Irish Cat Mark O'Connor is sure to draw the ire of the Match Review Officer after collecting prized Eagles recruit Willem Duursma high in the second quarter of Sunday's clash.
The dual-code tagger appeared to cock his shoulder, without a play on the ball, with the young Eagle in a vulnerable position as he, conversely, was making a play for the loose ball.
It will likely aid O'Connor that his victim remained on the field, which will factor into Michael Christian's grading.
Willem Duursma received a free kick after this incident involving Mark O'Connor.#AFLCatsEagles pic.twitter.com/IFFKyqtaNj
— AFL (@AFL) April 12, 2026
If the conduct is deemed intentional, O'Connor faces at the very least a one-match ban, depending on the impact grading Christian assigns the incident.
A two-match suspension is likely if the impact is deemed high, even if the conduct is labeled careless, as opposed to the more severe 'intentional' designation.

The AFL will communicate the severity of the charge tomorrow afternoon, at which point, Geelong will need to decide whether or not to challenge what is likely to be at the very least, a one-match suspension.
























