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VELOCITY SPORTS NEWS

Harry O'Brien's Anzac Day 2007: The biggest day
of his football life

Wednesay, 25 April, 2007

Anzac Day. A crowd of 90,508 packed the MCG to the rafters for the traditional clash between Collingwood and Essendon. It was the eighth-biggest home-and-away crowd in AFL history, enjoying perfect conditions for one of the truly special days on the Australian sporting calendar.

And enjoying centre stage was Harry O'Brien.

It wasn't his first Anzac Day game. He played in 2006 as a late replacement, working off the bench as the Pies came from a goal down at halftime to win by 17 points.

But this time he had a pivotal role in the biggest game of his life.

O'Brien, in just his 18th senior AFL game, was given the enormous job of playing at centre half back on Essendon's Scott Lucas, the leading goal-kicker in the competition going into this round 5 clash, with 18 majors in the first four weeks.

He'd been told of his assignment early in the week by coach Mick Malthouse.

O'Brien had 11 possessions - 7 kicks and 4 handballs - and kept Lucas goalless as the Pies booted clear in the final term to win 12-23 (85) to 11-13 (79) after scores were level at halftime.

But it wasn't about numbers. Not for O'Brien. It was about shutting down a potential match-winner. And that he did magnificently.

Such was the young Magpie defender's dominance of his senior Bombers opponent that in the second quarter Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy stationed Lucas as a loose man in defence.

Malthouse, who singled O'Brien out for individual praise in front of his teammates in the rooms after the match, told the media later he was amazed the Brazilian-born 20-year-old did not feature in voting for the Anzac Medal, won by the Pies' Heath Shaw.

"It was highly encouraging a young bloke that can take on that role and he comes up and he says, 'Thanks for the opportunity'," Malthouse said,

"I think it's me thanking him for being able to hold one of the best forwards going around. He is an exceptional young kid."