Daryl O'Brien

In 1970, O'Brien joined Victorian Football Association (VFA) team Brunswick, and was appointed the dual role of captain-coach at the end of the 1971 season. He led the side to a Second Division Grand Final appearance in 1973, after which he announced his playing days were over.

In 1968, O'Brien was selected to represent Australia as part of the Australian Football World Tour, the second of the international rules football series against Ireland.

Recruited from West Coburg, O'Brien captained North Melbourne's under-19 side for two years before playing a handful of senior games as a half-forward flanker in the 1960 season. He was dropped to the reserves for the whole of 1961. In the lead-up to the 1962 season, O'Brien was invited to train by both Essendon and Footscray. O'Brien formally requested a clearance to Footscray, seeing that as an opportunity to again play at the senior level. This prompted a re-think by North Melbourne and he was retained, reinventing himself as a half-back flanker and utility player. He excelled in these roles, justifying North's decision to turn down the transfer. O'Brien became a stalwart in the Kangaroo side for the next eight seasons, and in 1964 was runner-up to Noel Teasdale in the Syd Barker Medal, North Melbourne's best and fairest award.

Daryl Ernest O'Brien (born 10 September 1941) is a former Australian rules footballer who played 135 games for the North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1960s.