O’Donnell was signed as a Category B Rookie in April 2023. A former cricketer and talented athlete across his junior years, O’Donnell was pursuing a career in cricket before switching back to football. The 20-year-old is a third-generation VFL/AFL player, following grandfather Kevin and father Simon who both represented St Kilda during the 1940s and 1980s respectively. O’Donnell made his senior debut in Round 9, 2023 and has tallied 26 games since.
Player Sponsors: Phillip Scala, The Isherwood Family, AB Recruitment, Shield Plumbing, Chelsea Heath & Rhonda Brian, David Scuderi, Ange Biviano.O’Donnell was signed as a Category B Rookie in April 2023. A former cricketer and talented athlete across his junior years, O’Donnell was pursuing a career in cricket before switching back to football. The 20-year-old is a third-generation VFL/AFL player, following grandfather Kevin and father Simon who both represented St Kilda during the 1940s and 1980s respectively. O’Donnell made his senior debut in Round 9, 2023 and has tallied 26 games since.
Player Sponsors: Phillip Scala, The Isherwood Family, AB Recruitment, Shield Plumbing, Chelsea Heath & Rhonda Brian, David Scuderi, Ange Biviano.Team and player honours
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James O'Donnell speaks at the Dogs' Community Camp in Ballarat.
Chris Bell gives a medical update on O'Donnell, Croft, Gardner and O'Driscoll
The DA squad try a few different activities to supplement their education of stoppage setups, and head to The Breath Haus - a breathwork facility run by former AFL player Nathan Freeman.
Development Academy is an education program that is run for the Bulldogs first and second-year players over the course of the entire football year. Step right into the inner-sanctum of the AFL department via these sessions, as these nine players navigate their way through the beginnings of their careers. Episode 2 - FIRST YEAR ADVICE | With the 2023 National Draft complete, the club welcomes five new recruits. In the second DA session for the year, the second-year players provide the new recruits with their advice for handling their first seasons as professional athletes.
Ahead of the 2023 AFL Draft, we are introduced to the team behind DA (Development Academy) as well as the four second-year players, who are asked to reflect on what is different heading into year two.
O'Donnell speaks on the connection to fans during the Club's community camp visit to Ballarat.
The 20-year-old will remain at the Kennel for the next two seasons after re-signing until at least the end of 2025.
James O'Donnell's plans were to take cricket to the next level, but all that changed with an off-hand remark.
Ex-cricketer James O’Donnell will make his AFL debut against Carlton in the red, white and blue.
Western Bulldogs acknowledge that we work, train and play on the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation. We offer our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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