EFNL 2023: Ex-AFL Hawk, Bulldog Tim O’Brien joins Doncaster East

The phone calls were surprisingly sparse from local clubs pursuing ex-Hawk and Bulldog Tim O’Brien as his decade-long AFL career finished. But an Eastern league club has pounced.

FEW local clubs asked the question of the former No. 23 Hawk.

And Doncaster East pounced.

Ex-Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs forward Tim O’Brien will play for the Eastern league Premier Division club in 2024 following an AFL career stretching 115 matches across a decade.

Selected by Hawthorn with pick 28 in the 2012 national draft, O’Brien donned the brown and gold in 97 outings from 2013-2021, kicking 73 goals, before crossing to the Western Bulldogs in 2022.

The 29-year-old was delisted at the end of this season following 18 matches as a Bulldog – and Doncaster East president Peter Sowersby came calling not long after.

O’Brien soars for the Hawks in 2021. Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“It all happened pretty quickly, to be honest,” Sowersby said.

“Me and Tim had been texting since probably a week after he got delisted, through a mutual friend.

“We weren’t putting any pressure on him, but obviously said if there’s no AFL interest, we’d love to chat … then we met a couple of times.”

Sowersby said Doncaster East was one of just three local clubs to pursue the 193cm talent once his papers were stamped at AFL level.

“I just think it’s amazing that no other club, bar two, contacted Tim,” he said.

“I’m not sure if other clubs still thought he was on an AFL list, and there were rumours he was going to sign at Geelong, but that wasn’t true.

“Fortunately for us, it’s happened that way.”

O’Brien, who featured in VFL flags with Box Hill in 2013 and ’18, was bestowed the coveted No. 23 guernsey at Hawthorn following Lance Franklin’s departure at the end of 2013.

His signing follows the addition of ex-state league talls Michael Wenn and Hugh Johnson from Premier Division rival Norwood, alongside midfielder Chris Tout (Warrandyte).

But the Lions haven’t been without their losses this off-season, with rising star Ben Quaynor crossing to Castlemaine, while former Carlton defender Simon White could hang up the boots.

“We may have a couple of our older guys retire which is unfortunate, and it looks like ‘Whitey’ will retire … (he’s) arguably Doncaster East’s best-ever and will be very hard to replace,” Sowersby said.

“Unfortunately, we lose Ben Quaynor to a country club, really sad to see him leave and was not expecting him to go, hopefully Ben will be back in the near future.”

They’ve also lost a couple of fringe players in search of senior opportunities in lower divisions.

“When you’re winning games in Premier (Division) and finals, you always seem to lose a few fringe players to lower divisions who probably aren’t prepared to do the hard work over summer and change their habits,” Sowersby said.

“Lower divisions probably suit them and most become fringe players at those clubs too.

“The young talent we have coming through is very exciting and probably not recognised enough by the outside – probably why we aren’t ranked in the top 75 clubs in Victoria.

“To have two out three sides play finals this season is a huge effort by a club which has been in Premier Division for two full seasons.”