The Western Bulldogs have signed James O’Donnell, the son of former Australian cricketer Simon O’Donnell, as a convert from cricket.
The Bulldogs have signed O’Donnell, who has been playing Premier Cricket for Essendon, as a category B rookie – the same rule that Geelong used to recruit Mark Blicavs from athletics and Collingwood deployed to sign American Mason Cox.
Simon O’Donnell playing cricket for Australia in 1990.Credit:The Age
O’Donnell’s father Simon, who is also a well-known media personality, played football for St Kilda, where his father Kevin also played in the 1940s, making James a prospective third generation of the family to play the game at the top level.
O’Donnell is an all-rounder at Premier Cricket level, but has a football pedigree, having played for Victoria in the under 12s, alongside North Melbourne’s Will Phillips and Bulldog Luke Cleary. He concentrated mainly on cricket at Xavier College.
O’Donnell, 21, had a late growth spurt at 18-19 years of age, according to club sources, and is 197 centimetres – making him a potential key-position prospect, although the Bulldogs are open-minded about what positions he might fill. He had been a midfield-sized player when he last played the game.
The Bulldogs’ expectation is that he could start playing in defence, where it is easier to learn the game. He has not played football since his latter school days.
O’Donnell tested strongly for athletic traits when assessed by the Bulldogs, showing good speed and endurance.
O’Donnell will join training at the Bulldogs on Friday.
The Bulldogs found O’Donnell via the club’s head of high-performance Mat Inness, who is involved at Essendon Cricket Club. They do not expect O’Donnell to play immediately and will give him time to adjust to the game.
Simon O’Donnell (left and right), during his cricket career.Credit:Archives
Under the rules, he could play for the Dogs straight away, at VFL or AFL level.
His height was an obvious attraction, as with other converts from other sports such as Blicavs, Cox, Alex Keath and some of the Irish players, although the Gaelic football recruits tend to be running players.
O’Donnell’s older brother Tom, a left-arm quick bowler, recently made his debut for Victoria in a one-day game against South Australia and also plays Premier Cricket for Essendon.
Simon O’Donnell played 24 games for the Saints in 1982 and 1983 before choosing to pursue a cricket career that included 87 one-day internationals for Australia – he was key a member of the 1987 winning World Cup team – and six Tests.
Simon O’Donnell’s late father Kevin played 49 games for St Kilda from 1946 until 1949.
Adelaide had a major success with a dual sport athlete when they secured Keath from cricket, who then became a key-position defender and later crossed to the Bulldogs.
Under the rules, clubs can sign a player from another sport without putting him through the draft, provided he has not played football at any level for at least three years. O’Donnell has not played football since 2019, thus qualifying.
The Bulldogs have 43 players, counting their rookies, one short of the maximum.
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