Terry O'Neill (born 10 June 1956) is a former

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 ...

player who played with the

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 ...

and Fitzroy Football Clubs 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). After two modest seasons, which brought him just 11 games, O'Neill was one of South Melbourne's best players in 1977.AFL Tables: Terry O'Neill
/ref> Despite having never played as a defender previously, O'Neill spent the season as a full-back. O'Neill kept

Peter Hudson Peter John Hudson Order of Australia, AM (born 19 February 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the New ...

to three goals on the two occasions they met that year, which was impressive considering the Hawthorn full-forward kicked 110 goals for the season. He polled well in the Brownlow Medal count, with 14 votes, to finish as his club's second top votegetter, behind only the winner

Graham Teasdale Graham Teasdale (born 26 June 1955) is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1972 and 1975, for the South Melbourne Football Club from 1975 to 1981 a ...

. Originally from Narrandera, he also played every VFL game during the season and didn't miss a game again in 1978. O'Neill played just once in 1980 and instead spent the season in the VFA with

Port Melbourne Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of the Melbourne central business district, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Port Phillip, Port Phillip Local government ...

. He was the full-back in Port's premiership team that year. He returned to the VFL in 1981 as a Fitzroy player and took part in their finals campaign that season. His first appearance in 1983, against Footscray at

Waverley Park Waverley Park (also and originally called VFL Park) is an Australian rules football stadium in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. The first venue to be designed and built specifically for Australian Rules football, for most of its history, its pu ...

, was his 100th league game and he played just one more time for Fitzroy. In 1984 he was a member of Queensland club Coorparoo's premiership team and played in another premiership two years later. He also coached Coorparoo, in 1987 and 1988. State captain in 1988, O'Neill represented Queensland at interstate football on 25 occasions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Terry 1956 births Australian rules footballers from New South Wales Sydney Swans players Fitzroy Football Club players Port Melbourne Football Club players Coorparoo Football Club players Living people 20th-century Australian sportsmen