Just days after claiming a historic first All-Ireland club football championship for his hometown club Dingle, Geelong premiership utility Mark O'Connor is back in Australia and ready to immediately get to work ahead of the 2026 AFL season.
O'Connor was quick to quash concerns about his physical health after playing in an exhausting extra-time thriller at Dublin's famous Croke Park on Monday morning (AEDT), telling media on Friday that he feels motivated to get back into AFL preparations.
"I feel great, I feel fresh," O'Connor said.
"I might not sound like it right now, as I just flew in yesterday, but I am seriously looking forward to the season ahead.
"I couldn't have left home in a better state, so I think I will find it pretty easy to get motivated and get going again.
"My body feels great, I feel fit and I am still in competition mode which is great.
"The body is definitely capable and having achieved what we achieved at home, I feel super motivated to come back and give this season a full crack."
Current Geelong stars Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Blicavs and Jack Henry travelled to Dublin to witness O'Connor win one of Gaelic Football's toughest competitions, accompanied by former Cat Cameron Guthrie and fellow Irishman premiership teammate Zach Tuohy.
Looking up in the stands to see the group was a moment O'Connor said he'll never forget.
"It was crazy, it was like two of my world's colliding," O'Connor said.
"Seeing 'Blitz' and Jack up next to my parents, to see Cam and Paddy after was crazy. Zach and Bec [Tuohy] were over there as well, so it was great.
"It was great for them to experience it. They have been there before over in Dingle, so they probably knew a little bit more of what it meant and what it means to the people there.
"But to see them up there next to my family was a bit of a full circle moment. It had been 11 years since I played in Croke Park, a lot has happened in the meantime, so to see the blend of Geelong and Dingle there was a special moment for me."
