Ballarat FL: Family tie draws Shane O’Bree

SHANE O’Bree played his debut for the club on Saturday not blinded by the dollar signs in his eyes, but because of a genuine desire to play alongside his cousins (the Edwards boys) and other close friends.

So strong was his desire to squeeze in a game for the club in between his AFL assistant coaching duties, he actually thanked the club for letting him “have a run around”.

CLICK HERE for our picture gallery of the Darley v Melton South match.

That being said, it would be an effort to find a club that would say no to a 200-plus-game AFL player, just a few years out of playing at the elite level.

“It was great fun out there. I really appreciate the opportunity to play with my cousins and have a kick of footy,” O’Bree said after the game.

“Hopefully, I can get a few more games under my belt and qualify for finals, if we make it.”

There was no doubt after the match O’Bree was very much a part of the team. He belted out the Darley song to the familiar tune of ‘Good Old Collingwood’ as he had done so many times in the past.

His impact was unquestionably positive. Now it will be interesting to see what happens when Brendan Fevola plays for Bacchus Marsh on June 1.