Australian Football

To Collingwood supporters of long standing, few names are as infamous as that of former St Kilda defender, Jim O'Dea, who in a behind the play incident during a match in 1972 was responsible for knocking out and seriously injuring Magpie starlet John Greening, who remained unconscious for 24 hours. O'Dea was subsequently suspended for 10 weeks, and the incident might be said to have scarred him almost as much as Greening (not that he attracted anywhere near as much sympathy, needless to say). When public ire was at its height, he sought to conceal himself from public view to some extent by transferring briefly to VFA club Dandenong.

Originally from Noble Park-Harrisfield in the Federal Football League, O'Dea played 167 VFL games and kicked seven goals for St Kilda between 1967 and 1980. Most of his football was played on the half back line, where he was steady, solid and - in the main - unobtrusive.

Author - John Devaney