Mensch, O'Brien Gone
October 30 2002

GEELONG today announced that it had delisted VFL forwards David Mensch and Danny O'Brien. Fresh from winning a VFL Premiership and the Geelong VFL side's best and fairest award, the writing was on the wall after Mensch only played 1 AFL match in season 2002, when seemingly earning a position in the side on merit. A veteran of 158 games after debuting in 1992, Mensch attracted the 'much-maligned' tag in recent years. Along the way he kicked 173 goals.

He has not yet spoken publicly, however it is understood he is keen to play on at as high a level as possible and is prepared to go into the pre-season draft. However he is unlikely to attract much attention, having turned 30 in August. The author hopes he returns to Captain-Coach his original football club, Grovedale, in the GFL.

O'Brien, who came off the Rookie list in 2000 to play a handful of games (8), never played an AFL game since making the senior list. He appears to have suffered from a glutton of similar calibre and sized players in Ablett, Bartel, Kelly, Enright ahead of him in the pecking order. The number 43 attracted cult status at VFL matches, and O'Brien will always have fond memories of this season's VFL Premiership win at Optus Oval.