Geelong defender Mark O’Connor has capped off an emotional month by helping his hometown club Dingle secure its first Kerry Senior Football Championship title in 77 years with a dramatic comeback win on Sunday.
Just three weeks after Geelong’s harrowing grand final loss to Brisbane in the AFL, the 28-year-old returned to Ireland and played a pivotal role in Dingle’s 2-13 to 1-12 victory over Austin Stacks in Tralee.
Despite being shown a black card just three minutes in and spending 10 minutes sidelined, O’Connor responded strongly after the break as Dingle overturned a 0-8 to 0-4 deficit.
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The win was Dingle’s first title since 1948, following three recent grand final defeats in the last 13 years to mark a defining moment for the small West Kerry community.
Speaking to On The Ball post-game, O’Connor admitted the occasion was an emotional one that overwhelmed him throughout the clash.
“We did, finally! It’s just extra special,” O’Connor began.
“We’re such a small town. Obviously, it’s been the same faces that have been in the crowd ever since I was under 10s. It means everything. I kind of broke down, my voice is gone … If I get into it now, I’ll probably start crying again, so I won’t do that on camera.
“They raised us all the way through, so to see them, it’s very hard to keep a lid on things… going back to 1948 was the last time (we won), so trying to keep a lid on that is tough.”
Touching on the black card he received, which is the equivalent to a ‘sin bin’ in the NRL, O’Connor added that his “emotions were probably a bit too high” in the lead-up to his indiscretion.
O’Connor’s captain Paul Geaney proved the difference in the second half, booting 2-2 after Dingle’s slow start.