Toast Mark O'Connor

[Generalissimo]

O'Connor persevered though, and his Grand Final was purposeful.

I agree. I liked the huge bump he did in the 2nd quarter especially, and his disposal was pretty good all day.

 

[Hamingja]

Playing in the county championships next week.

AFL champion Mark O'Connor granted permission to play in Kerry county championship

The Dingle club man will be able to play in the quarter-final against Dr Crokes.

www.the42.ie

I take it this is the level below the top flight in Ireland? Seems strange he'd be allowed to play a final otherwise.

Edit: LOL at the comment from the Irish guy saying he looks too small to play. He's 191cm and would eat Gaelic players alive physically. Skill wise might be a different story but geez.

 

[Spearman]

I take it this is the level below the top flight in Ireland? Seems strange he'd be allowed to play a final otherwise.

Edit: LOL at the comment from the Irish guy saying he looks too small to play. He's 191cm and would eat Gaelic players alive physically. Skill wise might be a different story but geez.

Looks like the intra-county league for Kerry. The All-Ireland Championships between counties is in July IIRC.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Really glad we're letting him play. He's had a rough couple of years with injury and covid preventing him going back to Ireland for a couple of years. Dingle has a population of 2,000 so this is a local hero coming back to play not some ultra high level league.

I think his year was better than most people think but he wasn't back at his 2019-20 best. But it was great to see him make some big plays in the finals. His QF off the bench was really good and that run down tackle in the first quarter was the key moment of the GF for me.

 

[Spearman]

IF he stays healthy, I think he could have a massive year next season. Last time he snuck back to play, and came back in great form, rejuvenated you might say from he trip home and playing his old game. This year, without a proper preseason, he took some time to get back into the swing of things, but looked good in the end. A good preseason could have him ready for a new role. Things are lining up for good season for Merrick in 2023.
IMHO

 

[Vdubs]

Really glad we're letting him play. He's had a rough couple of years with injury and covid preventing him going back to Ireland for a couple of years. Dingle has a population of 2,000 so this is a local hero coming back to play not some ultra high level league.

I think his year was better than most people think but he wasn't back at his 2019-20 best. But it was great to see him make some big plays in the finals. His QF off the bench was really good and that run down tackle in the first quarter was the key moment of the GF for me.

He is like Cam Guthrie, will play anywhere he is asked, and is capable of doing so, and I expect him to have a real breakout year in 23 or 24.

 

[Warhorse]

Playing in the county championships next week.

AFL champion Mark O'Connor granted permission to play in Kerry county championship

The Dingle club man will be able to play in the quarter-final against Dr Crokes.

www.the42.ie

I like this move a lot. Makes us more attractive to another Irish player

 

[Pollywaffle]

He is like Cam Guthrie, will play anywhere he is asked, and is capable of doing so, and I expect him to have a real breakout year in 23 or 24.

Would like to see him take the game on a bit more, otherwise I feel he will just be a perpetual also ran.

 

[Baudolino]

He regressed this year imo, although his Grand Final was pretty decent. He looked like a future gun in 19-20 though, as Footy Smarts mentioned, so the talent is in there somewhere. Seems to be in no-mans land at the moment though, with the club not really knowing where to use him to get the most out of him as a player.

 

[Kitcat]

He regressed this year imo, although his Grand Final was pretty decent. He looked like a future gun in 19-20 though, as Footy Smarts mentioned, so the talent is in there somewhere. Seems to be in no-mans land at the moment though, with the club not really knowing where to use him to get the most out of him as a player.

It is confidence. He doesn’t have it. But Zuthrie showed what sticking at it can do. His confidence has increased remarkably. I think Mark will turn the corner, now being a premiership player.

 

[Generalissimo]

I don't think O'Connor lacks confidence. He certainly didn't seem timid in the GF. The problem is his role in the team is kind of vague, or at least it seems that way to us fans. With Selwood retiring it's likely a few midfield minutes will open up for him, which will help.

 

[Turbocat]

He can start by convincing Oisin Mullin to reconsider his decision to stay in Ireland. When you watch Mullin's Gaelic highlights, everything about him screams "would be an absolute gun in the AFL." Such a shame he backflipped on us as I feel like he would have been an amazing bargain recruit.

Did he change his mind on us ..or Australia or AFL? Id have thought we would at least see him try it before changing his mind.

 

[Turbocat]

Playing in the county championships next week.

AFL champion Mark O'Connor granted permission to play in Kerry county championship

The Dingle club man will be able to play in the quarter-final against Dr Crokes.

www.the42.ie

Probably a risk..but they demanded to be informed ..so it probably puts pressure on them to approve. It might mean that the locals do not look at Geelong as the worst destination.

I wonder how the local players feel. The see guys pack and move for money...then come home and get selected.

 

[Wellsy35]

Did he change his mind on us ..or Australia or AFL? Id have thought we would at least see him try it before changing his mind.

Australia it seems - some speculation at the time it was COVID-related. Hocking mentioned he got COVID right before he was supposed to get on a plane, so was delayed anyway, then pulled the pin. Could have been not wanting to be locked down in foreign country, vax-related…who knows. There was even a theory he won the lottery, cos someone in Mayo won it right before he back flipped.

Would have gone home during the year anyway though, cos his brother died in a car crash in July.

If it was COVID-related though, maybe he changes his mind at one point now it seems we’re past the worst of it.

 

[Kitcat]

I don't think O'Connor lacks confidence. He certainly didn't seem timid in the GF. The problem is his role in the team is kind of vague, or at least it seems that way to us fans. With Selwood retiring it's likely a few midfield minutes will open up for him, which will help.

I am not suggesting he is timid. Far from it.
It just seems to me that he does the basics very well, but he has more skill and flair in him than he shows.

 

[kickazz]

He regressed this year imo, although his Grand Final was pretty decent. He looked like a future gun in 19-20 though, as Footy Smarts mentioned, so the talent is in there somewhere. Seems to be in no-mans land at the moment though, with the club not really knowing where to use him to get the most out of him as a player.

I think his best spot is a HBF. Can play tight and can rebound. Tuohy only had one or two years left I'd think, so could take his spot.

 

[Dockeroo]

Good article here you guys might be interested in.

 

[fpm84]

 

[fpm84]

 

[fpm84]

 

[fpm84]

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Nice to see the boys supporting him too

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Frankie and nick stevens there too. Still on good terms with the boys obviously.

 

[Baudolino]

Cool to Stefan Okunbor there in the bottom right photo.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Perfect recruitment by the cats. Get to stop by Portlaoise an hour into the drive from Dublin to Dingle.

Looked like a big crowd for the Dingle game considering the population is only a couple of thousand.