Conor McKenna can add another chapter to Ireland's AFL story

In the small hours of Saturday morning, Conor McKenna has a chance to join Tadhg Kennelly as the second man to add an AFL Premiership title to an All-Ireland medal.

McKenna's Brisbane Lions reached the Grand Final for the second year running after narrowly defeating Geelong in last weekend's preliminary final.

The 28-year old has spent the bulk of his footballing career in Australia first during a six-year stint with Essendon which concluded in the midst of the Covid lockdown in 2020. He returned to Australia before the 2023 season, signing for the Lions.

Sandwiched in between, he managed to snatch an unlikely All-Ireland medal, Tyrone capitalising on Dublin's mysterious off-year to win 2021's straight knockout championship. McKenna was prominent enough in the success, slipping home two goals as they caught Kerry on the hop in the semi-final. In the final, he laid on the killer second goal for Darren McCurry with a stylish no-look fist pass across goal.

Tyrone's title defence was limp, and McKenna was one of two players sent off in the chastening Ulster SFC defeat to Derry. Soon enough, he'd be gone back Down Under.

He's made 17 appearances for Brisbane in the run to the final in 2024, with an inventive little pass to create a goal in last weekend's victory being circulated in the Irish corner of social media.

It's nearly 60 years since the earliest interactions between Aussie Rules and Gaelic football, when "colourful" Australian sports promoter and media mogul Harry Beitzel brought a crack team of VFL (Victorian Football League, as it was then) stars to play the slightly worse for wear All-Ireland champions Meath in Croke Park in the autumn of 1967.

The game in question was basically Gaelic football - minus the pick-up - and