The former Footscray player moved to Yarrawonga in 1958, played three seasons then moved to Wodonga as captain coach from 1961 to 1963.
Lionel, was the captain of the Ovens and Murray interleague team in 1963, under coach, Yarrawonga’s Bill Stephen.
While playing with Yarrawonga, Lionel was a huge crowd drawer with his strong straight through style of play, brushing aside players with ease.
“Lionel was a really robust, damaging, exciting footballer who could kick the ball a mile,” immediate past and long serving club president Glenn Brear said. “He was extremely popular.”
In that 1959 grand-final, 13,000 people packed the Albury Sports Ground to see the Pigeons beat Wang Rovers in a beauty: 17.10.112 to 16.8.104. Bill Stephen and Lionel Ryan were mentioned as Yarrawonga’s best two players. Both kicked two goals each, with Lionel booting the goal of the day, bursting through the pack and letting fly with a 70-yard screamer.
The plucky redhead Lionel missed out on the 1954 VFL Grand Final, being dropped for Footscray coach, Charlie Sutton but was named as an emergency for that game after being one of the better players in the semi-final when he suffered a knee injury. He was extremely unlucky not to have played in that Grand Final.
From 1954 to 1957, Lionel played 34 games with Footscray. He was a P.M.G. linesman who was well known around Tungamah and district.
Lionel’s grandson is Ryan O’Keefe, former Sydney Swans’ 2005 and 2012 premiership player and Norm Smith Medal Winner for best on ground performance in the 2012 Swans’ premiership win.
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