Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Noel O'Brien

Known as
Noel O'Brien

Born
9 January 1933

Died
15 May 1989 (aged 56)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 21y 98d
Last game: 22y 223d

Height and weight
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 81 kg

Senior clubs
Carlton

Jumper numbers
Carlton: 26

Noel O'Brien

Advanced stats
Club
League
Career span
Games
Goals
Avg
Win %
AKI
AHB
AMK
BV
CarltonV/AFL1954-1955321183.6947%———4
Total1954-1955321183.6947%———4

AFL: 6,406th player to appear, 5,418th most games played, 913th most goals kickedCarlton: 676th player to appear, 450th most games played, 74th most goals kicked

Noel O'Brien was a full forward who boasted the apparent skill to become an out and out champion, but his VFL career was ruined by injury after just 32 games. Carlton recruited him from Echuca, and after a steady and occasionally spectacular debut season in 1954 he really began to flower as a footballer the following year. His tally of 73 goals for the season, in a side that comfortably missed the finals, was the second highest in the VFL, and pundits were beginning to predict great things for him. However, he never recovered from an injury sustained in a pre-season practice match the following year, and his time in top level football was over. His 32 league games yielded 118 goals.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Related Articles

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.