AFL 2024: Geelong utility Mark O’Connor on his contract, Irish players in the AFL and winning a Gaelic title

An unheralded Cat comes out of contract at the end of the year. He sheds light on his future and winning more silverware at the end of 2023.

Mark O'Connor lays a tackle on Izak Rankine. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Geelong utility Mark O’Connor is eager to extend his stay sooner rather than later at the Cats, with the club viewed as “Ireland’s team” back in his homeland.

The Dingle product is eligible as a free agent at the end of this season but his management are currently in talks with the Cats for a new deal.

O’Connor, 27, has played every game since round four of 2022, showing his worth as a team-first and versatile player who defends strongly and can play shutdown roles on the game’s best.

He has made a promising start to the season and tallied 15 disposals, eight tackles and four clearances in their win over Adelaide on Friday night.

O’Connor was excited to see the one-year deal for Irish speedster Oisin Mullin last week and the 109-game Cat is keen to join him.

Mark O'Connor is keen to re-sign with the Cats. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“Of course I’m keen to stay with the Cats, I love it here. I would be keen to get it done sooner rather than later but that is obviously up to the Cats and I’ll leave my manager to do that type of thing,” O’Connor said.

“(Mullin) thoroughly deserves the contract and he has been going really well. Obviously he missed out last week but it just speaks to our depth that he can come in and do a job like he did on Friday.

“Very pleasing for him and for all the Irish in the game.”

O’Connor is buoyed by the recent rise in Irish players entering the AFL and AFLW ranks after a hiatus during the Covid period.

Geelong has picked up Mullin along with AFLW breakout forward Aishling Moloney and fellow Tipperary export Anna-Rose Kennedy in the past 18 months, while Rob Monahan and Matt Duffin (Carlton), Liam O’Connell (St Kilda) and Karl Gallagher (Adelaide) also joined AFL lists as Category B rookies in the off-season.

Geelong’s Irish Cats Mark O'Connor, Oisin Mullin and Zach Tuohy. Picture: Getty Images

“It is really picking up again. We caught up with a couple of Irish lads who are on Adelaide’s list now and it was good to chat to them and see how they’re going. A few years ago we had a heap of players in Melbourne who would catch up every now and then,” O’Connor said.

“It doesn’t feel like there is as many as there was in the past. Even the AFLW it is growing massively and there is more women coming out every year. It is really growing again and it is good to see.

“The Irish tend to enjoy Geelong because it has that big country town feel when compared to the hustle and bustle of the big city in Melbourne. It does fill us with pride, we are almost Ireland’s team at home just because we have so many players now and a good history with Irish prospects.”

While O’Connor didn’t achieve any silverware in the AFL last year like in 2022, he did manage to claim the Kerry County Championship in Gaelic football with his hometown club Dingle.

It wasn’t the first time he has turned out for Dingle as an AFL player, taking part in their quarter-final win in 2022 just two weeks after Geelong’s premiership win.

But the Gaelic convert is far more suited to the oval ball now.

“I was very rusty, the boys had to carry me through I reckon,” O’Connor chuckled.

“It was a seriously enjoyable thing to do. Obviously they are my close mates form growing up there, I’m from a small country town as well so the whole community is based around the football team.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong utility Mark O’Connor on his contract, Irish players in the AFL and winning a Gaelic title