Conor McKenna chases historic feat: first Irish player to win two premierships
McKenna could become the first Irish-born AFL player to win multiple premierships if Brisbane wins Saturday's Grand Final.
Conor McKenna is one of only four Irishmen to win a flag, but Saturday night he has a chance to stand alone as the first to win two. McKenna won his first flag with Brisbane in 2024 and has had his best season in 2026, winning the Goal of the Year award and predominantly playing as a forward, where he has kicked 24 goals.
McKenna played all 26 games in his first season at Brisbane, which ended in a four-point Grand Final loss to Collingwood. Brisbane brought him back to Australia in late 2022 after he had returned home to Ireland, where he won an All-Ireland title.
His club spent effort tracking him and convincing him to return. Now 30, McKenna has played 20 consecutive games this year and eight of his top 10 rated games according to Champion Data have been in 2026.
- Only 4 total
- Irish-born AFL flag winners
- 30
- McKenna's age
- 24
- Goals kicked in 2026
- 20
- Consecutive games in 2026
Why it mattersAn Irish milestone in Australian rules football, shows the global reach of the AFL and the competition for rare talent.
AustraliaMajor AFL fans in Australia follow the Grand Final closely; McKenna represents a growing pipeline of Irish players in the league.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 49 min ago
