James O'Donnell (born 31 August 2002) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was signed as a Category B rookie in the 2022 AFL draft after playing cricket for Essendon Cricket Club. O'Donnell is son of Simon O'Donnell, a former cricketer and VFL footballer.[2]
| James O'Donnell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | James O'Donnell | ||
| Born | 31 August 2002 | ||
| Original team | Kew Football Club | ||
| Draft | 2022, Category B Rookie | ||
| Debut | Round 9, 2023, Western Bulldogs vs. Carlton, at Marvel Stadium | ||
| Height | 197 cm (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) | ||
| Position | Key defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Western Bulldogs | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2023– | Western Bulldogs | 54 (7) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 10, 2026. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early life
editO'Donnell played Australian Rules Football for Kew Football Club as well as School football for Xavier College in which he attended his schooling education. After completing high school he originally decided to play cricket like his father Simon playing his cricket for Essendon Cricket Club.
AFL career
editO'Donnell debuted for the Western Bulldogs in Round 9, 2023 AFL Season against Carlton at Marvel Stadium in which the Bulldogs defeated Carlton by 20 points. He was awarded the Bulldogs' Best First Year player.[1]
Statistics
editUpdated to the end of round 10, 2026.[3]
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2023 | Western Bulldogs | 18 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 60 | 39 | 99 | 34 | 9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2024 | Western Bulldogs | 18 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 115 | 42 | 157 | 62 | 14 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 8.2 | 3.0 | 11.2 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Western Bulldogs | 18 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 154 | 75 | 229 | 90 | 30 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 7.0 | 3.4 | 10.4 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 2026 | Western Bulldogs | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 20 | 53 | 19 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 3.3 | 8.8 | 3.2 | 1.7 | |
| Career[4] | 54 | 7 | 5 | 362 | 176 | 538 | 205 | 63 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0 | ||
References
edit- 1 2 Slevison, Andrew. "Bontempelli closes in on Bulldogs' best and fairest record". sen.com.au. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ "James O'Donnell, son of former ICC International Cricketer of the Year signed by Western Bulldogs". 7 News. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ↑ "James ODonnell". AFL Tables. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ↑ "James ODonnell". AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
External links
edit- James O'Donnell's profile on the official website of the Western Bulldogs
- James O'Donnell at AustralianFootball.com
- James O'Donnell's playing statistics from AFL Tables
