Finn O’Sullivan: The Quiet Achiever Driving the Kangaroos’ Future
Finn O’Sullivan, the number two pick in the 2024 AFL draft, has deliberately kept a low profile during his impressive debut season. While he featured in all but one game for the Kangaroos, a remarkable feat for a draftee, he garnered significantly less media attention than his close mate and number one pick, Sam Lalor, who played 11 games for Richmond. This quiet approach suits O’Sullivan, a country lad from Koroit, a small rural town near Warrnambool. Despite attending boarding school at Xavier College in his final years of secondary education, he retains the distinctive drawl of his hometown.
“I feel like this club really suits me as a person,” O’Sullivan explains, his words flowing with a relaxed cadence. “We fly below the radar a bit, so we just go about our business, but not in the spotlight too much.” This understated approach might soon be a thing of the past, however, as the Kangaroos enter a critical phase. Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson is now in the fourth year of his five-year contract, and with the team having secured only 11 wins in 69 matches since 2023, the pressure for on-field success is mounting.
O’Sullivan, who grew up barracking for the Hawks during Clarkson’s dominant era when he transformed country talents like Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead, Luke Hodge, and Lance Franklin into superstars, represents a crucial element in the coach’s long-term vision. He is the youngest of a formidable group of five players drafted within the top four of their respective drafts. This core group, which also includes Harry Sheezel (pick three, 2022), George Wardlaw (pick four, 2022), Colby McKercher (pick two, 2023), and Zane Duursma (pick four, 2023), is widely seen as the future of the Kangaroos.
The 19-year-old is set to transition into the midfield in 2026, aiming to showcase his poise and running power. This move follows a successful debut season where he established himself across half-back, demonstrating his ability to find his feet at the elite level. This development marks another significant step in his journey, and O’Sullivan is already exhibiting signs of potential brilliance. It was this very promise that convinced the Kangaroos to select him with their top pick, despite external pressures to address a perceived need for a key position player. Instead, the club opted for O’Sullivan and later traded back into the draft to secure tall defender Matt Whitlock, meaning their first selection in the previous year’s draft ended up being pick 16.
Michael Barlow, the Kangaroos’ midfield coach who worked closely with O’Sullivan as a development coach last season, has been impressed by the young talent. Barlow highlights O’Sullivan’s ideal combination of high cruising speed and endurance, attributes crucial for the modern game. More importantly, he possesses the right attitude to help lift the team from the bottom of the ladder.
A Humble Work Ethic and Team-First Mentality
“He is very humble, respectful and hardworking,” Barlow states. “Because of his humility, he is probably naive to what his limit might be. But at the same time, he is so willing to learn, absorb coaching and take feedback and be a good teammate.”
O’Sullivan’s own words echo this sentiment, reinforcing his reputation as a valuable team player. “I don’t dive too deep into the future or any accolades I want to achieve. For me, it’s just about getting some wins on the board for the club,” he says. “Once you get the first and second game [on the board], you’d say, ‘what can I do now to make the team better?’ It’s really cool how quickly it happened for me to want to get wins on the board.”
The phrase “wins on the board” is a recurring theme for O’Sullivan, underscoring his singular focus on team success. He relished the Kangaroos’ five victories last season and is eager to experience that winning feeling more frequently with his teammates. “The connection is very tight. Everyone’s real close mates. Everyone wants to play for each other and get the best out of each other. We just have to show that on the field,” O’Sullivan asserts. “We have got talent. It’s just more about playing for each other, playing freely and getting the job done.”
Unlike many players who have endured extended periods at the bottom of the ladder, O’Sullivan doesn’t carry the associated baggage. He sees immense skill, promise, and opportunity within his teammates and views the more experienced players as invaluable sources of football knowledge.
Barlow is exceptionally optimistic about O’Sullivan’s potential. He believes the young player’s physical development is still in its early stages, perhaps at 60-70% of his full maturity, yet his running capacity is already elite. A key aspect of his development this season will involve refining his decision-making – knowing when to pass to his first option and when to unleash his own game-changing talent. However, his running power remains his significant strength, and he is encouraged to leverage it.
“It’s something I want to use as a weapon,” O’Sullivan confirms. “I still have to train it and use it to my advantage because it will hopefully help my team.”
Family Ties and Clarkson’s Influence
The concept of “team” is never far from O’Sullivan’s mind, a ingrained habit reinforced by his living situation. He shares a house in Yarraville with his older brothers, Jack and Paddy, and former Bomber Luamon Lual. Jack is currently on Carlton’s VFL list, while Paddy plays with Uni Blues in the VAFA. In 2022, Finn watched his brothers play together in a premiership for Koroit, marking the club’s seventh consecutive premiership in the Hampden League.
This family environment ensures O’Sullivan remains grounded, with no risk of developing an inflated ego. He cherishes the opportunity to live with his siblings again after his years at boarding school. “[We] have not been living together for a while. [It’s an] unbelievable feeling living with your brothers again,” O’Sullivan shares.
At the Kangaroos, he feels a similar sense of brotherhood, a bond strengthened under the guidance of Clarkson. The coach, known for his sometimes avuncular approach, is dedicating more one-on-one time with his players this pre-season. “I feel like he’s a real personable guy, that’s one of his weapons as a coach. When you hear that feedback from him directly, it’s a real uplifter,” O’Sullivan notes.
While Clarkson’s coaching prowess is undeniable, his knack for dishing out nicknames is reportedly on the decline. “He tried something early but like all his nicknames, they don’t stick,” O’Sullivan jokes, referring to his own nickname, ‘Foss,’ a natural moniker given his surname.
In Finn O’Sullivan, the Kangaroos have secured a genuine footballer who grew up immersed in sport, is universally popular, and possesses a refreshing lack of pretension. Barlow recognised O’Sullivan’s core values when he was part of the North Warrnambool team that defeated Koroit in last year’s Hampden League grand final, a significant achievement after being runners-up multiple times in the preceding decade.
“He is humble and down to earth, but you can’t take Koroit out of the boy,” Barlow laughs, highlighting O’Sullivan’s deep-rooted connection to his country upbringing.
Although O’Sullivan holds a crucial key to the Kangaroos’ future, he instinctively understands that football success is a collective endeavour, deeply intertwined with team spirit and community. It’s a principle ingrained in his DNA.
“A lot of people just expect it to click, and that’s just not the way it works. Just stick with us, coz, um, yeah, we’re trying our guts out,” he concludes, embodying the grit and determination that defines his approach to the game.
