Mark O’Connor had an outstanding season for the Cats in 2019. Establishing himself as an integral member of the number one defensive side in the competition.

The Irishman known as the ‘shark’ played 23 games and demonstrated an ability to not only shutdown tall or smalls but create off half-back.

The 23-year-old spoke to former Geelong duo Cameron Ling and Mathew Stokes about his rapid development on this week’s podcast, To the Final Bell.

O’Connor believes there were a couple of elements that played a role in his rise to senior ranks.

“There were a few. Scarlo (Matthew Scarlett) certainly had a bit to do with that but it was mainly just a confidence thing,” O’Connor said.

“I probably had a fear of letting my teammates down and not being good enough, so that kind of freezes me in certain actions and I would probably just take the easy options all of the time.”

O’Connor spent many hours working alongside assistant coach Matthew Scarlett, who helped him switch his mindset.

“He would always encourage me to back myself.

“At the start of the year I strung a few good games together and then that gave me the confidence to build (into the year).”

Growing up playing Gaelic football, O’Connor has had to learn more than most.

“At the start it was probably the rules,” he said.

“In Gaelic football there is no tackling as well, so that came as a bit of a shock once I got smacked a few times.

“You've also got so much more time because obviously you are not going to get tackled and you won’t get cleaned up, and in AFL you have got to get rid of it otherwise you will get smashed.”

O’Connor learnt that lesson early in his career when Harry Taylor blindsided him during a training session.  

“In the first few sessions when I was getting the footy, I probably took my time a bit too much and I remember one hit in particular.

“It was Harry Taylor and he came from my blindside when I was trying to weigh up my options going inside 50, but I was way to slow he absolutely steamrolled me.

“From that day forward I had to speed up my ball use.

“I mentioned it a couple of years later to Harry and he reckons he actually pulled up in the tackle, but it definitely didn’t feel like he did.”