John Keiron O'Connell (16 July 1902 – 20 May 1975) 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 Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played with

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football competition in Australia operated by the Australian Football League (AFL) as a second-tier, regional, semi-professional competition. It includes teams from clubs based in east ...

(VFL).

Family

The son of John Keiran O'Connell (1879-1927), and Margaret Anne Frances O'Connell (1880-1955), née Hannon, John Keiron O'Connell was born at

Winchelsea, Victoria Winchelsea is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Surf Coast Shire local government area, the suburb or locality of Winchelsea is predominantly within Surf Coast Shire with a small section within the Colac Otway Shire. Wi ...

on 16 July 1902. He married Elizabeth May Seymour (1902-1969) in 1923. They had two children.

Athlete

O'Connell was a successful professional sprinter, winning the 130 yards "£100 Sheffield Handicap" (running off 11 yards, and winning by half a yard) at the Geelong Highland Games on 30 December 1923.

Football

A wingman able to kick with both feet. Cleared by the VFA from North Melbourne to Williamstown in July 1921 (the North Melbourne club disbanded on 30 June 1921). He played on the wing for Williamstown before moving to South Melbourne. O'Connell coached Ararat in 1925.

Death

He died at

Box Hill, Victoria Box Hill is an Eastern suburbs (Melbourne), eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, east of the city's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District (CBD), located within the City of Whitehorse Local governm ...

, as the result of an accident, on 20 May 1975.Deaths: O'Connell, ''The Age'', (Wednesday, 21 May 1975), p. 26.
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Notes

References

External links

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Jack O'Connell's playing statistics
from ''The VFA Project''. {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnell, Jack 1902 births 1975 deaths Australian male sprinters Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) North Melbourne Football Club (VFA) players Williamstown Football Club players Sydney Swans players Ararat Football Club players Hamilton Football Club players Australian rules football coaches 20th-century Australian sportsmen