Retired #45: Conor McKenna ☘️ - Returning to the AFL to play with Brisbane - 17/11

Jul 20, 2019
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Just listened to the Robbo melt.

Is he seriously bringing the whole wedding thing back into contention? It blew my mind the first time people raised their eyebrows. FFS People actually questioning why he was allowed to go and attend??

Get a flipping grip!!

If my employers told me I couldn't take time off for my brother's wedding I'd tell them where to shove it. And yes I know I'm not a professional athlete but that's beside the point.
 

Hitch Hiker

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Thank christ for that! Came rushing here in my drunken state thinking he'd knocked an old codger out have a schooner in a Dublin bar.
 

Matthew_Lloyd

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Just listened to the Robbo melt.

Is he seriously bringing the whole wedding thing back into contention? It blew my mind the first time people raised their eyebrows. FFS People actually questioning why he was allowed to go and attend??

Get a flipping grip!!

If my employers told me I couldn't take time off for my brother's wedding I'd tell them where to shove it. And yes I know I'm not a professional athlete but that's beside the point.
Robbo is a blithering idiot. There are more important things in people's lives than football ffs
 

Kakkle

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Surprisingly good read from an article on the AFL site. Nice to hear that his brother and his wife will move down for 6 months.

I hope to god I'm wrong, but I still think he'll go back at some stage before his time is well & truly up.

Will be interested to see if that forward role does eventuate.
 
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Robbo is a blithering idiot. There are more important things in people's lives than football ffs
very true.

That article above outlines why the club made the right (and only) decision:

"My brother actually moved the wedding six weeks forward so it would suit me better," [McKenna] said.

"I told them well in advance and said what I was looking to do and they were very supportive and said 'Yeah, that's grand, go home because you were probably going to miss a game being rested or something', so I took it as that.

"The club could've just turned around and said no, but I think it could have backfired if it said no. Because if I had have missed a family event like that, I've missed weddings but not with my immediate family, then I don't know if I'd be willing to do it, honestly.

"For them to give me the confidence to go over, have my week, and then get back into it has worked really well."
 

Haychh

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I said earlier in the year when he was struggling he should be playing forward. I think he's too valuable down back when he's on though.

McKenna, Raz and Walla in the same forward line would be fun to watch though
 
I said earlier in the year when he was struggling he should be playing forward. I think he's too valuable down back when he's on though.

McKenna, Raz and Walla in the same forward line would be fun to watch though

He'd probably be pretty good on a wing.
 

cAsEy_18

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He'd be pretty good at playing footy.

I know Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti enjoys playing footy, but maybe we get him and McKenna to switch roles.
 
He'd probably be pretty good on a wing.
Disagree. Unlike guys like Ridley and Ham he isn't a 360 degree player which will hamper his ability to consistently impact on a wing.
 

astrowizzle

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Jul 3, 2007
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Just listened to the Robbo melt.

Is he seriously bringing the whole wedding thing back into contention? It blew my mind the first time people raised their eyebrows. FFS People actually questioning why he was allowed to go and attend??

Get a flipping grip!!

If my employers told me I couldn't take time off for my brother's wedding I'd tell them where to shove it. And yes I know I'm not a professional athlete but that's beside the point.
BUT why on Earth didn't he just fly there wedding party over here and get married. Ffs
 

blitzer

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I wouldn't be against McKenna as a forward IF he's actually good up there. I know he was bloody good in the forward line in the VFL but early in his AFL career he simply didn't have the experience or the smarts to make it work up there. I'd be willing to revisit that but he'd need to be able to perform.

Its not like we don't have other options. Saad, Redman, Gleeson, McGrath etc. He'd still be available to move down back when injuries hit etc. Plus its much easier to find a good defender than a good forward.

My question is mostly whether he can make it work as a forward. He's not a bad mark but not really that great that he will take contested marks reliably and I'm not sure he'll be that good when a defender is on his hammer taking marks at full pace either. On the positive side he can bomb long goals which is always nice.
 
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