I can’t believe McKenna is this good this quick

WHEN Tadhg Kennelly returned home to us in 2009, it was said that a modest road-trip to the less-than-hallowed turf of Lyreacrompane formed part of his orientation programme. Jack O’Connor, concerned that Tadhg’s 10 years in the AFL had dulled his instinct for our game, instructed Tadhg to get back with his club and play as much ball as possible in the pre-season.

Allegedly, that included a trip to Lyre, a remote but lyrical spot in deepest north Kerry where the local field is noted for the quality of its natural manure rather than its manicured grass.

‘By God,’ replied Tadhg in an Australian twang, ‘it’s quite the distance from the MCG to Lyreacrompane.’

Indeed, but Conor McKenna’s gift is that he has made today’s trip from Melbourne to MacCumhail Park look like a gentle stroll.

There is so much to look forward to in Tyrone taking on Donegal. It is also sad that a genuine heavyweight contender will be laid out by the end of the first round – that said, there is something thrilling about it, too.

And, of course, McKenna is the icing on the cake. I just can’t believe he is this good this quick.

I witnessed Tadhg and Tommy Walsh come back into our dressing room straight from Aussie Rules and they struggled to adjust.

To be fair, Tommy had suffered a horrendous injury – the kind that could end a sporting career – when he tore his hamstring off the bone. To make such a good fist of what was, in effect, his third coming as a Kerry footballer last year was particularly pleasing for me.

When most people think of Tadhg’s year in 2009, they probably remember his jig on the steps of the Hogan Stand and the fact he danced off with an All-Ireland medal and All-Star award.

But the truth is, he had to battle hard to get his place and was regularly on the bench for periods of that season.

His mental strength and incredible focus really struck me.

When you leave home to go the other side of the world, fend for yourself and, above all, play not just for glory but for your livelihood, you develop the kind of mental endurance that can’t be taught for free.

You can bet that McKenna, especially after some of the heat he took from a hostile Aussie media, has those qualities too, but it’s his ball skills that elevate him to a whole different level.

I don’t believe half enough fuss was made about the quality of his first goal against Mayo last Sunday, the way he flips the ball with his right, swivels and strikes so sweetly with his left looked so natural that I’m grateful I wear slippers and not boots on Sunday afternoons now.

The quality of his playmaking; the dinked pass to Peter Harte, the awareness of hitting Michael McKernan for an advance mark, the driven through-ball to Darragh Canavan for the gifted youngster’s goal, the awareness to toe-poke the ball into Darren McCurry for a momentum-winning point… it was simply a masterclass.

A few months ago, I would have had no doubt about the outcome of today’s game, especially in Cathal McShane’s absence.

And it is not just that McKenna has been transformative, Tyrone have now developed into such a good kicking team without compromising their defensive structure.

The likes of Mattie Donnelly, Harte, McCurry and Canavan – who instantly reminded me of his father Peter in the way he buried his goal so clinically – have the capacity to draw blood and are all complete players suited to a direct game.

Meanwhile, Kieran McGeary has become critically important, in terms of his tacking, link play, kicking and support running and if Tyrone can win here, they have the look of a team that will make it into December.

Will they? I am not so sure.

They certainly will not lose like they did two weeks ago, when they pretty much decided not to go after the Donegal kick-out simply because they did not want to show their hand.

But then Donegal boss Declan Bonner was hardly in the business of giving away state secrets that day either and he has such a depth of highly talented players – Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Patrick McBrearty, Ryan McHugh and, of course, Michael Murphy would walk into any team in the land, irrespective of how many All-Ireland medal winners are in the dressing room.

They are a big team, but that size is matched by their skillset. They sent a ‘B’ team down to Tralee last weekend, but included some of the established players like Ciarán Thompson, who is a joy to watch up close. Add in the likes of Michael Langan, Hugh McFadden and, perhaps, Jason McGee, and there are few better teams built to profit when forcing the opposition to go long on restarts.

But what convinces me that this is likely to be Donegal’s day is Stephen McMenamin, who might just be the best man-marker in the game right now. He did a great job on David Clifford last summer and was on his case against last weekend, before he was benched at half-time with today in mind. Guess who he is going to mark today? If McMenamin can curb McKenna’s influence, it will be a gamechanger.

True, Tyrone will send out Pádraig Hampsey onto Murphy, but Donegal are conditioned in this fixture – although hardly last year when the captain was pivotal in their win in Breffni Park – to having the Glenswilly clubman taken to the game’s margins.

McKenna has seen it all but a winter Ulster championship in Ballybofey is something brand new.

It will be fascinating to see how he copes but if he doesn’t, it will be even more fascinating to see how Tyrone respond if their chief playmaker is on the fringes.

This may be the speed bump on McKenna’s long journey home, but it will be no more than that.

But while the future might be his, today most likely belongs to Donegal.