HANDLING THE HYPE
CONOR McKENNA RETURNING AFL STAR WITH THE IS CONFOUNDING DOUBTERS TO GAELIC EASE OF HIS READJUSTMENT TEAM-MATE FOOTBALL... AND TYRONE MORE TO COME McGEARY SAYS THERE’S
KIERAN McGEARY’S curiosity turned to concern last month when he decided to check out the form of a former team-mate. Conor McKenna was back in the country and back in the game after calling time on his six years in the AFL. The word was that he was togging out with Eglish in their clash with Donaghmore.
‘He was only home a few days. There was a massive crowd there that day to watch him and he wasn’t playing. You were left thinking, can he live up to the expectations given the crowd was there to watch him?’ admits McGeary.
Two competitive games i nto his i nter- county career and McKenna has addressed those fears with jaw-dropping performances against Donegal and Tyrone.
His aggregate total of 3-4 across those two games rubbishes the notion that his call-up to the county panel was designed to help him get up to speed for next season. In fact, his scoring barely scratches the surface of his impact on Tyrone.
His ability to win contested possession,
‘He’s so versatile, we’re lucky to have him’
in the air and on the ground, is a legacy of his successful tenure with Essendon, i n a sport where the focus remains less on controlled possession and more on having to win 50-50 battles.
His speed was never an issue — and was one of his selling points to Essendon — but it’s his touch and kicking skills that have confounded observers.
In Sunday’s win over Mayo, his first goal was sourced in touch, chipping a rolling ball into his hand before instantly swivelling and firing to the net.
His second was i nstinctive, reacting to a poor David Clarke kick-out and retaining his composure despite stumbling to the ground.
But it was the goal he did not score that made the biggest impression. The driven 30-metre pass with the outside of his boot to Darragh Canavan revealed just how quickly and comfortably he has readjusted to kicking an O’Neill’s.
McGeary, who had played at minor level with McKenna, was not surprised.
‘I played with him, and he was no different. He’s the exact same player,’ he said.
‘He’s a great asset for us. You could play him centre half-back next week and he could run the legs off a centre half-forward, you High quality: Conor McKenna in action over the weekend could put him wing half-back, you could put him wing half-forward. He’s a versatile player. ‘We’re extremely lucky to have him home considering big Cathal (McShane) is out. You’d like to know and see what those two could do up front if they’re both played i nside. We’ll t ake McKenna now that we have him,’ added McGeary.
On top of his ability, McKenna’s mentality will add so much to the team. Once the star turn on the minor team that reached the 2013 All-Ireland final, it was his desire to pick up the threads of his intercounty career that saw him turn his back on a lucrative professional career.
That attitude has made a big impression on his new teammates. ‘He’s as down-to-earth as it comes,’ admits McGeary.
‘Honestly, you wouldn’t have thought he was a professional athlete, the way he’s come back to training. He has a fantastic attitude, he wants to be out there today, rain, hail or snow, he wants to be playing with a Tyrone jersey on his back.’
McKenna’s presence is perhaps
the biggest argument in favour of Tyrone defying the form book and the odds — they are 7/4 outsiders — in Sunday’s mouth-watering Ulster quarter- f i nal cl ash with Donegal.
Their r ecent dress rehearsal was won comf ortably by Declan Bonner’s side, a result which allowed them to field a weakened team to play Kerry in their f i nal League game — a luxury not available to Mickey Harte for Tyrone’s trip to Mayo. Donegal’s mauling in Tralee did little to alter fears that it will be a short winter for the Red Hands.
McGeary admits that they have to find a way this week to ‘fix’ the flaws exposed in that recent 2-17 to 2-13 defeat in Ballybofey. ‘We’re against it next week, going back up there. We’ve survived to stay in Division 1 but nobody really talks about League come Championship. That chapter’s over. ‘There’s a lot of things we need to sort out. We didn’t get our own ki ck- outs in play the l ast day, their kick-outs were better, they ran harder, we missed tackles where they didn’t. ‘It was the biggest fourpoint win for them, it should have been more and they probably know that. I don’t know where you go about starting to nail one thing that will fix it.’