Mark O’Connor says the chance to settle in one position and the advice of an injury-hit teammate have been key to the Geelong defender’s recent impressive form.
The Irishman has spent most of the first half of 2025 in the back half of the ground, averaging a career-best 14.8 disposals per game.
The highlight performance came in the Round 10 win over Port Adelaide, gathering a career-high 28 disposals.
“It’s probably a mix of things,” O’Connor told K rock Football while visiting local club East Geelong as part of a Red Energy ‘Born & Bred’ clinic on Monday night.
“Being in one role more consistently has helped. And then a few other things – Cam Guthrie has been really helpful to me this year.
“Especially doing vision and strategy stuff and things to work on.
“He’s been really honest with me with the feedback, where I can improve, and things like that.
“So I’ve really enjoyed working with him.”
Marking has become a feature of O’Connor’s game, with the 28-year-old having the confidence to come off his opponent and take an intercept mark.
He took 11 marks against the Power, with his season producing a career-high 5.7 per game.
“That’s definitely something Cam helped me with,” O’Connor said.
“That was the strength of my game back home, playing Gaelic football, which I didn’t really transfer over here because usually in a lockdown role, it’s probably a bit riskier to go.
“Coming off your man to try and take marks. It’s definitely something I’ve been working on.
“It’s good to see it come out in games.”
O’Connor is also enjoying watching Oisin Mullin’s development in a lockdown role, likening it to the path he and fellow Irish export Zach Tuohy took early in their careers.
“We were over at Zach’s last night, and we were laughing about how similar the Irish guys seem to go about it in their role transition because Zach bit of tagging back in the day too,” he said.
“But it’s great to see Oisin going about it at the minute.
“He’s had some very tough match-ups over the last few weeks, and he’s done a great job.
“It’s just great to see him using his attributes and growing.”
