'He's been an idol': Milestone Magpie following in his father's footsteps

The hard-working Magpie will play his 100th senior game for the Hampden league club on Saturday against arch-rival Cobden - seven years since his debut.

But it's his connection with the number 42 which holds a special place for the determined and respected team man.

O'Neil's father Gary wore the same number during his senior playing days at the club and was the last Magpie to play 100 games with the number etched on his back, meaning both their names now adorn the 42 locker in the changerooms.

The 26-year-old described his dad as his "footy idol" and said it was a proud moment for him to achieve the same feat.

"Playing senior football was something I've always wanted to do," he said of reaching his milestone.

"When I first started out it kind of felt like it was going to take forever to do. Now I'm here it feels like it's come out of nowhere, it's crept up a bit but it's exciting.

"The last person to play 100 senior games is Dad, so it makes it a bit more special. Seeing your name on the lockers with 100 games etched under his is special. He's been an idol for me in the footy scene since I was a kid.

"To be etched under his name is pretty special."

O'Neil said he also owed a lot to the two senior coaches he'd played under so far - Phil Carse and outgoing coach Neville Swayn.

"Phil was great for my development, he gave me my first chance in senior footy (in 2017), so he's been a big part of my journey," he said.

"Neville's been huge for me. I've played under him since 2019. He does a lot as a senior coach but people wouldn't know the amount of time he puts in to help young blokes.

"Even to the extent of getting him out to his place to go through your individual games. He's all about development. Nev's been a part of I think 99 out of 100 games, whether as assistant or head coach. He's been there the whole way and is a big part of getting to 100 senior games."

While he admitted the 4-9 win-loss record wasn't a true reflection of the side's talent, he remained confident the Magpies could ruffle some feathers in the run home and disrupt some teams leading into finals.

"On paper it shows we have talent on a Saturday, but we started the season a bit slow, didn't quite gel as well as we would have liked," he said.

"It took us until around round five but I suppose it's a bit disappointing in a way to not get those wins we wanted."

After an injury-impacted pre-season, O'Neil - who coaches the club's under 18 team - has enjoyed a solid season of senior footy, named in the best six times from his 11 matches.

"Three quarters of the way through last year I did a knee which only really came good midway through the pre-season and then I had a work-related injury where I crushed my finger so I couldn't work for a few months so it's been a setback for me at times," he said.

"After a few games I feel like I've found my feet and played some consistent footy this year which is nice."

The Magpies will take on Cobden on Saturday, July 27 in what looms as a blockbuster clash.