EAST Ballarat and Lake Wendouree champion Peter O’Connell has been elevated to the status of Ballarat Football League legend.
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He was given the honour at the fifth BFL hall of fame dinner at the Ballarat Leagues Club on Wednesday night.
Five new members were also inducted into the hall of fame – late Keith Lawrence (Sebastopol), late Ken Eyers (North Ballarat), Paul Nicholls (Ballarat), Malcolm Scott (North Ballarat, Sebastopol and Bacchus Marsh) and Sharyn Canny (Golden Point and East Point).
O’Connell becomes the fifth BFL legend, joining Bill Henderson (2008), Jim Gull (2010), John Northey (2012) and George King (2014).
O’Connell, who was inducted into the hall of fame in 2008, played 311 BFL senior games – 155 with East Ballarat and 156 with Lake Wendouree - and represented the BFL 23 times. He was part of one of East's great eras, playing in the 1989, 1990 and 1993 premiership teams.
O'Connell won five senior best and fairests, with one at East Ballarat in 1994 and four at Lakers in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999.
These followed Ballarat YCW junior best and fairests in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985 and 1986, and BFL under-18 best and fairest in 1985.
One of O’Connell’s biggest challenges was as joint coach with Terry Simpson of the Lakers in their first season in the BFL in 1995. They led the club into the finals in its first year and grand finals in 1996 and 1997. O’Connell coached against in 2000.
O’Connell is also a member of the East Ballarat team of the century, and Lake Wendouree’s best team of its first 20 years.
Collingwood 1990 premiership captain Tony Shaw was guest speaker at the induction dinner.