O’Connor makes waves

DINGLE and Kerry underage star Mark O’Connor impressed in his debut for AFL side Geelong. The Dingle man started against Essendon in front of 57,000 spectators. Essendon ran out 110 to 93 winners, but O’Connor was more than solid in the game. O’Connor later felt compelled to release a statement in response to comments by former Kerry footballer Tomás Ó Sé. Ó Sé had been critical of the role Tadhg Kennelly had played in the recruitment of O’Connor – and others from around the country – to the AFL.

“If I met him tomorrow, I’d say straight up ‘Tadhg, I’ve nothing against your personally, but i hate what you’re doing’. Because people in kerry are sick of this.

“A lot of Tadhg’s former teammates are sick of this too, they just don’t feel comfortable saying it,” Ó Sé said in his Irish Independent column.

“I don’t like to get involved in these arguments, but I think it’s time to give my own point of view,” O’Connor wrote in response.

“I’m disappointed that people can’t see the positive impact that Tadhg has had on my life. ‘Protecting players from Australian clubs’ would also be protecting me from all that I’ve gained here in my short time with Geelong and Australia. If you ‘can’t blame young men for following their dreams abroad’, then surely you can’t blame the man that makes those dreams a reality. I am nothing but grateful to Tadhg for all that he has done for me. It bothers me that a man can give young people a golden ticket in life only to be abused for it. That’s not right.”