It can not be understated just how important O'Connor is to the Geelong team, with his versatility and flexibility clearly evident throughout the course of the 2025 season.
At times he was entrusted on the last line of defence, such as his role against Collingwood in Round 8 where he was able to take eight marks and five intercept possessions, instrumental in helping to keep the Magpies' dangerous forwards quiet.
He was also deployed as a tagger occasionally, like in Round 13 against Gold Coast where he lined up against star on-baller Noah Anderson and collected 21 disposals, 10 tackles and seven clearances while restricting Anderson to 19 disposals, his lowest total in more than 12 months.
O'Connor finished the 2025 season with 147 career games to his name, with a chance in 2026 to become just the sixth Irish player in V/AFL history to reach 150 games.
It also proved to be a busy off-season for the experienced Cat, who returned to Ireland and won an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship with his hometown, Dingle.
