Mark O’Connor’s influence could be huge for Dingle. Supported as ever by his imperious Geelong cohort, he used that naiveté to inspire his hometown club to a long overdue first All-Ireland title. This momentous occasion follows O’Connor’s vital contribution to Dingle’s recent victory in the Senior Kerry Championship, a triumph that marked the club’s first in 77 years. The Geelong trio of Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Blicavs and Jack Henry will be making the trip to Dublin. They’ll be watching from Croke Park as Anthony’s partners — and well-wishers — this Sunday during the final.
O’Connor played an instrumental role in Dingle’s unexpected win over Ballyboden St Enda’s, paving the way for their final appearance. So in a united front, Dangerfield, Blicavs and Henry changed their training routines around. We’re grateful to all of our partners who have helped make this trip possible—even with us having fewer than 60 hours on the ground in Ireland. They’ll land in Dublin at around 2 AM. Reading about O’Connor in the Times, they made plans to watch the match live and cheer him on as he makes history in this pivotal moment.
Dangerfield expressed enthusiasm about the trip, stating, “We’ve got a contingent in at about 2am, so we’ve changed our training around it, to be honest.” He underscored how important it is to make the time for their teammate during this very special and momentous occasion. “We really see the value in supporting Mark and watching it, whether it’s live for us or it’s at the club.”
The trio has done well to keep their pre-season training on track, Dangerfield suggesting that their fitness is firmly in check. “No, none of us have missed a session. We’ve been pretty healthy touchwood, but one session isn’t going to break the season, and it’s too good an opportunity to miss,” he remarked. The entire Geelong team has planned an epic watch party! Or even better, as one of our teammates suggested, waking up in the early morning hours to watch the game together.
As Dangerfield prepares to return to Croke Park for the first time since 2010, he reminisced about his previous experience representing Australia in the International Rules series. In a future tweet, he indicated that he wanted the series to return. “Not sure how much running we’ll do in Ireland, but we’ll check out a few pubs while we’re there,” he added with a hint of humor.
