Shane O'Bree (born 15 March 1979) is a former professional
Australian rules football player who played for the
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of t ...
and
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The club ...
in the
Australian Football League (AFL). He is currently serving as an assistant coach with Geelong.
Early life
Originally from
Beaufort in north-west
Victoria, via
North Ballarat Rebels
The Greater Western Victoria Rebels is an Australian rules football club which plays in the NAB League, the statewide under-18s competition in Victoria, Australia.
Initially known as the Ballarat Rebels and wearing green and gold, the team was e ...
under 18 side, O'Bree was drafted to the Brisbane in the
1997 National Draft as a first-round selection.
Career
Brisbane
O'Bree spent two years with Brisbane, debuting in 1998 - but managed only 19 games in his 2 seasons. A ball winning midfielder, he won an
AFL Rising Star
The AFL Rising Star is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best young player in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the year. It was first presented in the 1993 season, and was won by Nathan ...
nomination in the first week of 1999, having 27 touches.
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond Matthews (born 1 March 1952) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and coached and the .
Squat, short-legged and barrel-chested, Matthews earned the ...
, coach of the Brisbane Lions, travelled to O'Bree's hometown of
Ballarat
Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
Within months of Vi ...
during the off season in an attempt to persuade him to remain at Brisbane at the end of the 1999 season. Collingwood coach,
Michael Malthouse, was very interested in O'Bree due to his brilliant display in his second AFL season. O'Bree left Brisbane by choice and Collingwood selected O'Bree with their first pick in the
2000 Pre-Season Draft.
Collingwood
O'Bree had a great first season with the club, showing dominance as a clearance player. He had 498 disposals and then 467 in successive seasons at Collingwood. O'Bree suffered a slow start to 2002 thanks to
osteitis pubis, but played in both the
2002 Grand Final and the
2003 Grand Final, once again being a valuable clearance player in the centre. Around this time he also played his 100th game. Steady seasons in both 2004 and 2005 kept him going, despite his lack of speed in a slow midfield outfit, he still found the ball and tackled hard. 2006 saw him play all 23 games and bring up his 150th career game in round 5 against . He consistently found the ball, having another good season in which he averaged 21 touches per game.
Coaching
After retiring as a player, he joined the
Gold Coast Suns
The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara.
The club has been playing in the AFL since t ...
as a midfield assistant coach for their inaugural season in the AFL in 2011.
At the end of the 2012 season, O'Bree moved back to Victoria and joined the
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition, and are the 2 ...
as a midfield stoppage assistant coach.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obree, Shane
1979 births
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
Collingwood Football Club players
Brisbane Lions players
Greater Western Victoria Rebels players
Beaufort Football Club players
Living people