'I'll buy a horse'

Tyrone AFL star Conor McKenna has said he might "buy a horse" after picking up a AU$50,000 (€30,000) windfall after winning the Coles goal of the year at the annual Brownlow Medal end of season awards.

The Eglish man will be hoping it's the first of a double celebration as his Brisbane Lions side – with Kilkenny’s Darragh Joyce also part of the roster – aiming for Grand Final glory against the Freemantle Dockers at the MCG on Saturday morning (5.30am Irish time).

McKenna beat off competition from Western Bulldogs’ Bailey Williams and Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett to take the prize after his stunning outside of the boot finish against Collingwood in Round 24.

He is the first Irish player to win the award and only the third Lions after Will Aschroft (2023) and Jason Akermanis (2002) - two years after the latter’s famed bust up with another Tyrone man, Peter Canavan.

"A bit of my Gaelic skills came in there," McKenna said of his goal when addressing the Brownlow ceremony by video link from the Gabba in Brisbane.

"I have my club Eglish in County Tyrone to thank for that so back to my young days.

"A few of the boys thought it was a fluke but I did it again at the weekend (v Hawthorn) so I guess it’s not really."

McKenna, who starred as Tyrone won the Sam Maguire in 2021, held ambitions of being a jockey when younger and rode in a number of amateur races before Gaelic football and, ultimately, Australian rules football took preference.

"If my wife (Amy) asks it’s probably for the house but if I get my way I’ll buy a horse probably, we’ll see how we go," he said of the prize money.

In 2024, McKenna joined Kerry’s Tadhg Kennelly (Kerry and Sydney Swans) in becoming only the second player to hold a Celtic Cross and AFL medal when Brisbane defeated the Swans in the Grand Final. Zach Touhy and Mark O’Connor are other Premiership winners.

The Lions retained last season, but McKenna was only involved with their VFL side before returning to prominence this term having played 20 times.

Joyce, meanwhile, has appeared three times this season having joined the Lions in 2023 after being delisted by St Kilda.

As expected, Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos eased to the Brownlow Medal after the voting process took place.

Awarded to the fairest and best in the AFL, it is the highest individual honour in the game.

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