Delisted Zachary O'Brien (2013-2015)

[PattyKwasagun]

Great article on Zac here

Ask anyone at Aberfeldie footy club what they make of the supposed AFL "talent drain" and they'll beg to differ with a two-word answer. Zac O'Brien.

 

[Davemonkey]

Crackers Keenan in Inside Footy has a word to say on ZOB.

 

[Scrotes2000]

What do you guys think the rest of the season holds for young Zach? Will he be given games?

Seems like he has potential, which is why I grabbed him in dreamteam. Hoping he isn't a perma-sub.

Cheers

 

[Reardo]

What do you guys think the rest of the season holds for young Zach? Will he be given games?

Seems like he has potential, which is why I grabbed him in dreamteam. Hoping he isn't a perma-sub.

Cheers

I think he'll get games short term, he's certainly contributing but I think he's a vest candidate.

 

[Dylan12]

Upgrade? Retain? Delist? AFL.com.au's rookie watch

Zac O'Brien: Mature-age midfielder who worked his way on to the senior list and has impressed in his first two appearances as a sub. Small in stature, but has a huge work ethic and should see plenty more senior football.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

 

[Dylan12]

O’Brien earns NEAFL nod

Mature-age Brisbane Lions rookie Zac O’Brien was recognised for his standout performances in the NEAFL with selection in the State League competition’s official Team of the Year in Sydney on Sunday night. It’s a terrific reward for the 23-year-old, whose first year in the AFL system also reaped four senior games with the Lions. O’Brien was the only Lions player to be named in the 22-man side, which is designed to acknowledge the ‘best of the best’ across the 14-team competition.

Lions Innovation & Development Manager Gary O’Donnell said O’Brien was a deserving member of the NEAFL’s ‘Best 22’. “On average, I think he had more disposals than any other player in the NEAFL competition,” O’Donnell told lions.com.au.“He also missed five games – four through senior duties and another as the travelling emergency – so it’s a real testament to the games he did play.” O’Donnell also listed rookie defender Jordon Bourke and key forward Jordan Lisle as other Lions players who were notable throughout the 2014 NEAFL season.

 

[Dylan12]

Zac leads all Lions

Zac O’Brien capped off his first season in the AFL system by being the Brisbane Lions Reserves’ leading vote-getter in the inaugural NEAFL MVP award, held at Daltone House in Sydney on Sunday night. O’Brien finished just shy of the award’s top 20 with a Club-high 31 votes – 10 more than Rohan Bewick, who was the next best Lion with 21 votes. It was a terrific effort from O’Brien, who not only missed five games due to senior AFL commitments, but was also part of a Lions side that won just six games for the season.

 

[iBeng]

Should get a game this week really.

 

[kingsley cochrane]

i was actually very disappointed that the club did not consider elevating zac to the senior list ... hw did enough imo to be considered. he was the best performed of all the rookies this year.

 

[knaf]

I am not sure if all list positions have been filled. Can anyone clarify? Maybe the club is still actively considering up-grading him, but is waiting to the final list lodgement to consider his and other rookies (Bourke for example) claims for a senior spot.

I too am a fan of ZOB.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

i was actually very disappointed that the club did not consider elevating zac to the senior list ... hw did enough imo to be considered. he was the best performed of all the rookies this year.

I am not sure if all list positions have been filled. Can anyone clarify? Maybe the club is still actively considering up-grading him, but is waiting to the final list lodgement to consider his and other rookies (Bourke for example) claims for a senior spot.

Just can't see it being a smart thing to do. With increased midfield depth, it's going to make it extra hard for Zac to get a game.

 

[knaf]

Just answered my own question attempted to answer my own question - "Friday December 5 – Final club list lodgement". Not sure how this effects rookie up-grades though.

Just can't see it being a smart thing to do. With increased midfield depth, it's going to make it extra hard for Zac to get a game.

Agreed he is no certainty to be up-graded but he did everything that could be asked of him when he got his chance. In my opinion as likely to play seniors this year than any of the guys drafted last week. Up-grading him probably wont cost much in dollar terms and frees up an extra rookie spot if they want to take a long term look at one of the Academy talls.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Up-grading ... frees up an extra rookie spot if they want to take a long term look at one of the Academy talls.

That could be an option, but I think we have 40 players on the senior list currently. Besides I think the relationship between the number of senior listers and category A rookies is a fluid one - more on the senior list means less category A rookie spots.

 

[jackess]

All senior list spots are full. He cannot be upgraded.

 

[dlanod]

Plus the rookie upgrade deadline was prior to the ND.

 

[knaf]

Cheers jackess and dlanod

 

[Fatcat08]

i was actually very disappointed that the club did not consider elevating zac to the senior list ... hw did enough imo to be considered. he was the best performed of all the rookies this year.

Being best performed rookie doesn't guarantee anything though. Given he only was chosen to play 5 games in a midfield that has had Beams, Christensen and essentially Rich added back to it, I would have been a bit surprised if he had been elevated TBH. He brings some good attributes to the side but with our midfield depth increasing like it has I'd say he has a fight on his hands to stay on the list beyond the end of the year. Lets hope he's up to the challenge and takes another step in his second year, certainly appears to be running well at this stage of pre-season.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

The fact that Nick Hayes got reserves B&F and wasn't able to get a senior spot would also suggest the gap between NEAFL and AFL standard is too great to rely on performance at NEAFL level for anything other than an indication of commitment and endeavour.

 

[cotter101]

The fact that Nick Hayes got reserves B&F and wasn't able to get a senior spot would also suggest the gap between NEAFL and AFL standard is too great to rely on performance at NEAFL level for anything other than an indication of commitment and endeavour.

Difference between Hayes and O'Brien is O'Brien has actually stepped into the senior side and been one of our better performers when doing so.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Difference between Hayes and O'Brien is O'Brien has actually stepped into the senior side and been one of our better performers when doing so.

Yes, I wasn't meaning to compare the two, only to emphasise that performance in the NEAFL is not a particularly good guide to senior performance.

 

[LIONS08]

Just watching the replay of the last quarter of the bulldogs vs lions game and i really hope that this bloke gets some more games this year. He constantly puts his head over the ball and loves getting in and under. In the space of 40 seconds he gets the ball from the ball up 4 times. He is unable to clear it but there was only 2 minutes left so i guess he was just trying to waste some time.
He is one of our best runners by the looks of things and if he can neaten up his disposal a little i could see him playing a good role for us this year.

 

[bato]

Has been elevated to our senior list!


Tom Rockliff injury sees Brisbane Lions elevate rookie midfielder Zac O’Brien to senior list

BRISBANE have elevated rookie Zac O’Brien to the senior list putting him in the frame to replace injured skipper Tom Rockliff in the Lions' midfield.

Rockliff returned home from hospital yesterday but is set to miss up to two months because from the cracked ribs and punctured lung he suffered in a heavy collision with Collingwood’s Travis Varcoe on Saturday night.

The injury came in his first game since being handed the captaincy over the summer and leaves a leadership vacuum in the young side.

Vice captains Daniel Rich and Dayne Zorko will assume captaincy duties.

The club’s third vice-captain, Irishman Pearce Hanley is not due back from a hip injury until halfway through the year.

Lions coach Justin Leppitsch said he had not made a final decision on the how he would structure the captaincy but suggested Rich and Zorko would probably take turns.

“It’s first thoughts, we haven’t really discussed it yet but it will be one of those two and I think they’ll probably rotate,’’ he said.

Leppitsch said Rockliff would leave a massive hole in the Lions’ midfield but added it would also provide an opportunity for a younger player.

O’Brien has put himself at the front of the queue to take Rockliff's position in the team to play the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The 24-year-old joined the Lions at the end of 2013 as a mature age rookie after a standout season in the VFL.

He replaced Matthew Leuenberger and then Daniel Rich on the senior list in the second half of last year while the duo were on the long term injury list and forced his way onto the side for five games, including a 30 possession effort against Geelong in round 23.

The return of both Rich and Leuenberger forced him back onto the rookie list to start this season.

But a strong pre-season and solid form in the NEAFL games prompted the club to yesterday lodge the paperwork with the AFL to elevate him to replace Hanley.

Players who are injured for more than 8 weeks can be placed on the long-term injury list and be replaced by a rookie.

Leppitsch said it was only the fact he was ineligible for seniors that kept him out of the NAB Challenge and the side for Round 1.

“He has been unlucky, being a rookie probably kept him out of the side while we went with players we knew we could use,” Leppitsch said.

“But he is available now and is a strong chance to play this week.’’

Meanwhile, the Suns will be without Matt Shaw for their match with St Kilda at Metricon Stadium on Saturday after he was suspended for his high shot on Demon Dean Kent at the MCG on Saturday.

Shaw will plead guilty to rough conduct which will reduce his two-week ban to just a week.

 

[iBeng]

As I suspected, will get a good run of games if he makes a good showing!

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

North will be desperate to turn their clearances around. ZOB is just the thing we will need to combat that. Hope he goes well.