Zach Package
Prespakis2Tsatas
It's the natural Gaelic style, youd back him to flatten it out over time.
he's very Pearce Hanleyish
Retired #45: Conor McKenna ☘️ - Returning to the AFL to play with Brisbane - 17/11
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It's the natural Gaelic style, youd back him to flatten it out over time.
he's very Pearce Hanleyish
Would be very happy with a Hanley type.
yaco55
Hall of Famer
I hope so - It's not a sustainable kicking action.
- Sep 28, 2007
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what were the games he was playing in when that highlight package was filmed?
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McKenna came fourth in the 2km time trial against the senior players. Very unexpected and impressive.
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An international Alliance (in Europe) against the AIS - AFL Academy earlier this year
I wrote elsewhere after watching training last week that the boy is a jet. Great combination of speed and endurance...there is a lot to work with here.
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The second round draft pick we don't have
Boundary Boy
Debutant
A bit over the top. May not sound fair on the young Irishman but cant help but compare to his rookie replacement Rayner who ran 5:45 in the 2km time trial last year. The club has never had such an athlete as Rayner before with an elite combination of speed and endurance and could actually play footy. That is round one quality IMHO and yet the club felt that it needed to choose between Rayner and the Irishman for the same rookie B spot FFS.
yaco55
Hall of Famer
You can have two category B rookies.
Boundary Boy
Debutant
Yeh up to three actually so my previous theory mentioned elsewhere on BF is that the club didnt want to pay an extra rookie salary is sounding like being ]
on the money. Strange considering:
1. club announced $700k+ profit
2. possible need for extra players in the early rounds next year (hopefully not)
3. rayner playing ok for someone who hadn't played for 4+ years; statistically was close to all the recruits despie playing mostly defensive /run with roles; and still had a few games over 25 when let of the leash for part of the game; and (being made to) play with severe injuries all season.
Boundary Boy
Debutant
pre season - ankle; fractured scapular.
early season - broken ribs and hip flexor
mid season - OP; ankle - torn ligaments and fractures
end of season - ankle operation.
Made to play with OP and ankle for second half of the year whilst team had a chance to make finals. Rayner put his own needs aside for the club risking long term damage to his ankle (and OP hard to shake) -remembering rayner had an elite running career including 2016 Olympics if footy didnt work out. Most disappointing though - as has come to light - the club was courting rayners replacement in April. So why would they put at risk his footy/athletics career when they knew he was unlikely to be extended if they got the irishma's sigature? seems inconsistent to their handling of Gleeson, Browne, Hams & Kommer.
Boundary Boy
Debutant
Yeh perhaps but I would have thought when the club officials sought approval to travel to Ireland a couple of times they might have worked out who was their preference to pick. im presuming also that the list managers are on top of their budget and wouldn't have left it until October to go to the Board and ask for an extra $50k because they were surprised that McKenna picked our club.
In the end its totally the clubs perrogative to pick one player over another. Just curious what happened in the space of a year that changed the clubs mind on rayner; when they changed their mind; and did they show a reasonable duty of care for the young bloke who seemed to have it altogether and deserved to develop further given the sacrafices he obviously made to have a crack at footy.
Any chance he'll turn up in our vfl side?
Just from an Irish perspective, you would have been mad not to take McKenna once he expressed an interest in going to Essendon, irrespective of who else you had on your list (and as has been said, Irish rookies are separate to the other Cat B rookies). The kid was a superb underage Gaelic Footballer and clearly wants to become an AFL player given he was playing it in his spare time at home, therefore a far reduced risk of of him going home.
From speaking to someone who is very good friends with a teammate of his on the AFL Europe team, they said the young AIS boys were astonished at how good McKenna was. Add that to his pedigree as an elite underage footballer and you have potentially a huge bargain on your hands. Suggestions of him being a replacement second round pick for you aren't too far off the mark to be honest; it wouldn't surprise me at all if he played some AFL next year.
I hope it goes well for him anyway and that he becomes a good news story for Essendon amid all the other stuff going on.
From speaking to someone who is very good friends with a teammate of his on the AFL Europe team, they said the young AIS boys were astonished at how good McKenna was. Add that to his pedigree as an elite underage footballer and you have potentially a huge bargain on your hands. Suggestions of him being a replacement second round pick for you aren't too far off the mark to be honest; it wouldn't surprise me at all if he played some AFL next year.
I hope it goes well for him anyway and that he becomes a good news story for Essendon amid all the other stuff going on.
Awesome to hear! Cheers mate!
Just out of curiosity, would you have an idea why Conor isnt part of the Irish side for the Int Rules?
Not suggesting that the Irish side is average and that he could just walk straight in but as you mentioned he was a superb Gaelic footballer as a kid and have now had some AFL experience which would have been handy?
Only wondering as I just want to watch him run around in a game and NAB cup is wayyy too far away!
Awesome to hear! Cheers mate!
Just out of curiosity, would you have an idea why Conor isnt part of the Irish side for the Int Rules?
Not suggesting that the Irish side is average and that he could just walk straight in but as you mentioned he was a superb Gaelic footballer as a kid and have now had some AFL experience which would have been handy?
Only wondering as I just want to watch him run around in a game and NAB cup is wayyy too far away!
He was called up to the Tyrone senior squad last year but I don't think he played any games with them. All his impressive performances would have come at U18 level or schools. So really it would be akin to a Petracca or a Brayshaw playing for Australia.
Maybe if he had a year's worth of VFL games under his belt, but realistically he was never going to be picked ahead of the best Gaelic Footballers in Ireland off the back of a couple of (albeit impressive) low key Australian Rules games.
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That is ******* atrocious. You would think after 2012 the club would have learned to treat the players with a little more respect than that. I get that its a cut throat industry these days but ******* over players and dumping them on a whim will kill any vestiges of loyalty to the club that drafted you left in modern footy.
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Conor McKenna vs AFL under18s, Conor was weraring #4
possessions at
1:39 great effort here
3:56
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13:50 great tackle
14:43
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possessions at
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possessions at
1:39 great effort here
3:56
9:36
13:50 great tackle
14:43
possessions at
2:58
8:04
11:15
13:47
possessions at
3:14
8:17
9:28
10:32
13:32
14:49
15:39
possessions at
1:12
2:25
4:45
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Had a good chat with Conor yesterday over some Jimmy Grants. Some things of note, When asked what position he will be playing, he said half back and that he is modelling his game on Piece Hanley and is watching a lot of tapes of him with 'Neeldy'. Quite a few of the other clubs had shown him select headlines about our last 18 months when he would visit their facilities and do interviews, which in turn made him want to join the club even more. His reaction when asked what the TVS centre was ''You have to go see it for yourself, it's unbelievable'' he made a face that made him look in entire disbelief. Off home to Ireland in the next week or so for a month. He said he would rather stay here and go surfing 
- May 6, 2007
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Had a good chat with Conor yesterday over some Jimmy Grants. Some things of note, When asked what position he will be playing, he said half back and that he is modelling his game on Piece Hanley and is watching a lot of tapes of him with 'Neeldy'. Quite a few of the other clubs had shown him select headlines about our last 18 months when he would visit their facilities and do interviews, which in turn made him want to join the club even more. His reaction when asked what the TVS centre was ''You have to go see it for yourself, it's unbelievable'' he made a face that made him look in entire disbelief. Off home to Ireland in the next week or so for a month. He said he would rather stay here and go surfing
What a tremendous young man wanting to prove people wrong than take the easy way out.
jmoo wan
Formally Mr Jmoo Wan
Every time I read anything about this guy, or hear him speak he comes across as just a magnificent person. I'm really excited about his next few years
Had a good chat with Conor yesterday over some Jimmy Grants. Some things of note, When asked what position he will be playing, he said half back and that he is modelling his game on Piece Hanley and is watching a lot of tapes of him with 'Neeldy'. Quite a few of the other clubs had shown him select headlines about our last 18 months when he would visit their facilities and do interviews, which in turn made him want to join the club even more. His reaction when asked what the TVS centre was ''You have to go see it for yourself, it's unbelievable'' he made a face that made him look in entire disbelief. Off home to Ireland in the next week or so for a month. He said he would rather stay here and go surfing
Some success is vital for the club now. "Despite all the unfair public judgement we managed to battle through and come out the other side stronger than ever, demonstrating the culture of our club" will sell well.
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