#45 Conor McKenna - the first six years

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?

Yep Clarke did that but he never seemed as good when he returned…or course that could have been the Buckley influence.

Didn’t Kennelly have a year off from the Swans at one point and then came back?

I’m glad he’s got a friend to talk to who can understand him

I hope we get something decent back from Tyrone in a trade.

Meeting an aussie girl might change all his plans.

I’m pretty rapt he said he plans to stay for at least 5-6 years to be honest.

That’s still another 3-4 years of footy which is significant. By that stage we’ll probably win the flag in his ‘last’ couple of years and then he’ll decide he just has to hang around :wink:

Tyrone says it’s a monster chew

to be sure beggorah and saints alive

Sáigh id thóin é, a mhuic Shasanaigh ó.

Sáigh id thóin é, a mhuic Shasanaigh ó.

I recognised the word Shassanaigh and wondered what you’d said.
I,m not sure if you have written it out correctly or there is something wrong with the translations

I take it that Conor is the excellent prince, are you the English ■■■ pig?

Not sure how Conor is tracking this pre-season. He has not been a “standout” in the intraclubs so far whereas Marty was superb in one , and good in another… But He is one to watch tomorrow.

As a defender, Conor is more a man on man player, not an interceptor like say, Marty or Matty Dea, but Conor is far far more attacking than either of these players. Matty is a defensive interceptor and outlet player, same with Marty, and they are both good in their own right. But if you want a player to replace the run off half back of Hibbo , and the desire to attack and approaching elite disposal inside 50, that Tippa gave us last year. Conor is the go.

Pops Kelly probably has the other “half back flank” position locked in.

Hardly surprising. Sure the club would know this and plan appropriately

Not sure how Conor is tracking this pre-season. He has not been a "standout" in the intraclubs so far whereas Marty was superb in one , and good in another.. But He is one to watch tomorrow.

As a defender, Conor is more a man on man player, not an interceptor like say, Marty or Matty Dea, but Conor is far far more attacking than either of these players. Matty is a defensive interceptor and outlet player, same with Marty, and they are both good in their own right. But if you want a player to replace the run off half back of Hibbo , and the desire to attack and approaching elite disposal inside 50, that Tippa gave us last year. Conor is the go.

Pops Kelly probably has the other “half back flank” position locked in.

Good post, Hibbo is a huge loss to us. Was shattered to see him go, was in our top 4 most valuable players IMO. I agree with all that you said. Tippa was great down back. But lacked the intercept marking ability that hibbo has. Hibbo was a the full well rounded half back flanker.

To the people last year saying how its the easiest position to play and the easiest type of player to find have NFI. To be a genuine HBB You need to be a full rounded player.

Not beaten one on one.
Good intercept mark
Read the play to cut off attacks (use intercept marking)
Know when to run off your man and create play, vs stay on him

Know when to attack, and take the game on.
Have elite disposal by hand and foot.
know when to take risks and hit targets under pressure.

Gleason is the stand out the moment, can take the game on and uses it pretty well. But lacks a bit in speed, strength and is not yet damaging enough when it comes to disposal. Its hard to see where the improvement from Dea can come from (is useful depth though). Conor has big upside and all the skills but a long way to go in reading the play and knowing what to do in given situations. Only experience can teach this. Our best hope McG but he is probably a couple of years off yet. The best HBF defend well, cut off attacks, while cutting the other team to pieces running the other way. Not easy to find players like JJ, Heath Shaw, or Hibbo.

Not sure how Conor is tracking this pre-season. He has not been a "standout" in the intraclubs so far whereas Marty was superb in one , and good in another.. But He is one to watch tomorrow.

As a defender, Conor is more a man on man player, not an interceptor like say, Marty or Matty Dea, but Conor is far far more attacking than either of these players. Matty is a defensive interceptor and outlet player, same with Marty, and they are both good in their own right. But if you want a player to replace the run off half back of Hibbo , and the desire to attack and approaching elite disposal inside 50, that Tippa gave us last year. Conor is the go.

Pops Kelly probably has the other “half back flank” position locked in.

Good post, Hibbo is a huge loss to us. Was shattered to see him go, was in our top 4 most valuable players IMO. I agree with all that you said. Tippa was great down back. But lacked the intercept marking ability that hibbo has. Hibbo was a the full well rounded half back flanker.

To the people last year saying how its the easiest position to play and the easiest type of player to find have NFI. To be a genuine HBB You need to be a full rounded player.

Not beaten one on one.
Good intercept mark
Read the play to cut off attacks (use intercept marking)
Know when to run off your man and create play, vs stay on him

Know when to attack, and take the game on.
Have elite disposal by hand and foot.
know when to take risks and hit targets under pressure.

Gleason is the stand out the moment where as its hard to see where the improvement from Dea can come from (is useful depth though). Conor has big upside and all the skills but a long way to go in reading the play and knowing what to do in given situations. Only experience can teach this. Our best hope McG but he is probably a couple of years off yet.

Good list of attributes there. Gleeson did take the game on more, but he was getting caught, so he has lost a bit of confidence in that area lets see if he can bring it this year.

Yeah… I don’t know.

I didn’t have Hibberd anywhere near our top 4 players. But I do agree HBF is a critical position in modern footy, and that we do not have a perfect candidate for the role.

I wouldn’t write off Dea from having some reasonable upside though. Keep in mind that at the start of last season he was a VFL player, so likely came in a bit underdone. And he played in a side that got belted, and would’ve had plenty of struggles learning how to work together with his team-mates as a back line while under siege. Plus, to me he seemed to settle into the side as the season went on.

Not sure how Conor is tracking this pre-season. He has not been a "standout" in the intraclubs so far whereas Marty was superb in one , and good in another.. But He is one to watch tomorrow.

As a defender, Conor is more a man on man player, not an interceptor like say, Marty or Matty Dea, but Conor is far far more attacking than either of these players. Matty is a defensive interceptor and outlet player, same with Marty, and they are both good in their own right. But if you want a player to replace the run off half back of Hibbo , and the desire to attack and approaching elite disposal inside 50, that Tippa gave us last year. Conor is the go.

Pops Kelly probably has the other “half back flank” position locked in.

Good post, Hibbo is a huge loss to us. Was shattered to see him go, was in our top 4 most valuable players IMO. I agree with all that you said. Tippa was great down back. But lacked the intercept marking ability that hibbo has. Hibbo was a the full well rounded half back flanker.

To the people last year saying how its the easiest position to play and the easiest type of player to find have NFI. To be a genuine HBB You need to be a full rounded player.

Not beaten one on one.
Good intercept mark
Read the play to cut off attacks (use intercept marking)
Know when to run off your man and create play, vs stay on him

Know when to attack, and take the game on.
Have elite disposal by hand and foot.
know when to take risks and hit targets under pressure.

Gleason is the stand out the moment where as its hard to see where the improvement from Dea can come from (is useful depth though). Conor has big upside and all the skills but a long way to go in reading the play and knowing what to do in given situations. Only experience can teach this. Our best hope McG but he is probably a couple of years off yet.

Good list of attributes there. Gleeson did take the game on more, but he was getting caught, so he has lost a bit of confidence in that area lets see if he can bring it this year.

Agree, and if he improves as much as he did last year, he will be a very very good player.

Hope he does. Just for the Richmond LOL factor.

Yeah... I don't know.

I didn’t have Hibberd anywhere near our top 4 players. But I do agree HBF is a critical position in modern footy, and that we do not have a perfect candidate for the role.

I wouldn’t write off Dea from having some reasonable upside though. Keep in mind that at the start of last season he was a VFL player, so likely came in a bit underdone. And he played in a side that got belted, and would’ve had plenty of struggles learning how to work together with his team-mates as a back line while under siege. Plus, to me he seemed to settle into the side as the season went on.

I think Dea is the best mark of the three. He took some great marks in games last year, most memorably I think in Rd 23 against the blues

Loved the Gibbs crunch

(Dea was cleaning up his own messy play which made it a very worthwhile turnover)

Not sure how Conor is tracking this pre-season. He has not been a "standout" in the intraclubs so far whereas Marty was superb in one , and good in another.. But He is one to watch tomorrow.

As a defender, Conor is more a man on man player, not an interceptor like say, Marty or Matty Dea, but Conor is far far more attacking than either of these players. Matty is a defensive interceptor and outlet player, same with Marty, and they are both good in their own right. But if you want a player to replace the run off half back of Hibbo , and the desire to attack and approaching elite disposal inside 50, that Tippa gave us last year. Conor is the go.

Pops Kelly probably has the other “half back flank” position locked in.

Really? The intra club i went to he was superb and i came away thinking he will be a gun this season. Haven’t previously rated him too highly.

Not sure how Conor is tracking this pre-season. He has not been a "standout" in the intraclubs so far whereas Marty was superb in one , and good in another.. But He is one to watch tomorrow.

As a defender, Conor is more a man on man player, not an interceptor like say, Marty or Matty Dea, but Conor is far far more attacking than either of these players. Matty is a defensive interceptor and outlet player, same with Marty, and they are both good in their own right. But if you want a player to replace the run off half back of Hibbo , and the desire to attack and approaching elite disposal inside 50, that Tippa gave us last year. Conor is the go.

Pops Kelly probably has the other “half back flank” position locked in.

Really? The intra club i went to he was superb and i came away thinking he will be a gun this season. Haven’t previously rated him too highly.

Must have been the one I didnt see. On the day of the Blitz barbie, his car had been stolen, so I guess thats why he was quiet.