conor is an exciting and powerful player with a natural athletic talent who has worked really hard to understand and learn our game," Worsfold said.

“We were particularly pleased with his form in the VFL this season and the last couple of weeks in the AFL so we are looking forward to what he can produce for 2017 and beyond.

“He always brings plenty of energy and intensity with his exceptional speed and endurance and we believe Conor has a bright future as a Bomber."
Essendon List and Recruiting Manager, Adrian Dodoro, said McKenna had worked hard on his craft in pursuit of his AFL ambitions.

“This is great news for the Essendon family and it’s a great reward for the hard work Conor has put in since day one,” Dodoro said.

"He has elite speed and agility and has shown great improvement with his foot skills since adjusting to the oval ball.

“Conor is a great Club person, who is truly dedicated to becoming an elite player in the game so we are really looking forward to watching him develop both on and off the field in the years to come.”

McKenna grew up playing Gaelic football in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland with the Tyrone Minors.

He spent the 2015 season building his skills while simultaneously learning the game playing with the Club’s VFL team before making his debut with the Bombers in Round 22, 2015 against Richmond at the MCG. He secured a goal with his first kick of the game and has played 14 AFL games to date.