News Mark O'Connor apologises for playing secret Gaelic match

[Spazz Cat]

Secret Gaelic Match, sounds juicy.
Be good if we at least had one player who won a final.

 

[goyoucatters]

For those not too fussed, I would submit that is mostly about:

(1) The fact he didn't get injured, thereby compromising his 2019 at the Cattery; and
(2) The fact that many here see him as nothing more than a fringe player.

I'm fairly certain that if you amped up factors (1) or (2) above [for example, make it Tuohy suffering a career-ending knee injury whilst breaching his contractual obligations), some posters here would have seen it a little differently.

Classic case of the end result determining the prevailing attitude for mine.

Anyway, nothing much will happen from here about it. And I do hope MOC 'learns' something from this.

But given the long and storied history of footballers that could do with showing a bit more intelligence (and integrity) in how they conduct themselves, I'm not actually very confident that much will change (for him, or for all the others who could also do with 'learning' from it).

So, in the end, it's 'onward and upward' we go.

 

[cats_09]

Was it a stupid thing to do - yes

But if we are going to raise the issues of potential injury/ies etc from the match, he could have returned home to Ireland & played a game of Gaelic football with mates in the park (like kick to kick back here in Aus) and got injured doing that.

I'm glad he didn't get injured & chances are that he has definitely learnt his lesson - players make mistakes, you just hope they learn from them and that there aren't serious consequences as a result.

 

[Hamingja]

Is it that much different than Ablett or Abbott or whoever playing basketball? Gaelic is still an amateur sport isn't it?

Bigger risk to MoC than the club. He only has a 1 year rookie deal. If he wants to take the risk up to him IMO.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

On a "how annoyed am I" scale of 1 to ******* very, this doesn't even register.

 

[Max Milburn]

He got sent off for a foul. Probably forgot he isn't allowed to tackle.

 

[Turkey Tom]

If he got a serious injury, that would be a different story. Slap on the wrist is all that is required.

Didn't Bartel hurt his hand one off season playing cricket?

 

[hamG]

Brad Ottens impaled himself on a garden stake while trying to hang a hammock. Ban players from hanging hammocks.

 

[thecatattack]

Unless O'Connor was drunk the whole time (buying the ticket, on the plane, playing), I'd say its much much worse than the SJ incident.

Yeah, I know, alcohol is no excuse in one way.

Which one?

When he broke both his ankles jumping a fence drunk or being arrested for public drunkenness?

 

[Landgraft]

Brad Ottens impaled himself on a garden stake while trying to hang a hammock. Ban players from hanging hammocks.

Stevie J injured his thumb reaching into a bag for his keys...

 

[Boxhead_31]

Safer than water skiing.

Especially if your name is Brad Ottens

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Which one?

When he broke both his ankles jumping a fence drunk or being arrested for public drunkenness?

I don't condone either. I just have a different feel about the two stories. SJ was totally dedicated, but had trouble with the grog when he was young. O'Connor thinks he is dedicated. But that move makes me question his commitment. He will become a good ordinary player at best, methinks.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

So..
It was a 1/4 final, O'Connor did a great job shutting down the opposition in a game his club were expected to lose
They made the semi which they then drew
Can't blame the boy for having a kick with his mates

I say, why not? Let the guy do it. Just say if he injures himself then have some sort of clause in his contract that cats will not compensate him.

Yeah, this is my way of thinking. As far as the club and financials are concerned though I have no idea what a players' contract looks like or what kind of waivers and exemptions are woven into it, but if a player decides to do something outside the club's knowledge and is injured as a result it's only common sense that the club not compensate.

 

[Spearman]

Secret Gaelic Match, sounds juicy.
Be good if we at least had one player who won a final.

I don't know, I see the title and I think there was a local black out around the field, ID checked, no one not vetted allowed in to watch.

 

[GFrost]

It's that he was told ahead of time he couldn't do it but did it anyway that's the issue. Ordinary. And stupid, did he think they wouldn't find out?

 

[Pollywaffle]

It's that he was told ahead of time he couldn't do it but did it anyway that's the issue. Ordinary. And stupid, did he think they wouldn't find out?

Yeah that changes the dynamics a bit..

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Read it a little earlier and couldn't muster anything more than meh.
He did something minorly wrong, got told off by the club. Nothing more to see really.

Wonder how minor you would consider it if he suffered a serious injury that kept him out for the season.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I don't really get why the club didn't let him play. Is it any more dangerous than any training session or getting blind drunk which many players do over the off season? Apparently Connor Nash and Zach Tuohy have played in similar games before after getting permission. I wonder what was different this time. Sure after being told no he shouldn't have done it but it's hardly a hanging offence.

In recent times, the likes of Hawthorn’s Conor Nash and Geelong’s Zach Tuohy have lined out for Simonstown Gaels and Portlaoise respectively but were granted the go-ahead by their AFL outfits.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/break...ng-out-in-kerry-sfc-quarter-final-876222.html

 

[Max Milburn]

I don't really get why the club didn't let him play. Is it any more dangerous than any training session or getting blind drunk which many players do over the off season? Apparently Connor Nash and Zach Tuohy have played in similar games before after getting permission. I wonder what was different this time. Sure after being told no he shouldn't have done it but it's hardly a hanging offence.



https://www.irishexaminer.com/break...ng-out-in-kerry-sfc-quarter-final-876222.html

This. Seems odd to me. More chance of getting injured at training.

 

[Footy Smarts]

This match summary is great. The AFL could do with more players being surprise inclusions after just coming back from a year-long overseas work trip or star players having family weddings the night before a final. For what it's worht O'Connor was sent off after only 44 minutes.

Dingle caused a shock by defeating Austin Stacks 3-9 to 0-9 in Tralee. Dingle sprang a surprise by introducing O'Connor, home less than a week from his duties with AFL side Geelong Cats.

Three first-half goals decided this contest with Kerry star Paul Geaney netting two and Mathew Flaherty the other, but all eyes were on the match-up between O'Connor and Kieran Donaghy - just back from his brother's wedding in Spain the previous evening.

O'Connor was deployed to play a sweeper's role in front of Donaghy and negated the Star's influence. However, the 21-year only lasted 44 minutes before being black-carded.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/ga...k-to-help-dingle-into-last-four-37370686.html

 

[crocsta]

No big deal. I like it that he wanted to play. We’re a long way from round 1


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[Landgraft]

No big deal. I like it that he wanted to play. We’re a long way from round 1


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Exactly! At least he has a competitive spirit inside of him.

 

[Willo_]

It makes me like him more if I'm being honest

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

If he had proven he was going to contribute and be a great player I would give a * - at the moment nothing more than wishes. Still very indicative of our current teams attitude.

 

[Willo_]

Didnt Libba play a local footy game in Thailand for the same result..

No injury but got the naughty corner at the Dogs.

Its a multi million dollar business. I get the management. Same reason Tom Cruise cant go sky diving/waterskiing/paintballing/skiing et al during a movie.

Too much at stake. I get it. And the same rules apply for player #1 on the list and player #46. Maybe Gaelic football isnt the same business entity that the AFL is - and thats probably a good thing. Its not a hanging offence however IMO.

GO Catters

He did... it was on his end of season trip after they won the flag...

And he was clearly hammered or under the influence of something

As a non dog's fan it was absolutely fantastic hahahaha