AFL 2020: Essendon coach weighing up whether to pick Irishman after his COVID-19 positive

Conor McKenna tested positive to COVID-19 last month, then negative two days later. He’s out of his third stretch of COVID-19 quarantine, one in Ireland and two in Australia, and could line up against Collingwood this Friday night.

Conor McKenna during Essendon's training .

Essendon coach John Worsfold is weighing up a “risk versus reward” strategy around picking Conor McKenna for Friday’s clash with Collingwood.

The Irishman has returned to the club having served a third period of quarantine following his positive-then-negative tests for COVID-19.

Teammate James Stewart was forced into quarantine, deemed a close contact of McKenna, who trained while positive, forcing the postponement of Essendon’s Round 3 clash with Melbourne.

The Essendon Football Club in lockdown.

McKenna hasn’t played a game since last season and endured what Worsfold called an “interesting year” after going home to Ireland in the off-season and battling homesickness when the AFL season was suspended.

Worsfold said McKenna was in “great shape” both physically and mentally and had even completed a training session on his own this week as he pressed his claims to play against the Magpies.

But having seen a series of injuries in recent weeks, which Worsfold said could be related to a lack of full conditioning, he wasn’t sure McKenna could go straight back into an AFL battle.

Essendon and Collingwood have a 12-a-side scratch match planned for this weekend, and McKenna could play in that to get ready for a Round 7 return.

“I don’t know if I am leaning towards being conservative, but I am very conscious of rushing in a player and potentially losing them for three or four weeks (to injury),” Worsfold said on Wednesday.

“What he can do in the next few days versus just giving him a hit out, we’re weighing that up. There is definitely risk versus reward there.”

Worsfold said he would be “guessing” as to whether the toll of everything that had happened to McKenna this year, including attacks from outside the club after his positive coronavirus test and biosecurity breaches, would force the Irishman to go home permanently.

“I am not going to guess how Conor might be feeling in six months or 18 months’ time,” Worsfold said.

“For young people things change quickly. There are all sorts of things that impact their decision-making.

“Our job is to support Conor in what he’s here for. He’s had a couple of false starts this year, hopefully we can get him up and going again.”

Worsfold also took aim at some of McKenna’s outspoken critics and said they may have shot their mouths off without being fully armed with the facts.

“It’s a new world, we are hearing the words breach of protocols, we shouldn’t just jump to conclusions that they have been deliberate,” he said.

“There will be levels of discretion. It takes a little bit longer to get absolute clear on what all the facts are.”

Young midfielder Dylan Clarke looms as a potential inclusion to replace suspended Bomber Zach Merrett for Friday’s game.

Worsfold said Merrett had copped his suspension, for a swinging arm punch to Carlton’s Jack Silvagni’s ribs last week, knowing players had a “duty of care” to their opponents.

“Zach understood that there was a fairly serious injury that occurred out of his action. AFL footballers understand that for the majority of times they are accountable for that,” Worsfold said.

“I don’t think Zach’s action was intentional or malicious … but if it causes injury and is not part of a tackle, you are facing some sort of sanction.”

Originally published as AFL 2020: Essendon coach weighing up whether to pick Irishman after his COVID-19 positive