Terry O'Neill
South Melbourne and Fitzroy · “Frizzle”
AFL career
101 games15 goals
- Debut
- R19 1975 v FIT9 Aug 1975
- Most recent
- R10 1983 v COL28 May 1983
Stats
1983 | FIT | 2 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1982 | FIT | 13 | 7.8 | 2.4 | 10.2 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
1981 | FIT | 13 | 6.3 | 2.8 | 9.2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1980 | SME | 1 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1979 | SME | 16 | 8.5 | 4.3 | 12.8 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
1978 | SME | 22 | 8.0 | 3.8 | 11.8 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
1977 | SME | 23 | 8.4 | 4.7 | 13.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1976 | SME | 7 | 7.1 | 1.3 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
1975 | SME | 4 | 12.8 | 2.8 | 15.5 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Bio
Hailing from Narrandera in South Melbourne's fruitful Riverina recruiting zone, O'Neill spent his early years establishing himself before a breakout season in 1977 defined his career. Shifted to full-back—a position he had rarely played—he became a defensive anchor for the Swans, famously restricting Hawthorn legend Peter Hudson to just three goals across two encounters that year. His dominance in the backline was recognized league-wide, seeing him poll 14 Brownlow Medal votes and finish runner-up in the club's Best and Fairest, second only to Brownlow winner Graham Teasdale.
After falling out of favour at the Lake Oval in 1980, O'Neill took a brief detour to the VFA where he played in a premiership with Port Melbourne, a performance that earned him a VFL lifeline with Fitzroy. He became a steady contributor for the Lions, playing 28 games over three seasons and featuring in their 1981 finals campaign. Following his VFL retirement, O'Neill moved north and cemented a significant legacy in Queensland football, eventually captaining the state side and coaching Coorparoo to premiership success.
Profile
- Born
- 10 June 1956 (age 70y 133d)
- Birthplace
- Narrandera, NSW
- Height
- 189 cm
- Weight
- 81 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionHailing from Narrandera in South Melbourne's fruitful Riverina recruiting zone, O'Neill spent his early years establishing himself before a breakout season in 1977 defined his career. Shifted to full-back—a position he had rarely played—he became a defensive anchor for the Swans, famously restricting Hawthorn legend Peter Hudson to just three goals across two encounters that year. His dominance in the backline was recognized league-wide, seeing him poll 14 Brownlow Medal votes and finish runner-up in the club's Best and Fairest, second only to Brownlow winner Graham Teasdale.
After falling out of favour at the Lake Oval in 1980, O'Neill took a brief detour to the VFA where he played in a premiership with Port Melbourne, a performance that earned him a VFL lifeline with Fitzroy. He became a steady contributor for the Lions, playing 28 games over three seasons and featuring in their 1981 finals campaign. Following his VFL retirement, O'Neill moved north and cemented a significant legacy in Queensland football, eventually captaining the state side and coaching Coorparoo to premiership success.