Mick O’Neill’s family ‘heartbroken’ as Tasmanian dies in Ukraine
A local football club has paid a touching tribute to slain Tasmanian man Mick O’Neill, who was killed in Ukraine on Wednesday.
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Cygnet Football Club’s under 17.5 girls team, the Southern Storm, has paid a touching tribute to slain Tasmanian man Mick O’Neill, who was killed in Ukraine on Wednesday.
The side, which includes Mr O’Neill’s three nieces, wore the colours of his former club Kermandie as they won by eight goals against Huonville.
The club said on its Facebook page Mr O’Neill, 47, was a “respected opponent by all”.
“Today our u17.5 Storm Girls wore Kermandie jumpers in honour of Michael O’Neill who was tragically taken last week while serving in the Ukraine.
“Michael, who is the uncle of Storm players - Polly, Lucy and Banjo O’Neill, was a player for Kermandie and a respected opponent by all who played against him at Cygnet.”
Kermandie was one of the state’s oldest clubs before it dissolved in 2010, winning 26 premierships in the Huon Football Association and Southern Football League.
A memorial service for Mr O’Neill will be held next month at the Kermandie clubrooms.
‘Sending messages home daily’: Tassie family man dead in Ukraine
A Tasmanian man who died in Ukraine on Wednesday while assisting their fight against invading Russian forces was “always looking for a cause”, his heartbroken sister has said.
Former Geeveston man Michael Charles O’Neill, 47, known to all as ‘Mick’, a father of three and the youngest of six siblings, went to Ukraine to “drive trucks helping citizens flee the country”, sister Bernadette said.
“He then assisted driving the wounded and injured from the front line
“He heard that women and children were struggling to leave the country.
“As an experienced truck driver he felt his services could be utilised driving trucks helping people leave the country.
“Mick always felt strongly for underdogs.
“Unfortunately (he met) a sad end.”
Bernadette, who described her brother as “always a larrikin”, said Mr O’Neill had been driving trucks in the mining industry in the years prior to his death, as well as spending up to six months of the year with his two youngest children in the Philippines.
“The family are very upset, he was sending messages daily from Ukraine to all family and his children,” she said.
Bernadette said, aside from his children, football was the other love of his life.
“Mick was a great young footballer, playing for local club Kermandie, always a battler,” she said.
“He was very competitive.”
His eldest daughter, who lives in Melbourne, told the Mercury she was “heartbroken”.
“I’m just trying to process it all,” she said.
And if she could say one more thing to her deceased baby brother?
“Follow mum’s advice: keep your head down,” Bernadette said.
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