Vale John O’Connell

By Ken Casellas

Seventy-six years ago, a tall, lanky teenager arrived at Claremont Oval full of enthusiasm and with a burning ambition to play league football for the Tigers.

John O’Connell had been a member of the triumphant Claremont metropolitan Juniors side the previous year and such was his ability that he played in every one of Claremont’s league matches in 1950.

And since those early days no single person has had a greater impact or involvement with the Claremont Football Club in so many ways as has John Edward O’Connell, whose death at the age of 94 on Saturday afternoon has left all of us at Claremont as well as the wider football community deeply saddened and mourning his passing.

Much loved and admired, O’Connell — or Oke to his many friends — has had a major influence on WA football over the past 70-odd years as an outstanding player, coach and administrator. He has been a talisman, a wise man and a guiding light.

A humble, self-effacing gentleman, O’Connell never uttered a bad word about anyone, and he inspired us all with his genial nature, strong work ethic and his willingness to assist with any task, great or small.

He has done it all. From a player to a coach to an administrator. And that’s only scratching the surface. He has also been heavily involved as a mentor and as a truly great supporter of the Claremont club.

He was the club president from 1992 to 1997 before continuing as a board member until his retirement at the end of the 2006 season. It was a source of great personal pride that he was at the helm for the club’s league premierships in 1993 and 1996 and for five colts premierships.

O’Connell also found the time and energy to be president of the club’s Past Players and Officials Association from 1998 until his retirement in 2011. It was in this role that we saw him selling raffle tickets at every home match. He also proved to be a quizmaster extraordinaire to help the colts raise funds.

He continued as a committeeman and patron of the past players association and he toiled in the sun and the rain as a member of Claremont’s Show parking team for many years and since 1995 until this year was a member of Dad’s Army, the club’s voluntary maintenance group.

A high-leaping ruckman and a fine athlete, O’Connell made 156 league appearances for the Tigers between 1950 and 1954 and from 1961 to 1963. He also played 81 matches with Geelong in the VFL competition between 1955 and 1960, rising to the position of captain for three matches in 1960.

He represented WA in ten interstate matches and also donned the Big V on one occasion. He was involved in coaching at Claremont for eight years as coach of the reserves and the assistant league coach to Peter Pianto, Denis Marshall and Verdun Howell between 1961 and 1973.

O’Connell continued playing for many years after retiring from league duties at Claremont. He was playing coach of Maddington in the South Suburban League from 1964 to 1968 and with South Perth from 1976 to 1978. And for good measure, he wrote football for the Sunday Independent for two years and worked as a radio commentator on WAFL matches for 18 years. Then he served as general manager (football operations) of the WAFL from 1987 to 1991.

An indication of O’Connell’s prowess as an athlete can be gleaned from his remarkable performances at the State championships at Leederville Oval at the end of the 1953 football season when he was a runaway winner of the State Championship Athlete Award. He won seven events — the 440 yards, the 120, 220 and 440 yards hurdles, the shot put, hammer throw and the javelin as well as finishing second in the 100 and 220 yard sprints, the long jump and the discus throw.

O’Connell and his wonderful wife Pam (a fine athlete who won the Australian 440 yards title in record time in 1954) produced six children, with their sons Peter, David and Michael who played for Claremont. Peter was a colts player before going to Perth where he graduated to league ranks. Michael played 92 league matches for the Tigers and David 107. Each went on to represent the West Coast Eagles.

“My life has revolved around the Claremont Football Club and around football generally,” said O’Connell last year. “This has been the hub of my existence from the primitive days of the old tin sheds to the luxury of the magnificent premises we have today.”

The Claremont club has lost a true gentleman, a true champion and a true legend. We will miss him greatly.