Ryan O'Keefe was inducted into the Swans Hall of Fame in 2018.

Ryan O'Keefe

2000-2014
286 games
261 goals
Premierships 2005, 2012
Norm Smith Medal 2012
Best & Fairest 2009
All-Australian 2006

Bio 

The Sydney Swans drafted Ryan O'Keefe with pick 56 in 1999 – a fourth-round selection. When he retired 15 years later, he did so as a dual-premiership player and the club's only Norm Smith Medallist.

The professionalism and dedication that O’Keefe became renowned for were on full display in his pathway years. After a stellar final season for the Calder Cannons, he was named in the 1999 TAC Cup Team of the Year. The moment the Swans called his name is described by his parents, Bryan and Lynne, as a dream come true.

O’Keefe’s career tells a tale of grit. Like many young players, the early days were challenging. He credits the work of Phil Mullen and the club's player welfare program in helping him transition from his family home in Moonee Ponds to the bright lights of Sydney. Moving in with Leo Barry and Ben Mathews helped shape him as a footballer.

After debuting in 2000 and winning the club's Rising Star Award in 2001, tragedy struck in 2002 when Ryan's younger brother Aaron passed away following a car accident. “The club and my good mates gave me all the support I needed. They gave me time to grieve and supported me afterwards with anything I needed. They gave me stability,” he recalled.

It was a period of monumental change for O'Keefe. Later that year, Paul Roos took charge as the Swans' senior coach, bringing with him a refreshing approach. O'Keefe says he created a safe, positive environment and encouraged everyone to better themselves.

Roos' game plan required an unrelenting work rate, and at just 21 years of age, during the new coach's first preseason, O'Keefe emerged from the pack.

Amid the excitement of a new regime, he thrived. His dedication to training and preparation set the standard among one of the competition's most professional playing groups. O'Keefe said, “If I put in more work than my opposition, I have a mental edge. Everyone sees what happens on the weekend, but it's all the hours and all the little extras that you do while no one is looking that make the difference.”

The Swans played a highly contested game that suited the SCG, and central to the success of that playing style were high-intensity runners with elevated fitness levels, covering ground at both ends of the field. O'Keefe's drive helped deliver consistently high-level performance, and under Roos, he revolutionised the role of the half-forward.

The most memorable manifestation of O'Keefe's aerobic capabilities came in the 2005 Preliminary Final. In a masterful display, combining power running with precision skill, he compiled one of the great finals performances – 24 disposals, 10 marks, eight inside-50 entries, and two goals, to play a significant role in the Swans reaching the 2005 Grand Final.

The following week, he became a premiership player. It's something he still finds difficult to define.

“It's really hard to describe, but when that siren went, it was a euphoric feeling. We had a genuine brotherhood and worked so hard to achieve that goal. All the sacrifice and hard work paid off, which was amazing.”

“The best part was seeing what it meant to all our fans who'd been supporting South Melbourne or Sydney Swans their whole lives. We didn't realise how much it would affect people, and I'm most proud of bringing so much joy and happiness to our fans.”

O'Keefe's game reached another level in 2006, rewarded with selection in the AFL's All-Australian team. He was also selected in the Australian team for the International Rules series against Ireland. His skills and adaptability impressed while winning the Jim Stynes Medal, awarded to the team's most valuable player.

While the team and personal success brought great satisfaction, O’Keefe’s yearning for home grew stronger. In 2008, he represented Victoria in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute match, and at the end of the season, he requested a trade. But, with no suitable offer forthcoming, eventually re-signed with the Swans.

Questions were inevitably raised about O'Keefe's mindset heading into the 2009 campaign. His response? To win the Bob Skilton Medal; by a street.

In his Song of Myself, American poet Walt Whitman wrote, 'I am large; I contain multitudes.' Proving that versatility should be valued, O'Keefe transformed himself into an uncompromising on-baller – and so began the renaissance of Ryan.

John Longmire took the reins from Paul Roos ahead of the 2011 season, and by then, O'Keefe had become a midfield mainstay. He was now an endurance beast with a largely unmatched competitive streak, and his new coach lauded the way he 'challenged himself, challenged his teammates, and challenged the opposition.'

As the Swans entered the 2012 finals series, O'Keefe was one of four players who'd tasted the ultimate success seven years earlier. The responsibility of leading a young midfield core into the cauldron of finals football lay with him, and boy, did he lead.

In the Qualifying Final, in front of a hostile Crows crowd, he gathered the ball 37 times, 18 contested. He laid eight tackles and won nine clearances. In the Preliminary Final against nemesis Collingwood, he won the ball 34 times, 17 contested, with 11 tackles, another nine clearances, and a goal.

On the biggest stage of all, the 2012 AFL Grand Final, he collected 28 possessions, won seven clearances, and laid a phenomenal 15 tackles to win the club's first Norm Smith Medal, as the best on ground, in the pulsating 10-point premiership win.

O'Keefe reflects on that honour, but his focus quickly reverts to the team. “I'm extremely proud and humbled by that. But I take more pride in saying I'm a two-time premiership winner for the Swans, and I'm glad I could perform on the big stage when the club needed me.”

Following that match, he spoke of the team's synergy. That clarity of purpose can be traced back to the roots of Bloods culture, embedded under Roos. Honesty and respect became a hallmark; O'Keefe epitomised that in how he trained, mentored, and played.

In 2013, O’Keefe, Adam Goodes, and Jude Bolton broke the AFL record for the most matches played together as a trio of teammates. They formed the backbone of an incredible era, consistently displaying resilience, resolve, and durability to complement their collective talent.

“I feel really fortunate that the stars aligned, and I arrived at a time when so many people had already worked so tirelessly to get the club some momentum, and we had the opportunity to really make our stamp on the history of the club and the history of the city,” O'Keefe says.

In 2014, O’Keefe retired as one of the Sydney Swans’ most decorated players. His dedication to training and wholehearted commitment to diet and lifestyle ensured that every ounce of capability was extracted from his game.

John Longmire described him as an absolute warrior who always saved his best for September. Co-captain Jarrad McVeigh described him as having the best work ethic you'll ever see and that 'we've all learned from Ryan O'Keefe.'

That's a legacy to be proud of.