With Richmond spending time in Victorian country town Echuca on Monday, as part of its Goulburn Valley community camp, Tony Greenberg reflects on a Tiger great from the area.
Kevin O’Neill was born in Echuca on March 20, 1908, just a few weeks before Richmond played its inaugural game in the VFL competition.
His father, Edward O’Neill, had been a member of the Tigers’ team in the VFA at the turn of the 20th century, so the pedigree was there for him to play the game at a decent level.
And that’s certainly how it panned out.
When young O’Neill was at Echuca Technical School, he played in a match against the Castlemaine Technical School team, which contained two future Tiger champions – Percy Bentley and Jack Titus.
O’Neill, Bentley and Titus would go on to become multi-premiership teammates at Richmond and greats of the Club.
But O’Neill nearly didn’t make it to Tigerland.
After leaving school and playing senior football with Echuca (winning a premiership in 1928 and finishing runner-up in 1929), O’Neill was keenly sought by St Kilda.
He, in fact, agreed to join the Saints on the condition that they found him permanent employment.
The job did not materialise, however, and when Richmond made him a satisfactory offer, he gladly became a Tiger.
It was a decision he never regretted.
O’Neill made his senior debut with Richmond in the opening round of the 1930 season against Collingwood at Punt Road.
From that game on, he was a permanent member of the Tigers’ line-up in his back pocket role.
He was an integral part of Richmond’s famous last line of defence, alongside Maurie Sheahan and Martin Bolger, throughout the 1930s.
The “Three Musketeers”, as they were called, were pivotal to the Tigers’ premiership success in 1932 and 1934 with their defensive expertise.
O’Neill loved to back his judgement and dash downfield, but he also utilised his strength to win crucial one-on-one contests with opponents.
Renowned for his consistency of performance throughout a stellar 209-game career with the Tigers from 1930-41, O’Neill also represented Victoria 10 times in state matches.
He received Richmond life membership in 1939 and was inducted into the Club’s Hall of Fame in 2008.
Although O’Neill preferred going about his on-field business with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency, he craved attention from legendary Tigers coach Frank “Checker” Hughes.
As O’Neill’s teammate, Richmond “Immortal” Jack Dyer recounted: “Kevin O’Neill smouldered with indignation for years because Checker never gave him so much as a pat on the back or a good word. Yet O’Neill was one of our greats. Finally, after about 10 years, O’Neill screwed up the courage to back-chat Checker. “In all these years you’ve never told me I’ve played a decent game.” Checker was short, terse and sharp: “What do you think you’re in the side for, you’re a champion, you are expected to play like it. Start worrying when I do want to talk to you.”
That sums up the high esteem Kevin O’Neill was held in at Tigerland throughout his playing days.
