Leo O'Brien

For the former US congressman from New York, see Leo W. O'Brien

For the former Wisconsin politician, see Leo P. O'Brien

Leo Patrick Joseph O'Brien (born 2 July 1907, West Melbourne, Victoria, died 13 March 1997, Mentone, Victoria) was an Australian cricketer who played in 5 Tests from 1932 to 1936. His parents were Luke Joseph O'Brien, a Victorian Police Inspector, and Katherine Josephine Ryan. He was the eldest of 4 children and had 2 brothers and 1 sister. He was a 2nd generation Victorian on his father's side. His grandfather had come out from Ireland during the 1850s Victorian Gold Rush.

He attended both Xavier College 1914-1919 and St Patrick's College, Ballarat 1918-1921. Confirmation needed for dates. He married Dorothy Gwendoline in around 1938 and settled in Hampton. He was a left-handed bat of the most determined sort, who played for the Melbourne club Richmond before making his debut for Victoria in 1929-30. O'Brien was also a first-rate baseball player, and an amateur boxer who won every fight except his last. Later, he worked for the tax department, coached in Asia and bred racehorses as a hobby. He was a friendly man and sociable cricketer, who kept playing into his seventies, and for more than fifty years of his life played at least one match a year on the MCG. ((

))

In a rare coincidence Mentone’s only senior football premiership teams at that time, in 1928 and 1956, included Mentone Cricket Club’s only two Test players, Leo O’Brien and Ian Meckiff. Leo was full back in the 1928 team. ((

))