Peggy O'Neal (lawyer)

Peggy Yvonne O'Neal AO (born 19 April 1952) is an American-born Australian lawyer who, since October 2013, has served as the president of the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). She is the first woman in AFL history to serve as a club president. The Australian Financial Review has named her in its list of "Top 100 Women of Influence".^[2] In 2019 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to Australian rules football, to superannuation and finance law, and to the advancement of women in leadership roles.^[3] She was appointed Chancellor of RMIT University in October 2021.^[4]

Peggy O'Neal AO
O'Neal at the unfurling ceremony for Richmond's 2017 AFL Premiership flag
Born	Peggy Yvonne O'Neal (1952-04-19) 19 April 1952 (age 71)^[1] Killarney, West Virginia, USA
Nationality	American Australian
Occupation	President of Richmond Football Club

Early life and legal career

O'Neal was born and raised in the now-abandoned small mining community of Killarney, West Virginia. She comes from a family of coal miners, and was the first in her family to go to university, studying law at the University of Virginia. O'Neal moved to Australia in 1989, after falling in love with an Australian backpacker while on holiday in Greece. She settled in the suburb of Richmond, Victoria, where she was introduced to football by friends.^[5][6] O'Neal worked as a lawyer with Herbert Smith Freehills and later with Lander & Rogers, and served on the boards of MLC Limited and the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation. She was also chairman of the Law Council of Australia's superannuation committee and served as a consultant to the Rudd Government's review of the superannuation system.^[7]

Football administrator

After moving to the suburb of Richmond, O'Neal became a fan of the club due to sheer proximity and later became financially supportive, acting as a player sponsor. In 2003 she worked on the establishment of a club supporters’ business networking group, the Tommy Hafey Club.^[1] In 2005, O'Neal was elected to the board of the Richmond Football Club. She chaired the board's risk and compliance committee and was a member of the governance committee, as well as being chair of the Tigers in Community Foundation.^[8] O'Neal was elected club president in October 2013, in place of the retiring Gary March. She defeated two other candidates, investment banker Maurice O'Shannassy and former International Cricket Council CEO Malcolm Speed, becoming the first woman elected president of any AFL club.^[9] As president, O'Neal oversaw Richmond's 2017 premiership win – the club's first since 1980 and Richmond’s 2019 and 2020 Grand final wins – as well as its successful bid for an AFL Women's team, set to enter the competition in 2020.^[10] Following a disappointing 2016 season, she had been subject to an unsuccessful board challenge.^[11][12]

See also

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Peggy O'Neal (lawyer).

• List of VFL/AFL commissioners and club presidents

External video
One Plus One: Peggy O'Neal, One Plus One, ABC News

References

1. Bartlett, Rhett (March 2019). Richmond F.C.: The Tigers. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Slattery Media Group. p. 354. ISBN 9780958029063.
2. "Peggy O'Neal named among Australia's top 100 Women of Influence". richmondfc.com.au. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
3. Mayers, Lily (10 June 2019). "Hugh Jackman, Kevin Rudd and Ita Buttrose recognised in Queen's Birthday honours". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
4. Carey, Adam (19 October 2021). "RMIT takes a punt on Peggy O'Neal as chancellor amid turbulent times". The Age. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
5. "The American battler who made the Tigers roar". theaustralian. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
6. "Peggy's Tiger passion". richmondfc.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
7. "Peggy O'Neal the new Richmond president". richmondfc.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
8. "Tigers' Peggy O'Neal becomes AFL's first female president". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
9. "Richmond appoints AFL's first female club president". theage.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
10. "Peggy O'Neal says Richmond Tigers have created their 'own history' with 2017 grand final win". theage.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
11. "AFL Grand Final: Peggy O'Neal's bursting with Tigers pride". theaustralian. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
12. "Richmond board challenge: Tigers president Peggy O'Neal responds to rivals". theage.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2017.