O’Neal has offered clubs a different model of leadership to the more aggressive and high-profile presidencies of Eddie McGuire,Jeff Kennett and David Koch,since she’s been content to let Gale,a renowned former player,be the public face of the Tigers.
“Being chair of any organisation means guiding the board to work with management to give effect to the strategic plan,” O’Neal toldThe Age,when asked about how her Richmond role would be relevant to RMIT,where she takes over as chancellor in the new year.
O’Neal started a trend in becoming the first woman to break the glass ceiling at AFL clubs:by 2021,the two grand final teams,Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs,each had female presidents and clubs were increasingly governed along Richmond lines,with clear roles and with boards stocked with lawyers,accountants and corporate executives. The days of boards meddling in recruiting and football matters were long gone.
O’Neal holds various board positions,including with Women’s Housing Ltd,Dementia Australia Network and VicHealth. From 2017 to 2020 she was a member of Victoria’s Ministerial Council on Women’s Equality. She is chair of Vanguard Superannuation and a director of Infrastructure Specialist Asset Management. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Swinburne University and an Order of Australia in 2019.
None of those gongs or titles,however,carry the same weight in Melbourne as the fact she was at the helm when the Tigers won in 2017,their first premiership in 37 seasons,and followed on with two further flags under the same coach,whose position she and Gale had preserved.