David O'Connell is a former Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er who played with the West Coast Eagles

West Coast Eagles

The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...

 and Fitzroy

Fitzroy Football Club

The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...

 in the Victorian/Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (VFL/AFL).

A Western Australian interstate representative, O'Connell played most of his football as a ruckman

Ruckman (Australian rules football position)

In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...

 and forward. He came from a footballing family and started out at Claremont

Claremont Football Club

The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....

, his father John's club, before joining brother Michael

Michael O'Connell (footballer)

Michael Bryant O'Connell is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League ....

 at the West Coast Eagles. O'Connell had his best season in 1989 when he put together 18 games and had the second most hit-outs by an Eagles player behind Phil Scott

Phil Scott

Phil Scott is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian/Australian Football League ....

.

At the end of the 1990 season he was traded to Fitzroy, along with teammate Joe Cormack

Joe Cormack

Joe Cormack is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles and Fitzroy in the Victorian/Australia Football League .West Coast recruited Cormack from Swan Districts, where he had played since 1986...

, in return for Dale Kickett

Dale Kickett

Dale Mathew Kickett is a former Australian rules footballer. He is one of only three players, and the only living person to have played for five clubs in the Australian Football League.-Early career:...

. During his two season with Fitzroy, O'Connell supported John Ironmonger

John Ironmonger

John Ironmonger is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans and Fitzroy in the VFL/AFL.Ironmonger was a 200 cm ruckman and started his football career at East Perth in the WAFL. He made his debut in 1980 and won a Sandover Medal for his efforts in the 1983 season...

in the ruck.