Geelong coach Chris Scott says he and the club had "high hopes" for Kerry's Mark O'Connor from the moment they interviewed him as a teenager.
The Dingle player, who is set to play his 100th AFL game for Geelong when they face Port Adelaide this week, was described by Scott as the "most together young person I've ever spoken to". O'Connor signed with Geelong in late 2016. He had won minor All-Irelands with Kerry in 2014 and 2015.
"Maybe we do," Scott replied during a press conference when asked if reaching 100 AFL games is an achievement which is underrated by those who watch Aussie rules.
16 October 2022; Mark O'Connor of Dingle, left, and David Clifford of East Kerry during the Kerry County Senior Football Championship semi-final match between East Kerry and Dingle at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"I think it is a remarkable effort and it does reflect the fact that those guys are the cream of the crop from Ireland. Mark was very young when he came out but he was already a really well-established Gaelic player.
"Even if you take out the footy side and the fact that it is a different game... Zach Tuohy, Mark O’Connor, even Oisín in the early stages, their ability to come to the other side of the world and not only fit in with what we are trying to do at a professional and elite level but have an influence. Mark O’Connor is a leader in our footy team and he was after 50 games.
"I am just full of admiration for what he has done. I shouldn’t say this because it sounds like I am comparing him to other underage interviews I have been involved with.
"As an 18-year-old, he was the most together young person I've ever spoken to in an interview situation. He has just improved since then. We had high hopes early.
"I will say, just removing the footy side, because they do have some individual physical traits that help them, every Irishman that I am aware of that has come out and had success, they tend to be really well put together people. Mark has been that for us for sure."
Last month, two-time Young Footballer of the Year Oisín Mullin made his AFL debut for Geelong just six months after signing with the club. Scott said that the Mayo man will be rested for this week's game against Port Adelaide.
12 March 2022; David Clifford of Kerry and Oisín Mullin of Mayo during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Kerry and Mayo at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
"He's had a little bit of an adductor issue over the break," said Scott.
"Even without that, we'd be starting to think that this is around about the time that we might hold him back.
"The bye week off and then an extra week seemed logical anyway. He had this little bit of an adductor issue that some players could play through but we're not going to do that with Oisín. We want to think long-term with him.
"Also, his workload, because he's such a physical player - great speed, power, mechanical work - his loads have been through the roof. It just seemed logical for us to hold him back a little bit."
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