(253rd Eagles player)
Victorian midfielder Xavier O'Neill was a surprise first selection by the Eagles in the 2018 draft.
West Coast career[]
Having played TAC Cup for the Oakleigh Chargers but missed selection for Vic Metro,[1] O'Neill was a draft bolter after winning the kicking test at the draft combine. On being drafted, he was described as a speedy midfielder who could win a good balance of contested and uncontested possessions.
O'Neill began slowly in the Eagles' reserves, but built some strong form by the end of the 2019 season including a 24-possession game in the club's first finals win over West Perth. He eventually broke into the side late in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, playing five games in a 19-day period during the club's second Queensland hub stay. O'Neill added another eight games in 2021, starting the season in the seniors but getting dropped after two weeks, a pattern that would repeat itself several times throughout the year.
He played a then-career-high 11 games in 2022, including a strong run of form in the final stages of the season, and followed up with 15 games in 2023, although he was dropped a number of times and finished the season in the WAFL. O'Neill was delisted at the end of the season, having played 39 games in his five seasons at the club.
Stats[]
| AFL | Gm | G | B | K | M | H | D | T | Cl | WAFL | Gm | G | B | K | M | H | D | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | WCE | 18 | 4 | 5 | 143 | 35 | 104 | 247 | 71 | |||||||||
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 9 | 24 | 49 | 9 | 1 | N/A | |||||||||
| 2021 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 16 | 37 | 84 | 15 | 8 | WCE | 13 | 4 | 6 | 164 | 43 | 136 | 300 | 71 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 96 | 19 | 64 | 160 | 51 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 69 | 21 | 47 | 116 | 13 | ||
| 2023 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 100 | 37 | 82 | 182 | 60 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 51 | 15 | 24 | 75 | 15 | ||
| Tot | 39 | 8 | 7 | 268 | 81 | 207 | 475 | 135 | 57 | ||||||||||
| Avg | 0.2 | 6.9 | 2.1 | 5.3 | 12.2 | 3.5 | 1.5 |
News[]
23/11/18: Eagles load up on midfielders
22/8/20: O'Neill to debut against Giants
12/10/20: Young quartet sign new deals
References[]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_O%27Neill
https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/X/Xavier_ONeill.html
https://www.wafl.com.au/player/xavier-o-neill
- ↑ Travis King, afl.com.au (26 November 2018), "Young Eagles with points to prove after getting their wings": http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-11-26/young-eagles-with-points-to-prove-after-getting-their-wings