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

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citizen-erased said:
we seem to have a lot of same-same types in our defence depth.

Hurley, Ambrose, Gleeson, Ridley, Francis, Brown, Dea.
one serious FB in Hartley. one serious rebounding HBF in McKenna. One true BP in Baguley.

Im keen to see Parish and McGrath ripping up our wings.
We were a top 3 scoring team this year, but our defence struggled when the midfield didn't protect it. If there is a back pocket out there with McGrath's defensive game as their primary strength we should target them. McGrath is too good an overall player to be pigeon holed (Yes, i went there), as a defender.
I still like Hartley as a FB, but he's still a work in progress at the moment. Very exposed if Hurley & Ambrose aren't also in the team, or we are stretched.
Bags has been solid for most of the year. But at his age, we need to be grooming his successor.
A young BP needs to be added to the list.
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Our backs other than McKenna and Hurley are very vanilla. I think Francis and potentially Ridley can assist there in coming years but we really need to add run. I personally don't think Gleeson offers enough attack(I know others disagree) and Hartley and Ambrose are primarily defenders.

Our midfield is going to be completely different next year and I expect it will offer far more running ability so I'm not as concerned about it. McGrath is the key though. He needs to transition to midfield next year and that why I keep saying we need another running defender.

Yes, we need a backpocket but we also need another runner. I think Redman can fill the role vacated by Kelly.
 
Killer_Mike said:
Our backs other than McKenna and Hurley are very vanilla. I think Francis and potentially Ridley can assist there in coming years but we really need to add run. I personally don't think Gleeson offers enough attack(I know others disagree) and Hartley and Ambrose are primarily defenders.

Our midfield is going to be completely different next year and I expect it will offer far more running ability so I'm not as concerned about it. McGrath is the key though. He needs to transition to midfield next year and that why I keep saying we need another running defender.

Yes, we need a backpocket but we also need another runner. I think Redman can fill the role vacated by Kelly.
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Redman strikes me as the replacement for McGrath moving into the middle
need to go back a look at our setups.
We run a lot of defensive type players
Hurley, Hartley, Ambrose, Baguley, Kelly, Gleeson, McKenna, McGrath
McGrath is now a mid. Hurley missed the weekend, but we've run with the remainder of them before.

McKenna is a very critical player to hold on to. May end up paying him more than we normally would, but given we have no depth coming through, he can hold us to ransom a bit.
 
citizen-erased said:
Redman strikes me as the replacement for McGrath moving into the middle
need to go back a look at our setups.
We run a lot of defensive type players
Hurley, Hartley, Ambrose, Baguley, Kelly, Gleeson, McKenna, McGrath
McGrath is now a mid. Hurley missed the weekend, but we've run with the remainder of them before.

McKenna is a very critical player to hold on to. May end up paying him more than we normally would, but given we have no depth coming through, he can hold us to ransom a bit.
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I think McKenna has openly stated he doesn't want to stay in AFL long term and wanted to go back home to finish his career playing irish footy.?

I don't begrudge him the chance to shop around. Hopefully stays loyal but has earnt the right to get paid what he is worth.
 

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HirdsTheWord said:
I think McKenna has openly stated he doesn't want to stay in AFL long term and wanted to go back home to finish his career playing irish footy.?
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While that's true, he also has no plans to go back in the immediate future. Looking at the players in the last Sam (thanks Alfred E Neuman): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_Final

Most of them are in their 30s. The younger ones are around 27, and there's a few 24 year olds in there as well. As an amateur league there's no salary for playing. So based on that Conor probably doesn't go back for quite a while.

I think he also cited Tadhg Kennelly's career as something to model off (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadhg_Kennelly), Kennelly was apparently on about $750,000 during the peak of his career with Sydney, played in two GFs and was the first Irishman to win one. He was 27 when he went back to Ireland at the end of 2008, won an All-Ireland with Kerry and then came back and played for the Swans for another couple of years in 2010/2011.
 
Lore said:
While that's true, he also has no plans to go back in the immediate future. Looking at the players in the last Sam (thanks Alfred E Neuman): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_Final

Most of them are in their 30s. The younger ones are around 27, and there's a few 24 year olds in there as well. As an amateur league there's no salary for playing. So based on that Conor probably doesn't go back for quite a while.

I think he also cited Tadhg Kennelly's career as something to model off (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadhg_Kennelly), Kennelly was apparently on about $750,000 during the peak of his career with Sydney, played in two GFs and was the first Irishman to win one. He was 27 when he went back to Ireland at the end of 2008, won an All-Ireland with Kerry and then came back and played for the Swans for another couple of years in 2010/2011.
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if McKenna wins one with bombers than im good to go.
 
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DERO said:
We could do with another one or two just like him. McGrath is the only other.
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Morgan was meant to be one. Looks unlikely, but.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Lore said:
While that's true, he also has no plans to go back in the immediate future. Looking at the players in the last Sam (thanks Alfred E Neuman): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_Final

Most of them are in their 30s. The younger ones are around 27, and there's a few 24 year olds in there as well. As an amateur league there's no salary for playing. So based on that Conor probably doesn't go back for quite a while.

I think he also cited Tadhg Kennelly's career as something to model off (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadhg_Kennelly), Kennelly was apparently on about $750,000 during the peak of his career with Sydney, played in two GFs and was the first Irishman to win one. He was 27 when he went back to Ireland at the end of 2008, won an All-Ireland with Kerry and then came back and played for the Swans for another couple of years in 2010/2011.
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Very surprised to see Kennelly was on so much money.
750k a season was a lot back then in the AFL. Especially as Kennelly wouldn't of been in Sydney's top three players.
 
Capt Hindsight said:
Very surprised to see Kennelly was on so much money.
750k a season was a lot back then in the AFL. Especially as Kennelly wouldn't of been in Sydney's top three players.
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That's just going off the wikipedia page but yeah, exactly. He would've been about 24 when he was on that money and they won the premiership.
 
HirdsTheWord said:
I think McKenna has openly stated he doesn't want to stay in AFL long term and wanted to go back home to finish his career playing irish footy.?

I don't begrudge him the chance to shop around. Hopefully stays loyal but has earnt the right to get paid what he is worth.
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I'd offer him a decent 400k pa deal for 4 years. Reassess where his plans are then.
Only just started enjoying watching the kid play this year. Be a shame to lose him now. Also, who will jig on our GF dais?
 
Capt Hindsight said:
Very surprised to see Kennelly was on so much money.
750k a season was a lot back then in the AFL. Especially as Kennelly wouldn't of been in Sydney's top three players.
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He may not of been in their top 3 players but he was in the top 3 important.

Run from defence is such a critical part of a side and especially for a side as defensive as Sydney were then.
 
Lore said:
While that's true, he also has no plans to go back in the immediate future. Looking at the players in the last Sam (thanks Alfred E Neuman): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship_Final

Most of them are in their 30s. The younger ones are around 27, and there's a few 24 year olds in there as well. As an amateur league there's no salary for playing. So based on that Conor probably doesn't go back for quite a while.

I think he also cited Tadhg Kennelly's career as something to model off (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadhg_Kennelly), Kennelly was apparently on about $750,000 during the peak of his career with Sydney, played in two GFs and was the first Irishman to win one. He was 27 when he went back to Ireland at the end of 2008, won an All-Ireland with Kerry and then came back and played for the Swans for another couple of years in 2010/2011.
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jesus, he was on 750k?

was a good player but 750k back than was a s**t load of cash.
 
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By the looks of it just purchased a horse with a heap of other Bombers players and coaches. Surely not leaving!
 

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Phone said:
In the absence of any citation, I would take that 750K figure very lightly. It could be entirely made up or it could be 750K over the life of the contract, etc.

But if Conor is planning to go back to Ireland in his 20's, he better make this deal a big one because he'll be on $0 when he goes back.
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That's the thing. Sign him up on something like the $500k he would deserve and then lets see how quickly he wants to return home. He can set up the rest of his life in the next 8 - 10 years.
 
Killer_Mike said:
If we can't find somebody then it means that McGrath will have to spend the majority of the year down there next year.
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I actually think McGrath would play this role beautifully. Has dash off half back, great athleticism, great vision, good kick, quick set of hands. Has proven that he can play down back and will also enable him the opportunity to press up the field into the midfield and help out.
 
chogby said:
I actually think McGrath would play this role beautifully. Has dash off half back, great athleticism, great vision, good kick, quick set of hands. Has proven that he can play down back and will also enable him the opportunity to press up the field into the midfield and help out.
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McGrath has had a fantastic year but his rebound in my opinion has not been a feature. I think early in the year he took the game on but from about halfway onwards he was effectively a lock down defender and offered little run. His handball to kick ratio confirms that for mine.

I would like to see him take up a position on the wing next year so we can use his strengths to better effect.

I do have concerns about rebound from defence next year though. In my opinion, it's our greatest weakness.
 
Why is he not signed yet? Get it done essington.
 
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