Gary O'Donnell

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Gary O'Donnell (born May 12, 1965) was an Australian rules footballer who played 243 games for the Essendon Football Club between 1987 and 1998.^[1]

O'Donnell's start at football didn't come easy: he played nearly 50 reserve grade matches before being selected to make his debut in the last game of the 1987 season. From there he held down a steady place in the side, first as a defender, then later developing into a tagging midfielder who was capable of getting the football as well as keeping an opposition player quiet. At his peak, O'Donnell was regarded as one of the most consistent players in the competition, with commentators often stating that he "never plays a bad game".

Underlining this consistency is his record in the club best-and-fairest: O'Donnell finished in the top three six years in a row, winning it in 1993, a premiership year for the Bombers. He also won the Michael Tuck Medal in 1994 as the best player in the pre-season grand final. Additionally, O'Donnell represented Victoria nine times in state of origin football.

O'Donnell was always regarded as one of the most astute thinkers in the game, and was rewarded with the captaincy for the 1996 and 1997 seasons. He reputation was further enhanced when after retirement he took up an assistant coaching role with the Brisbane Lions. His tactical insight was a key part of the Lions' rise up the ladder, culminating in three premierships from 2001 to 2003.

After Brisbane's grand final loss in 2004, Gary O'Donnell announced that he would be returning to Essendon in 2005 as an assistant coach to Kevin Sheedy. Some people have speculated that this move indicates he may be the preferred replacement when Sheedy decides to quit coaching, but O'Donnell has denied this, saying that he has no firm plans beyond his current role. On the 22nd of July 2006, O'Donnell coached Essendon for one match due to the absence of head coach Kevin Sheedy, who injured his shoulder in a collision with defender Dean Solomon. Essendon drew with long-time rivals Carlton to break its' long-losing streak of 14. Effectively, O'Donnell has coached Essendon for 0 wins, 0 losses and a draw!

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