Brisbane has confirmed Conor McKenna will become a Lion.
McKenna was choosing between several clubs when multiple reports stated on Thursday that McKenna had chosen Brisbane.
The club has announced that the 26-year-old has signed a one-year contract. He’ll join the Lions through the pre-season supplemental selection period.
The secret's officially out!
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) November 18, 2022
Welcome to the den Conor 🦁
After choosing Brisbane over several potential suitors including St Kilda and Port Adelaide, McKenna said he was looking forward to playing AFL next year.
McKenna previously spent six years at Essendon as a dashing defender.
“I am delighted to be joining the Lions at such an exciting time for the Club, both on field and off field, including the great new facilities at Springfield,” McKenna said in a club statement.
“I wanted to come back to a Club that was playing deep into finals pushing for a premiership and Brisbane have been doing that for the last number of years.
“The Club has been great for both myself and my partner Amy in making us feel comfortable and putting foundations in place to make sure the move out goes as smooth as possible.
“I am really looking forward to getting back out and into the swing of things.”
Ahead of McKenna beginning pre-season training with the Lions on December 6, Brisbane football manager Danny Daly said: “We see Conor being a player who further improves our list, particularly as he adds both run and speed.
“He showed in his time at Essendon that one of his strengths is that he can play at both ends of the ground, and he can also win plenty of the ball.
“We look forward to Conor putting in a solid pre-season and helping us go that next step in 2023.”