Daryl O'Brien (profile)
Footy Fan, August 29, 1964

Daryl O'Brien, North's capable half-back flanker has had a great season.  He has consistently been one of the best and yet it was only a couple of years ago that the Kangaroos tried to give him away.

Actually, it was not until Alan Killigrew took over as coach that O'Brien began to find his feet.  Killa eliminated O'Brien's weaknesses and built up his confidence to such a degree that he is, today, an automatic selection each week.

Killigrew, the astute, the thinker, studies his players and realised that O'Brien had latent ability that required careful handling to bring to the required standard.

Daryl responded to his coach's advice and is now one of Killigrew's greatest admirers.  He began his football career with West Coburg, a team which has been the nursery for many good players who later represented League clubs.

Don Palmer, Derek Cowan and Tom Allison all transferred to North and Wesley Lofts went to Carlton and George Moloney to Essendon.

O'Brien followed his mates to North in 1958 to play with the Thirds.  The following year he captained the team and then graduated to the Reserves.

Slow Rise

The 1960 season was a mixture for Daryl.  He showed sound form for the Reserves and was rewarded when he made the Senior team in the second last game.  It was against Hawthorn at Hawthorn and he was on a half forward flank.  O'Brien did a reasonable job and got a further chance in the last game against Collingwood.

But that was his last game with the Senior team for a long time.

Clearance Refused

Things went wrong.  He couldn't strike form at all and felt that a change of scenery would be the best, so he duly applied for a clearance to Footscray.  But V.F.L. clubs are loathe to clear 19 year old youngsters and O'Brien's application was promptly refused.  So it was back to the Reserves for the rest of the season.

Coburg after his Services

At the beginning of the 1962 season North were prepared to clear O'Brien to Coburg in the V.F.A.

Bill Finlay, the former North rover, was coaching Coburg and was anxious to get O'Brien, but Daryl had tasted the "big" game and was confident that given time he would earn a place.

His decision was full of wisdom, as after being unsettled for years, he set about making the grade with a strength of purpose which was soon plainly evident to all at North.

The "Shinboners" love a battler and O'Brien soon found that he had many admirers.

They liked the way he went in for the ball and the Senior selectors finally bowed to the inevitable and selected him.  He managed 15 games as a half back or half forward flanker, and followed this up with 12 games in 1963.

Came this season and all O'Brien's years of battling were rewarded.  Profiting by the encouragement of Alan Killigrew, he has played every game on a half back flank and has "gone like a bomb".

O'Brien's fight for recognition should be an inspiration to all youngsters.  He set his aim on gaining a regular place with North and although at times it appeared too big a hurdle, he never lost hope.

I wonder if North would consider giving him a clearance now?

Note: This article appeared mid-way through the 1964 season.  That year, DOB polled second behind North captain Noel Teasdale in the club's "Best and Fairest" award.