Conor McKenna came back into the AFL in 2023 after 2 years in Ireland playing with Tyrone having played a significant role in their 2021 All-Ireland victory. A lot of teams were vying for his signature given the impact he had at Essendon Bombers where he was consistently one of their best on ground with his run and carry off half back. McKenna opted for the Brisbane Lions given they were within their 'premiership window' and likely to be competitive deep into the final's series. How right he was!

McKenna played every match in the season and had a number of standout performances. Brisbane made it all the way to the Grand Final with McKenna having a terrific performance in the Prelim Final (Semi Final in every other sport) with 20 Disposals and a GAA style goal. It wasn't to be in the Granny with Brisbane coming up just short against an exceptional Collingwood Team.