Zach Tuohy has played an important role in the emergence of fellow Irishman Mark O’Connor.

Selected in the 2017 rookie draft, Mark O’Connor spoke about the impact his teammate has had on his development on RSN Radio today.

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“When I was just signed with Geelong, there was rumours that Zach could be joining and I just had my fingers crossed the whole time," O'Connor said.

"When he did join it was fantastic, obviously because (of) his experience and just the way he is.

"He’s always willing to help out where he can and just the fact he has been successful over here has been very inspiring for someone like me."

O’Connor is in the midst of a breakout season after showing glimpses of his potential in previous seasons.

He is averaging a career-high 14 disposals, five marks and two tackles per game, cementing himself as an important member of Geelong’s defensive group.

O’Connor believes his rapid development can be attributed to having a greater belief in his ability and playing with more confidence.

“Obviously when you come out, I didn’t really have much confidence playing footy obviously, just because I hadn’t played it before," he said.

"I was just trying to do the real basics right. 

"But I thought over the pre-season I got an accumulation of confidence over (and in) the past two years.

"The coaches and the other players have helped me out with that massively."

Geelong’s Irish contingent increased to three during the off-season with Stefan Okunbor signing a two-year rookie contract at the club following a standout junior career at Kerry.