Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Phillip O'Brien

Known as
Phil O'Brien

Born
31 December 1930

Died
13 August 2020 (aged 89)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 230d
Last game: 27y 235d

Height and weight
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 72 kg

Senior clubs
Hawthorn

Jumper numbers
Hawthorn: 8, 15

Recruited from
Donald (1951)

Phil O'Brien

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
HawthornV/AFL1951-195886710.8343%———6
Total1951-195886710.8343%———6

AFL: 6,160th player to appear, 2,776th most games played, 1,505th most goals kickedHawthorn: 421st player to appear, 171st most games played, 85th most goals kicked

During his comparatively short VFL career Phil O'Brien was widely acknowledged as one of the most elusive and damaging small forwards in the game. He joined Hawthorn from Donald and made the first of an eventual 86 league appearances in 1951. He kicked 71 goals, and would doubtless have managed many more were it not for his unselfishness. Indeed, O'Brien was the consummate team player, renowned for his ability to bring others into the game with crisp, intelligent foot passing, and clever handball. He was chosen to represent the VFL in 1957, his penultimate league season.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

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