Conor McKenna returns to Ireland

AFL star Conor McKenna has left Essendon in order to return to Ireland, which is set to create speculation that he could be parachuted into the Tyrone senior intercounty panel.

It’s understood that McKenna, who was the star on the Tyrone minor team which reached the All-Ireland final in 2013, has quit Australian Rules due to homesickness and family-related reasons.

In a statement, Essendon’s General manager of football Dan Richardson commented:

“We have been in lengthy discussions with Conor over recent weeks and we are completely supportive of him returning home to be with his family at this time,” Richardson said. 

“We remain in constant communication with both Conor and his family and we will continue to provide our support during this period.” 

The news follows Cathal McShane’s decision to forgo an AFL career last week, and it’ll be fascinating to see whether McKenna re-joins the Tyrone set-up after a short period in the team back in 2014.