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'Typical Victorian': Conor McKenna savaged over positive virus test

A 50-50 split images shows Ray Hadley on the left and Conor McKenna on the right.
Shock jock Ray Hadley has ripped into Essendon's Conor McKenna, as well as the entire state of Victoria, over the Bombers star's positive coronavirus test. Pictures: Getty Images

Sydney radio shock jock Ray Hadley has ripped into Essendon star Conor McKenna, after the Bombers forward’s positive coronavirus test threw the AFL into turmoil.

Hadley, while acknowledging McKenna had recently returned from his home country of Ireland, wrote the crafty forward off as a ‘typical Victorian’ after it was revealed McKenna had flouted several of the AFL’s stringent preventative measures.

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It was reported over the weekend that McKenna had broken the rules to go to an open house inspection, as well as visit his host family.

The Irishman completed his mandatory two-week hotel quarantine upon arriving in Australia without incident several weeks prior to competition starting.

A furious Hadley lumped the rest of Victoria in with McKenna, accusing the entire state of being reckless when it came to obeying restrictions, even as they began to ease over recent weeks.

“He came back from his native Ireland, went into two weeks quarantine and then he broke just about every AFL rule they put in place in relation to isolation,” Hadley said.

“He went to a home inspection with his partner, that was barred. He visited friends and that was barred and he was told with all the AFL players to isolate.

“To my way of thinking, McKenna typifies the attitude of many Victorians: The rules don’t apply to me and hence we have what we have now.

“As a result of McKenna’s actions, the AFL season is on tenterhooks because of this bloke, six of his teammates can’t play and Essendon are a basket case.

“The AFL will be a basket case because of the stupidity of one person.

“He should be suspended indefinitely for an act of stupidity that could cost the AFL hundreds of millions of dollars.”

McKenna facing suspension after virus breaches

McKenna returned a positive result on Saturday, forcing Sunday's planned Essendon-Melbourne at the MCG to be postponed indefinitely.

The club's immediate playing future - including scheduled matches against Carlton (June 27) and Collingwood (July 3) in the next fortnight - is now uncertain.

But McKenna’s future is even more uncertain after it emerged on Sunday that he’d apparently admitted to attending an open house viewing and visiting family and friends despite multiple warnings.

It’s also emerged that McKenna was at an indoor meeting with the whole Essendon backline on Saturday while his coronavirus test was still pending.

“Conor McKenna could be suspended for the foreseeable future for sparking the COVID breach that has of course plunged the AFL season into peril again,” Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph told Fox Footy’s Sunday Ticket.