Really happy this guy is back in the fold. Great person and will be huge for our VFL side.
Yep. He seems to be much loved at the club so he’ll be great for the locker room. He is a good state level player. It’ll be great to have him in and under in the midfield. Boosts our VFL stocks and chances immediately I reckon.
He's back for the VFL team in 2017. Does he reckon he's still a chance?Sauce?I can’t remember if he was offered a top-up spot this year?
Check your own VFL section. Horses mouth. Apparently he was but declined. Doesn’t seem to think he’s still a chance moving to Ballarat and all but you never know.
Is he actually moving back to Ballarat? His statement says he’s moving to Melbourne, making him closer to ballarat (his home town?) compared to WA
He's back for the VFL team in 2017. Does he reckon he's still a chance?Sauce?I can’t remember if he was offered a top-up spot this year?
Check your own VFL section. Horses mouth. Apparently he was but declined. Doesn’t seem to think he’s still a chance moving to Ballarat and all but you never know.
Is he actually moving back to Ballarat? His statement says he’s moving to Melbourne, making him closer to ballarat (his home town?) compared to WA
Ah right you are. I misread.
He was runner-up for the Magarey medal in Adelaide this year. i was very surprised when he was delisted last year.
very good pickup for the vfl side
I told everyone I knew he was going to be captain one day just based on the build up on here.
■■■■ blitz.
I told everyone I knew he was going to be captain one day just based on the build up on here. ■■■■ blitz.
Well you still might be right. Could captain the VFL team one day 
I told everyone I knew he was going to be captain one day just based on the build up on here. ■■■■ blitz.Well you still might be right. Could captain the VFL team one day
I prob went a bit early with that one. He would have got a game in the 80s
He was runner-up for the Magarey medal in Adelaide this year. i was very surprised when he was delisted last year.
He is a funny guy. Was a hoot doing the Red Carpet at the 2015 Crichton. In 2015 Nick always found a lot of the ball, even at AFL level, but to get close to winning the Magarey, he must have taken his game to the next level and made his possessions count. Good pickup.
Nick will be what we all know him to be, a very slow extractor with a decent kick on the rare occasions he uses it. Joe Bwatson lite, better than me and hopefully good enough to improve the VFL team.
VFL flag.
Nick will be what we all know him to be, a very slow extractor with a decent kick on the rare occasions he uses it. Joe Bwatson lite, better than me and hopefully good enough to improve the VFL team.
I’d say that’s guaranteed. Nobody ever had any issue with NOB being very good at VFL level.
Gee our VFL side is gonna be awesome
O’Brien returns to Bombers
Simon Conway - SimonConway12
31 October 2016 4:00 PM
A desire to be part of Essendon’s next successful era formed part of the reason Nick O’Brien decided to return to the Club.
The 23 year old has signed on with the Bombers VFL side after spending the 2016 season playing in the SANFL with Woodville-West Torrens.
“It’s such a special time for the Club on a bigger scale with the guys coming back this year,” O’Brien said.
“The Club is in such a good position. Xavier Campbell and John Worsfold have done such a great job with the AFL system and the VFL is always a great reflection of that.
“I just wanted to be part of the success as well and hopefully play a small part in it.”
O’Brien played 14 AFL games with the Bombers, including nine in 2015, after making his debut in 2012.
But when his time at the Club ended he headed to South Australia, where he led Woodville-West Torrens to the Grand Final and finished runner-up in the Magarey Medal (the SANFL’s equivalent of the Brownlow medal).
“As much as I loved my time at Woodville West Torrens, I always had an affection for Essendon,” O’Brien said.
“Definitely to be back closer to family is something that was important to me.
“I was always really keen to get to Adelaide and play a year over there but it was probably never going to be a long term thing.
“Once I decided to come back, Essendon was definitely a priority.”
Paul Corrigan will take over the coaching reins from Matthew Egan, while O’Brien will combine his playing commitments with a coaching role.
“I loved ‘Cora’ in my time with the VFL, he was a fantastic Coach to be around and I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a wonderful head coach,” O’Brien said.
“I’m looking forward to having a really good player-coach relationship.
“There is certainly a coaching aspect to the contract so I’ll work with the first to third year guys on the VFL list which will be fantastic.
“It’s something I’m quite passionate about – having an impact on the younger guys coming through.
“It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was in that position.”
It is only five years since Essendon drafted O’Brien and at 23, he’s not shutting the door on a return to the AFL ranks.
“I would certainly love to play at that level again, but at the same time you’re completely in the AFL clubs hands,” O’Brien said.
“You can’t do much more at this time of year, you’ve done as much as you can on the field.
“Definitely at this age I know it’ll get harder and harder, but if it’s not going to be at AFL level this year, VFL at Essendon was my next best option.”
Great news. Will contribute a lot both on field and on field. Great clubman.
Should have accepted the offer to be one of the top ups for 2016.
Should have accepted the offer to be one of the top ups for 2016.
Hindsight is 50/50. I think by the time the club had approached him, he was already in the process of settling in SA, having signed on to play in the SANFL and moved in with the Crouch brothers.
Happy he’s back in the Club, clearly loves Essendon
Excellent news. Let’s hope we can keep him around this time. He’s too good to let go again.
I’d love to see him get picked up by an AFL club this off-season. It’s probably unlikely that he will, but you never know.