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The lure of Australian Rules football was just too much.
It always seemed likely that some AFL side would see sense and snatch up Dingle footballer Mark O’Connor. He had five separate trials over the course of a month Down Under and, with several interested suitors, was left with a big decision to make.
In the end O’Connor opted to sign a professional ‘rookie’ contract with Geelong.
Having helped the Kerry minors to All-Ireland success in 2014 and captained them as they retained it last year, O’Connor’s move Down Under comes as a big blow to the senior panel. He told RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta:
“I’ve been playing football since I was six or seven. It’s attractive to stay here too (to play football for Kerry), that’s why the decision was so hard. I want a different experience, and maybe a little bit of travelling, I suppose I was looking for something different.”
O’Connor said the Kerry management team of Eamon Fitzmaurice and Jack O’Connor were happy for him on a personal basis but not pleased that he would not be around next year to take a cut at a senior panel breakthrough.
Kerry have now won three minor All-Ireland titles on the trot so there is hope yet in The Kingdom that the next generation will start infiltrating the senior squad in a big way over the next few years.
