Conor McKenna: 'I'd love to be in Brisbane Lions 22 but I'll remain patient'

Groin difficulties have curbed the Tyrone man's contribution to the Queensland club this season. He was withdrawn from the squad and reassigned to the VFL lower league team before returning to the starting team for the final regular round game against Essendon

McKenna playing for Tyrone in 2022 

It’s been a topsy-turvy road for Conor McKenna to his second AFL Grand Final this but Tyrone’s 2021 All-Ireland SFC winner is happy to be able to contribute to the Brisbane Lions' effort.

The Eglish man was an ever-present for the Lions as they reached last year’s decider only to be undone by Collingwood in dramatic circumstances.

This time around, groin difficulties have curbed his contribution to the Queensland club’s season. He was withdrawn from the squad and reassigned to the VFL lower league team before returning to the starting team for the final regular round game against Essendon.

In the three games since, he has been introduced from the bench and he is expected to do so again in Saturday’s final against the Sydney Swans in the Melbourne Cricket Grounds.

It’s not a role McKenna is entirely happy but with he’s not going to turn his nose up at it. “I’d rather be playing (in the 22) but that’s my role at the moment,” McKenna told Australian media.

“If I’m selected to play this week, I’d love to play from the start but if not, I’ll be the sub again and come on and have an impact like I’ve had for the past three weeks. That’s all I can do. Obviously, you’d rather be playing from the start, but it’s not that easy in this team. When we’re going well, we don’t really change much.” Utilised as a forward at times this year, McKenna’s deft kick-pass to set up team-mate Logan Morris for a goal in the final quarter of the epic preliminary final win over Oisín Mullin and Mark O’Connor’s Geelong last weekend was one of the game’s highlights.

“I’ve talked to ‘Fages’ (Lions coach Chris Fagan) about playing forward this year, and you can do more stuff like that in the forward line,” said McKenna. “There’s less risk than doing it in defence, so it’s something I want to keep working on. It’s something I can have an impact with when I come on. Having me as an option to play anywhere on the field helps the team.”