All the best to the young man, I hope it proves to be hugely successful for him

I'd say Kerry fans just love T Kennelly ;)

But would equally wish the young man all the very best

_____

Today on An Saol ó Dheas on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, young Kerry and Dingle footballer Mark O'Connor announced that he would be moving to Australia to play for Geelong Football club.

Mark had met with 5 clubs in Australia earlier this month, and told Helen Ní Shé in the interview about making his final choice:

"I've made the decision to go to Geelong. It's a very quiet place, like Dingle, and I was very comfortable there. I was really taken with Geelong ... when I went in there everyone was very friendly, and I felt at home there."

He said that Geelong was one of the best football teams in Australia, and that had, of course, had an influence on his choice.

"Everyone wasn't to play with the best teams."

Mark will be moving over in the next three or four weeks.

"I want to go over as soon as possible. The other players won't be coming until the end of the month, so I'll have a few weeks on my own to work on my skills."

"It will be a different challenge. I've been playing football since I was 6 or 7 ... It's attractive to stay here too (to play football for Kerry), that's why the decision was so hard ... I want a different experience, and maybe a little bit of travelling, I suppose I was looking for something different."

Mark said that the Kerry management team wished him all the best, and that they were very happy for him on a personal level.

"They were very happy to hear about it on a personal level, but with their Kerry caps on they weren't as happy. I thanked them for all their help ... It was a bit mixed I suppose. They were very happy for me personally, but as managers and players they weren't as happy ... They (Éamonn Fitzmaurice and Jack O'Connor) didn't put any pressure on me to stay, they said it was my own decision."

Mark said that it was a two year contract, and that he would be able to return home at Christmas, and for 2 months when the season finished in September.

Mark O'Connor was interviewed today on An Saol ó Dheas on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 18/10/2016 14:48:31    1927267

Best of luck to the kid , hopefully they take a few more.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 18/10/2016 15:37:52    1927295

Good luck to him but am sorry to see him go.
He would have been lined up to feature over the next few years.
Hopefully he'll see that Geelong is no Dingle :-)

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts: 1283 - 18/10/2016 15:52:56    1927303

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 18/10/2016 16:06:23    1927311

Ah what? Leave the Dub players alone just take the Kerry lads please Tadhg.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 18/10/2016 17:13:02    1927346

Best of luck to him. Disappointing from a Kerry point of view as he was one of our best prospects and is exactly the type of player we are currently missing around the middle.

Not much we can do if others want to follow unfortunately.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 18/10/2016 17:59:03    1927353

Best of luck to the lad. Hope he makes a decent career for himself over there. It's hard done but a great opportunity for any lad. How many lads actually made a great career out in Oz in AFL?

Weary (None) - Posts: 249 - 18/10/2016 18:53:47    1927367

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 18/10/2016 19:25:44    1927381

I can understand him leaving Dingle, might be ok down there in the Summer, but you are stuck out in the arse end of nowhere in the rain most of the year.

El_Torro (Tyrone) - Posts: 155 - 19/10/2016 12:47:36    1927541

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 19/10/2016 15:18:50    1927612

wfkerry (USA) - Posts: 933 - 19/10/2016 17:49:51    1927661

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 19/10/2016 21:10:49    1927714

Rural counties have absolutely no chance of holding onto their best players if Australia comes calling, the likes of Meath,Kildare and Dublin have a much better chance of keeping their players as there are more activites in the Dublin region to hold and attract players to stay that just isn't there on the western seaboard

HurlingWarrior (Limerick) - Posts: 61 - 19/10/2016 21:25:18    1927724

What activities are there to hold a player in Dublin.? I live in london and dublin seems like a town compared to here. But thats not the point I wish to make. What is there in Dublin thats not on the western sea board? Better internet..

bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 19/10/2016 22:00:15    1927739

Rural counties have absolutely no chance of holding onto their best players if Australia comes calling, the likes of Meath,Kildare and Dublin have a much better chance of keeping their players as there are more activites in the Dublin region to hold and attract players to stay that just isn't there on the western seaboard

HurlingWarrior (Limerick) - Posts:44 - 19/10/2016

Apart from Kildare losing four starters from the 2013 under 21 team at some point to the AFL over the last couple of years you're not wrong...

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3685 - 20/10/2016 09:48:04    1927777

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 20/10/2016 10:34:53    1927793

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 20/10/2016 10:39:40    1927795

thehoops (Kildare) - Posts: 69 - 20/10/2016 10:48:29    1927798

far more to offer on the west coast than in Dublin. I mean far more natural beauty . you can always pop up/over to dublin for the weekend. much prefer to live by the sea. maybe because I come from a land-locked county.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 20/10/2016 11:14:08    1927805

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 20/10/2016 11:50:41    1927823