O'Connor not enthused by McGrath Cup return

Joe O’Connor admits the prospect of playing in the McGrath Cup after Christmas doesn’t excite him.

The pre-season competitions are expected to return in 2026 after being temporarily suspended this year, but the Kerry All-Ireland winner and Footballer of the Year contender would rather they didn’t.

“I think just leave it the way it is, just train away and get the body right for the League,” he said at the launch of 'Fuel Their Game', a new suite of resources designed to support youth players, parents, and coaches, in Croke Park this week.

“If it was there, I’m sure it wouldn’t be a big issue as a couple of games to get you ready for the League. It’s nice to just have a block where you can focus on training.”

O’Connor welcomes the recent decision by his namesake Jack to continue as Kerry manager for another two years.

"He's very good for that individual side of it and that kind of just probably lifted me a bit in terms of getting that backing and that expertise. Small things like that from management really give you a boost and it's good to get that,” the Austin Stacks clubman explained.

“It has been great. We’d ups and downs too, they stuck with us. We backed them and it was a great year looking back.”