Gerry O'Neill

For the Northern Irish Gaelic footballer, see Gerry O'Neill (Gaelic footballer).

Gerry O'Neill
Personal information
Full name	Gerald O'Neill
Date of birth	(1919-04-13)13 April 1919
Place of birth	Chiltern, Victoria
Date of death	1 August 2004(2004-08-01) (aged 85)
Place of death	Wangaratta, Victoria
Original team(s)	Chiltern, North Footscray, Kingsville
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1943–44	Footscray	16 (2)
^1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1944.
Career highlights
Chiltern premiership player: 1936, 40, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 & 53. 1940 - C&DFA Azzi Medal 1950 - C&DFA Leading Goalkicker: 139 goals 1954 - O&KFL Leading Goalkicker: 87 goals
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Gerry "Podge" O'Neill (13 April 1919 – 1 August 2004) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]

O'Neill first played senior football with Chiltern in the Chiltern & District Football Association as a 17 year in 1936. He played in their 1936[2] and 1940[3] premiership teams and won the 1940 Chiltern & District Football Association best and fairest award, the Azzi Medal.[4]

O'Neill then moved to Melbourne and played with North Footscray 1941,[5] then with Kingsville in 1942.

O'Neill managed to play 16 games for Footscray during 1943[6] and 1944,[7] after debuting against Carlton in round two, 1943.[8]

O'Neill served in World War II, initially enlisting in the Australian Army in 1941[9] but transferring to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1943[10] where he served in the 2nd Airfield Construction Squadron. O'Neill played for Footscray during his period of war service.

O'Neill returned to play with Chiltern in 1947 and then played in Chiltern's 1947,[11] 48,[12] 49,[13] 50, 51[14] and 53 Chiltern & District Football Association premierships. O'Neill was captain-coach of Chiltern from 1951 to 1953 and in 1954, when Chiltern joined the Ovens & King Football League.

In August 1950, O’Neill kicked 24 goals against Springhurst in round 16, to bring his goal tally to 116 for the season.[15] O'Neill finished the 1950 season with 139 goals, after kicking nine goals in the grand final win against Howlong.[16]

In the 1952 C&DFA grand final, O'Neill kicked nine goals against Corowa Stars Football Club, but Chiltern lost by 15 points.[17]

In Chiltern's first year in the Ovens & King Football League in 1954, O'Neill was the leading goalkicker in the O&KFL, with 87 goals for the season, in which he retired at the end of the season, after a controversial grand final loss.[18]

O'Neill was captain-coach of Chiltern that lost to Greta by four points in the 1954 O&KFL grand final, after being four goals in front after 35 minutes, with the last quarter going for a staggering 43 minutes.[19] [20] [21]

His grandson is former AFL footballer from the Brisbane Bears, Nigel Lappin.

Notes

1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 673. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
2. "1936 - Chiltern & DFA - Grand Final match review". Trove Newspapers. The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW). 28 August 1936. p. 38. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
3. "1940 - Chiltern & DFL - Grand Final match review". Trove Newspapers. The Corowa Free Press (NSW). 27 August 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
4. "1940 - Chiltern & DFA - Azzi Medal". Trove Newspapers. 2 August 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
5. "1941 - Chiltern Football Club". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 24 April 1941. p. 6. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
6. "1943 - Football permits granted". The Argus. 13 May 1943. p. 9. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
7. "1944 - Football clubs complete lists". The Argus. 1 May 1944. p. 9. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
8. "1943 - Carlton beat Footscray". Weekly Times. 19 May 1943. p. 20. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
9. "World War II Roll: Gerald O'Neill (Army)". Department of Veterans Affairs.
10. "World War II Roll: Gerald O'Neill (RAAF)". Department of Veterans Affairs.
11. "1947 - Chiltern Football Banquet". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 13 October 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
12. "1948 - Banquet at Chiltern". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 11 October 1948. p. 12. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
13. "1949 - CHILTERN CLUB'S PREMIER SHIP DINNER". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 3 October 1949. p. 11. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
14. "1951 - Chiltern's fifth successive". Border Morning Mail (Albury, NSW). 17 September 1951. p. 11. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
15. "1950 - Chiltern player sets record". Trove Newspapers. The Argus. 23 August 1950. p. 12. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
16. "1950 - CHILTERN'S FOURTH SUCCESSIVE PREMIERSHIP". Border Mail. 2 October 1950. p. 11. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
17. "1952 - corowa Stars win premiership". Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser (Vic). 30 September 1952. p. 2. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
18. "1954 - FOOTBALL—O. & K. LEAGUE GRETA WINS THRILLING GRAND FINAL BY 4 - POINT MARGIN". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic). 22 September 1954. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
19. "1954 - Time on for Chiltern". ACMI. ACMI. 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
20. "1954 - CHILTERN'S PROTEST DISMISSED: APPEAL TO N.E. COUNCIL". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic). 25 September 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
21. "1954 - FOOTBALL—O. & K. LEAGUE RECORD FIGURES, £102 DIVIDEND". Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic). 6 October 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 17 October 2023.

External links

• Gerry O'Neill's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Gerry O'Neill at AustralianFootball.com
• 1939 - Albury Reserves & Chiltern FC Team Photos
• 1940 - Photo of Gerry O'Neill Border Mail Newspaper
• 1940 - Chiltern & District FA Premiers: Chiltern FC team photo
• 1949 - Chiltern & District FA Premiers: Chiltern FC team photo
• 1950 - Chiltern & District FA Premiers: Chiltern FC team photo
• 1953 - Chiltern & District FA Premiers: Chiltern FC - Team Photo
• 1953 - Chiltern & District FA Premiers: Chiltern FC - Team Photo