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Kerry Cat rockets to MCG debut

  • Thursday, May 11 2017 @ 10:51 pm ACST
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After just six games of Australian football, Irishman Mark O'Connor will make his AFL debut for Geelong at the MCG on Saturday. 

After being a very promising GAA football talent in Ireland and playing for County Kerry, O'Connor was invited to the AFL Europe combine in Dublin.  Impressive in the testing there he was invited to Melbourne where he was hot property at the AFL Combine in Melbourne last October.  

Being an international rookie prospect he was in the position of fielding a number of offers before he finally chose Geelong.  He joined fellow Irish recruit Zac Tuohy who had just been traded from Carlton. An impressive pre-season and good early from in the VFL have seen the Geelong selectors back the raw Irish talent for his accelerated AFL debut. 

On Saturday there is some chance he will run out on the MCG and be matched against another Irishman in Conor McKenna who had a similar journey via the AFL Europe combine before ending up at Essendon.

 O'Connor's press conference today can be seen here.

Team:
Geelong Cats
Match:
AFL Round 8 - Essendon v Geelong Cats
Game Date:
Saturday May 13 at MCG

 
Position
Name
#
Name
#
Name
#
Backs
J.Bews
24
T.Lonergan
13
T.Stewart
44
Half Backs
Z.Tuohy
2
A.Mackie
4
J.Kolodjashnij
8
Centreline
G.Horlin-Smith
33
J.Selwood
14
S.Menegola
27
Half Forwards
J.Parsons
34
H.Taylor
7
M.O'Connor
42
Forwards
S.Motlop
32
T.Hawkins
26
D.Menzel
10
Followers
R.Stanley
1
P.Dangerfield
35
M.Duncan
22
Interchange
M.Blicavs
46
N.Cockatoo
5
C.Guthrie
29
Z.Smith
9
Emergencies
A.Black
23
J.Murdoch
21
T.Ruggles
36

In: Z.Smith , T.Stewart , J.Kolodjashnij , M.O'Connor
Out: A.Black (Omitted) , J.Thurlow (Omitted) , J.Murdoch (Omitted) , D.Lang (Omitted)

New: M.O'Connor ()
 
Team:
Essendon
Match:
AFL Round 8 - Essendon v Geelong Cats
Game Date:
Saturday May 13 at MCG
 
Position
Name
#
Name
#
Name
#
Backs
M.Dea
49
M.Hurley
18
C.McKenna
45
Half Backs
M.Baguley
12
M.Hartley
36
O.Fantasia
13
Centreline
B.Goddard
9
D.Zaharakis
11
J.Kelly
47
Half Forwards
J.Stewart
17
C.Hooker
26
D.Parish
3
Forwards
A.McDonald-Tipungwuti
43
J.Daniher
6
J.Watson
4
Followers
M.Leuenberger
22
D.Heppell
21
T.Colyer
32
Interchange
A.McGrath
1
Z.Merrett
7
J.Green
15
D.Myers
23
Emergencies
K.Mutch
19
C.Bird
24
S.McKernan
44

In: J.Watson , J.Stewart , A.McGrath
Out: B.Stanton (Omitted) , M.Gleeson (Omitted) , A.Francis (Omitted)

Milestone: J.Kelly - 300 games