O'BRIEN, Craig

Craig O'Brien played 21 games with Essendon and kicked 16 goals. He played mostly in the forward pocket where he was seen as a goal sneak. He was a very good mark for his size and an excellent kick.

He struggled to get a regular game with Essendon but was runner-up in the Reserves Second Best and Fairest award in 1990.

He was drafted by the St Kilda after the 1991 season. He again found it hard to win a senior spot and spent his first year at St Kilda in the Reserves. He eventually cemented a place in their team and often played forward pocket next to Tony Lockett.

After four seasons at St Kilda he was picked up by the Sydney Swans where he played out his career, pairing up again with his former St Kilda team-mate, Lockett. He played his best football with the Swans, using his speed, marking ability and goalkicking to great effect. He was a member of the losing 1996 Grand Final team.

O'Brien was involved in a sensational incident while playing with the St Kilda Reserves. He had been reported and suspended for three matches and he tailed the reporting umpire in his car on the way home, making threatening gestures. He was duly suspended for an extra seven matches.

He took up coaching after retiring at the end of the 2000 season, first with Broadbeach in Queensland, then St George in Sydney. His most successful coaching stint was at Palm Beach-Currumbin from 2007 to 2011, where he won premierships in 2005 and 2007, and was runner-up in 2008. He returned to Broadbeach in 2020 and coached them to the Premiership in 2021.

His father, Ron, played one game for Richmond in 1961.