Liam O'Connell

Last updated
Liam O'Connell
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-03-04) 4 March 2003 (age 22)
Place of birth Ireland
Original team(s) Cork GAA, Ireland
Draft Rookie 2023 national draft
Debut 16 March 2025, St Kilda  vs. Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval
Height 189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 84 kg (185 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current club St Kilda
Number 45
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2025– St Kilda 7 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 19, 2025.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Liam O'Connell (born 4 March 2003) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Born in Ireland, he originally played Gaelic Football for Cork before switching to Australian rules.

Contents

Early life

A native of Ballincollig, Ireland, O'Connell lived in Western Australia for several years as a child, where he became acquainted with Australian rules football. Back in Ireland by age 11, he went on to play Gaelic football for Ballincollig and Cork. [1] [2]

Career

O'Connell was scouted by St Kilda in the Australian Football League (AFL) and selected by the club in the 2023 draft as a Category B rookie. The following year, he played 19 games for St Kilda's VFL affiliate, the Sandringham Zebras. [3] He made his debut for the Saints in Round 1 of the 2025 AFL season, playing against Adelaide. [4] In Round 3 against Richmond, he was concussed in an incident involving Rhyan Mansell, who was suspended for three games after being found guilty of rough conduct for forcefully pushing O'Connell into the path of an oncoming marking contest. [5] O'Connell was cleared to return to the field for Round 6. [6] St Kilda's Round 9 match against Carlton saw O'Connell deliver a heavy but fair bump on Mitch McGovern, who suffered a sternum injury and was taken to hospital with suspected breathing issues. [7]

O'Connell's strong form through his debut season earned him a contract extension with St Kilda, with the club praising his rapid improvement and resilience. [8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ O'Mahony, Barry (16 March 2025). "Ballincollig's Liam O'Connell makes AFL debut for St Kilda". The Echo . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  2. ↑ Keys, Colm (21 August 2023). "Cork's Liam O'Connell the latest promising footballer to make move Down Under to St Kilda". Irish Independent . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  3. ↑ Gabelich, Josh (14 March 2025). "Why new Irish Saint had a headstart on his AFL countrymen". AFL. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "Team Selection: Round 1 v Adelaide". saints.com.au. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Laughton, Max (1 April 2025). "'It's small forward craft': Landmark Tribunal ruling as Tiger's ban for pushing rival dangerously upheld". Fox Sports . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "Injury Update: Young defender puts hand up for return to action". saints.com.au. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  7. ↑ Reid, Harrison (9 May 2025). "Carlton defender Mitch McGovern taken to hospital after crunching hit from Liam O'Connell". Seven News . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  8. ↑ Brosnan, Maurice (22 August 2025). "Cork's O'Connell signs new AFL contract with St Kilda". Irish Examiner . Retrieved 6 September 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.