Graeme O'Donnell

Graeme O'Donnell
Graeme O'Donnell
Personal information
Full name	Graeme Charles O'Donnell
Date of birth	19 July 1938
Date of death	22 August 2023 (aged 85)
Original team(s)	Geelong West
Height	174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club
1961–62	Geelong
1963–64	North Melbourne
Total
	1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1964.
	Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Graeme Charles O'Donnell (19 July 1938 – 22 August 2023) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).^[1] His son, Gary, was a premiership player and captain with Essendon in the 1980s and 1990s.

Personal life and death

Graeme O'Donnell was the son of Leo O'Donnell and Eileen O'Donnell (née Rankin). His mother was the daughter of Teddy Rankin and the sister of Bert, Cliff and Doug Rankin. Graeme was the father of both Gary O'Donnell and Shelley O'Donnell. Gary played for Essendon between 1987 and 1998 and Shelley is a former Australia netball international. ^[2]^[3]^[4]

O'Donnell died on 22 August 2023, at the age of 85.^[5]

^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2014). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (10th ed.). Seaford, Victoria: BAS Publishing. p. 667. ISBN 978-1-921496-32-5.
^ "King-sized satisfaction as Rams reach the peak at last". www.theage.com.au. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
^ "Parliament of Victoria – Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)" (PDF). www.parliament.vic.gov.au. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
^ J. Ross (ed.), 100 Years of Australian Football, Ringwood, 1996, pp. 339,352; M. Maplestone, Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club, 1872–1996, Melbourne, 1996, pp. 561.
^ "Graeme O'Donnell". Australian Football. Retrieved 28 September 2023.