Michael Bryant O'Connell (born 17 January 1962) 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...

 in the Victorian 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).

O'Connell made his WAFL

West Australian Football League

The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...

 debut for 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....

 in 1982 and suffered a broken leg during the season. A defender, he was a member of the West Coast Eagles inaugural VFL squad in 1987 and made 10 appearances that year. In the opening round of the 1988 season

1988 VFL season

The 92nd Victorian Football League Premiership Season commenced in April 1988 and concluded on 24 September 1988, with Hawthorn winning their seventh Premiership in their sixth consecutive Grand Final appearance.-Night Series:...

, against Geelong

Geelong Football Club

The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...

 at Kardinia Park, O'Connell was pushed forward and kicked a match winning five goal haul.

Although they never played a senior game together, O'Connell's brother David

David O'Connell (footballer)

David O'Connell is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the West Coast Eagles and Fitzroy in the Victorian/Australian Football League ....

 also played for the Eagles in 1988. Their father is former Claremont and Geelong footballer, John O'Connell. His nephew, John Williams, currently plays at Essendon

Essendon Football Club

The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

.