Reilly O'Brien

Reilly O'Brien
O'Brien in September 2017
Personal information
Full name Reilly Mark O'Brien[1]
Nickname ROB
Born (1995-08-20) 20 August 1995
Original team Calder Cannons (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 9, 2014 rookie draft
Debut Round 20, 2016, Adelaide vs. Brisbane Lions, at Adelaide Oval
Height 202 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Weight 102 kg (225 lb)
Position Ruck
Club information
Current club Adelaide
Number 43
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015– Adelaide 148 (17)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 22, 2026.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Reilly Mark O'Brien (born 20 August 1995) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A Malcolm Blight Medal winner in 2020,[2] he is currently Adelaide's second-choice ruckman.

Early life

O'Brien participated in the Auskick programs at Flemington Primary School in Flemington, Victoria, and at Moonee Valley Football Club.[3] He played his junior representative football with the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup. He grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Ascot Vale.[4]

O'Brien was drafted by the Adelaide Football Club with their first selection and ninth overall in the 2014 rookie draft.[5]

AFL career

O'Brien playing for Adelaide in 2019

Reilly O'Brien made his debut in the 138-point win against the Brisbane Lions in round 20, 2016, at the Adelaide Oval.[6] He didn't play much football between 2016 and 2019, but broke into the side after Sam Jacobs sustained an injury.[7] Jacobs was traded to Greater Western Sydney at the end of the 2019 AFL season, leaving O'Brien as Adelaide's primary ruckman going into the 2020 AFL season.[8]

O'Brien faced controversy when he accidentally tweeted that West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui is "lazy and unfit", attributing the mistake to a broken smartphone.[9] Naitanui responded by gifting O'Brien a new phone after that weekend's game between their clubs.[10]

O'Brien won the Malcolm Blight Medal in his first season as the primary ruck. This led to a contract extension to keep him at Adelaide until 2025.[2]

In 2023, with Riley Thilthorpe as his backup ruckman, O'Brien led the competition for hit-outs.[11] Partway through 2024, the struggling Crows chose to drop O'Brien to the SANFL in favour of Kieran Strachan in an attempt to revive the club's season.[12] O'Brien returned after two games on the sidelines, and he still led the competition for hit-outs and average hit-outs by the conclusion of the season.

O'Brien and Darcy Cameron compete at a stoppage in a 2025 match against Collingwood

In 2025, O'Brien played every game and led his team to the minor premiership as a vice-captain, and played all 25 games for the Crows. However, O'Brien was stripped of his leadership role in 2026 as he fell out of favour, playing only one game in the first half of the season. Ruckman Lachlan McAndrew became Adelaide's first-choice ruckmen following a rule change involving the ruck contest at a center stoppage.[13][14]

Personal life

Outside of football, O’Brien has completed a medical science degree at Flinders University. He has since undertaken post graduate study, both in business administration and public health through Torrens University.[15] He has also completed postgraduate study in neuroscience through King’s College.[16] O’Brien graduated from high school with an ATAR of 99.75.[17]

In 2024, O'Brien won the league-wide Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award for his advocacy and community work for mental health in South Australia.[18][19] After achieving automatic eligibility by playing 100 games over 10 years, O'Brien was granted Life Membership with the Adelaide Football Club.[20]

In May 2026, O'Brien and wife Chloe announced that they are expected the birth of their first child.[21]

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 22, 2026.[22]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
H/O
 Hit-outs
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T H/O G B K H D M T H/O
2015Adelaide43[23] 0————————————————0
2016Adelaide43 2129192846470.51.04.59.514.02.03.023.50
2017Adelaide43 0————————————————0
2018Adelaide43 0————————————————0
2019Adelaide43 182412615027660775970.10.27.08.315.33.34.333.23
2020[a]Adelaide43 170310712523264684620.00.26.37.413.63.84.027.24
2021Adelaide43 202013815629471555850.10.06.97.814.73.62.829.35
2022Adelaide43 203212414126553797380.20.16.27.113.32.74.036.92
2023Adelaide43 23441171692866672888†0.20.25.17.312.42.93.138.63
2024Adelaide43 21231321102424977898†0.10.16.35.211.52.33.742.82
2025Adelaide43 253315914130075889720.10.16.45.612.03.03.538.95
2026Adelaide43 200771466500.00.03.53.57.03.03.025.00
Career 14817219191018193744852852370.10.16.26.913.13.03.635.424

Notes

  1. ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Adelaide Football Club [@adelaide_fc]; (8 August 2025). "not sure if all these middle names are real or not 😭". Retrieved 20 September 2025 – via Instagram.
  2. 1 2 Staff writer (11 March 2021). "Crows lock in best and fairest winner on long-term deal". AFL.
  3. ↑ AFL Record. Round 1, 2022. pg 52
  4. ↑ Michell, Tim. "Calder Cannons Mark Kovacevic and Reilly O'Brien break the stereotypes about ruckmen". www.heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Michell, Tim (3 December 2014). "Calder Cannons tall Reilly O'Brien and winger Roarke Smith join AFL ranks through rookie draft". Moonee Valley Leader. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Fjeldstad, Jesper (5 August 2016). "Battle of beginners looms in ruck as Adelaide's Reilly O'Brien takes on Brisbane's Archie Smith". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Team: Crows ruckman Reilly O'Brien named to replace Sam Jacobs". Adelaide Football Club. 3 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "2019 Trade for Sam Jacobs", Draft Guru, retrieved 8 March 2024
  9. ↑ "Adelaide Crows' Reilly O'Brien calls West Coast Eagles ruck opponent Nic Naitanui 'lazy and unfit' in accidental tweet". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 July 2020.
  10. ↑ Sutton, Ben (11 July 2020). "'What an amazing human being': Nic Nat's gift to trash-talking rival". afl.com.au.
  11. ↑ "MOST HIT OUTS 2023 AFL STATISTICS". Zero Hanger. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Mottram, Seb (6 June 2024). "Crows reveal reason behind O'Brien's axing and the fellow veteran "in a similar position"". 1116 SEN.
  13. ↑ Harvey, Daniela (20 February 2026). "Five key takeaways: Matthew Nicks on match sim v Port Adelaide". Adelaide Football Club. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Crows tight-lipped on Daicos plans, ponder ruck change". AAP. 11 March 2026. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026 – via AFL Media.
  15. ↑ Pierce, Justin (6 December 2021). "How one Sports Management Student went from Internship to Dream Job at the Penrith Panthers". www.torrens.edu.au. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Gabelich, Josh (29 July 2023). "Hidden talents: Crows giant could be smartest man in footy". afl.com.au. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Five things about Reilly O'Brien". afc.com.au. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  18. ↑ "O'Brien a finalist for the 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award". afc.com.au. 4 September 2024.
  19. ↑ "Big Crow honoured with 2024 Jim Stynes Award". afl.com.au. 23 September 2024.
  20. ↑ "Crows honour new Life Members". afc.com.au. 19 February 2025.
  21. ↑ Harvey, Daniela (25 May 2026). "O'Brien's baby news". afc.com.au.
  22. ↑ "Reilly OBrien". AFL Tables. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Adelaide Playing List for 2015". Draft Guru. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
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