Ex-Brisbane Lion and current VFL-listed Bomber James Polkinghorne says he sees a young Pearce Hanley in Irish counterpart Conor Mckenna.

Hanley played his 100^th game for the Lions earlier this month and is regarded as one of the most skillful players in the AFL.

“Conor very much reminds me of Pearce Hanley in his younger days up in Brisbane,” Polkinghorne said.

“He’s a very good mover, he’s very strong and he’s got all the attributes.

“To have these attributes this early in his transition is a credit to him and a good sign on things to come.”

McKenna, 19, has booted 13 goals in 11 games for the VFL Dons since joining Essendon as a Category B rookie late last year.

“Conor is really dangerous,” Polkinghorne said.

“He has been playing mainly as a forward at the moment and he’s been really hard to predict and hard to play on for opposition defenses.”

Polkinghorne said he believes the youngster is on the right track to becoming a quality player for Essendon in the years to come.

“He’s really enjoying playing footy, which is the main thing.”