John Daniel O'Brien (17 August 1898 – 30 May 1966) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played with

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...

and Footscray in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL).

Football

O'Brien began playing senior football for in the VFL in 1920, but in 1921 crossed to in the

Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

without a clearance. He played as a half-forward for Footscray for the next four seasons and was part of two premierships. In 1925, when Footscray joined the VFL, O'Brien was unable to remain with the club due to his suspension from the VFL for leaving Essendon without a clearance, and he consequently played for country and junior clubs for the three-year period of his disqualification from 1925 until 1927. O'Brien successfully sued Footscray for £70 in potential match payments that he missed in 1925 and 1926 as a result of the suspension, owing to a clause to that effect in his original agreement with Footscray which covered the eventuality of the club joining the VFL. After his suspension ended, he played five VFL matches for Footscray in 1928 before transferring to Coburg in the VFA later in the season. He then crossed to Williamstown where he played 35 games and kicked 84 goals and was leading goalkicker at the Club in 1929 with 32 goals and in 1930 with 50 goals when O'Brien was captain-coach. He was replaced as coach in 1931 and then transferred to Newport early in the season. His younger brother, Wally O'Brien, also played at Williamstown in the same period. O'Brien had been wounded in Egypt during World War I and eventually passed away in Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in May, 1966, at the age of 67.

Military service

Having enlisted on 20 July 1917, he served overseas in the First AIF with the 5th Australian Infantry Battalion.

Death

He died at the

Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital The Austin Hospital is a public teaching hospital in Melbourne's north-eastern suburb of Heidelberg, and is administered by Austin Health, along with the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. History The Au ...

, in

Heidelberg, Victoria Heidelberg is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, northeast of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Banyule local government area. Heidelberg recorded a population of 7,360 at the 2021 census. Once a large ...

, on 30 May 1966.Deaths: O'Brien, ''The Age'', (Wednesday, 1 June 1966), p.21.
/ref>

Notes

References

*
First World War Nominal Roll: Private John Daniel O'Brien (4898), collection of the ''Australian War Memorial''.

First World War Embarkation Roll: Private John Daniel O'Brien (4898), collection of the ''Australian War Memorial''.

First World War Service Record: Private John Daniel O'Brien (4898), "National Archives of Australia''.

External links

* *
Jack D. O'Brien
at ''The VFA Project''. {{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Jack 1898 births 1966 deaths Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Essendon Football Club players Western Bulldogs players Footscray Football Club (VFA) players Yarrawonga Football Club players Coburg Football Club players Williamstown Football Club players Williamstown Football Club coaches