Kevin O'Neill
Richmond
AFL career
209 games12 goals
- Debut
- R1 1930 v COL3 May 1930
- Most recent
- R4 1941 v ESS17 May 1941
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Echuca, Kevin O'Neill nearly began his career at St Kilda, only joining the Tigers after the Saints failed to secure him employment. The son of a former Richmond VFA player, O'Neill quickly established himself as a permanent fixture in the back pocket, forming one-third of the club's celebrated "Three Musketeers" defensive line alongside Martin Bolger and Maurie Sheahan. This formidable unit provided the backbone for the Tigers' golden era in the early 1930s, playing a pivotal role in the 1932 and 1934 premiership victories and competing in four consecutive Grand Finals.
O'Neill was a dashing defender who backed his judgement to run the ball out of danger, yet he possessed the physical strength to dominate one-on-one contests against larger opponents. His consistency was such that he famously felt undervalued by legendary coach "Checker" Hughes, who rarely spoke to him; when O'Neill finally confronted him, Hughes retorted that he only spoke to players who were making mistakes. A dual premiership player and ten-time Victorian representative, O'Neill played 209 games for the club and was later inducted into the Richmond Hall of Fame.
Profile
- Born
- 20 Mar 1908
- Died
- 12 July 1985 (aged 77y 114d)
- Birthplace
- Echuca, VIC
- Deathplace
- Echuca, VIC
- Height
- 175 cm
- Weight
- 79 kg
Teams
Honours
- Premiership(2×) 1932, 1934
- Brownlow Medal
- Top 10
- 1933
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Echuca, Kevin O'Neill nearly began his career at St Kilda, only joining the Tigers after the Saints failed to secure him employment. The son of a former Richmond VFA player, O'Neill quickly established himself as a permanent fixture in the back pocket, forming one-third of the club's celebrated "Three Musketeers" defensive line alongside Martin Bolger and Maurie Sheahan. This formidable unit provided the backbone for the Tigers' golden era in the early 1930s, playing a pivotal role in the 1932 and 1934 premiership victories and competing in four consecutive Grand Finals.
O'Neill was a dashing defender who backed his judgement to run the ball out of danger, yet he possessed the physical strength to dominate one-on-one contests against larger opponents. His consistency was such that he famously felt undervalued by legendary coach "Checker" Hughes, who rarely spoke to him; when O'Neill finally confronted him, Hughes retorted that he only spoke to players who were making mistakes. A dual premiership player and ten-time Victorian representative, O'Neill played 209 games for the club and was later inducted into the Richmond Hall of Fame.