Tim O'Brien Biography

Tim O'Brien joins the Western Bulldogs as an unrestricted free agent on a two-year deal, saying it was hard to cope with the mixed messages at Hawthorn in his final year at the club in 2021 due to the uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation.

"It affected some more than others. Obviously myself without a contract, there were question marks about what it meant for me. With all the different messages that were coming across, it was hard to get a grasp on exactly what was happening," he said.

Tim O'Brien kicks three goals from five marks as the Hawks beat arch-rival Geelong, earning himself four coaches' votes.

O'Brien's effort came in his 12th straight match, the longest streak of senior games in the same season in his career to date.

"One of the big things that was challenging for Tim is that last year he could be forward, back and ruck all in the same game – he was never able to settle," O'Brien's agent Tim Lawrence, of Stride Sports, told AFL.com.au.

"But it is what it is. It's just the nature of the industry and there's no angst towards anyone. It's nice he's more settled now. He's forward again and I tend to think that's more his spot."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has put his hand up to accept some of the blame for out-of-sorts swingman Tim O'Brien's difficult season.

The Hawks dumped the 24-year-old to the VFL this week for the fourth time this season – and all since he played the opening eight matches of the year.

O'Brien, who is contracted until the end of 2019, hasn't appeared in more than two games in a row in that period, struggling as Hawthorn plugged him into various roles.

"We haven't been kind to him, in a sense, selection-wise. We've had to use him in a whole heap of different roles," Clarkson said on Friday.

"We probably just need to stabilise him in one position, which will help him. He's a player that's been around a bit, but he's still a young player trying to find his way and consolidate a spot."

Tim O'Brien signs a new two-year deal with Hawthorn that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

"We can see a really promising future for Tim in the brown and gold," Hawthorn list manager Graham Wright said.

"He’s shown some good signs this season, particularly as a strong marking target up forward and the role he has been as a backup ruckman."

Tim O'Brien often played a bit-part role in Hawthorn's vaunted forward line in the past, but he understands he needs to step out of the shadows and become more of a focal point if the Hawks are to rise again.

O'Brien played perhaps the best match of his 21-game career against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, taking 10 marks (five contested) and kicking two majors in the Hawks' three-point win.

"I just focus on what I'm good at and go in with that in the front of my mind," O'Brien said.

"When you feel like you've got more of a role within the side you've really got to step up and the last few weeks I've been able to do that a bit so it's been pleasing."

Tim O'Brien says he is not burdened by wearing the famous No.23 worn in the past by Hawthorn greats Lance Franklin, Dermott Brereton and Don Scott.

"When they came to me I then went back and had a look at the history of it and made sure it was not going to be too big of an issue with me – that there wasn't going to be too much extra pressure," O'Brien said.

"I talked to the club and they said 'No, there's not going to be any extra pressure from our end and you shouldn't feel it', so I was happy to take it.

"It's an honour to have it. They haven't placed any further expectation on me, I haven't felt any at all, so it's been good."

O'Brien says he hopes to add some size to his frame in preparation for the 2015 season.

"For me, I would still like to be a mobile player, so I won't be up as big as those guys," he said.

"I'll stay reasonably lean but put some more size on so I can hold my own against the bigger fellas, more so than I can at the moment."

Tim O'Brien makes his AFL debut for Hawthorn with 6 disposals (2 kicks and 4 handballs), 2 marks, a tackle and a goal in a 48-point win over Brisbane.

Tim O'Brien was very nearly a Crow but Adelaide's decision to hand back its top two draft picks has seen the tall become a Hawk.

"I had a lot of contact with Adelaide, but I was the same as everyone else - I didn't really know what was happening with them," O'Brien said.

"It wasn't a big thing when they lost their pick; I was happy to go to Hawthorn. I was talking through the year that Hawthorn was the club I'd probably want to go to the most."

The dramatic Kurt Tippett salary cap scandal costs the Adelaide Crows powerhouse Glenelg forward Tim O'Brien whom they would have selected with pick 20 had they not given up their first round pick.

O'Brien was snapped up by Hawthorn at pick 28 while the Crows had to wait until pick 62 for their first selection which they used on Sam Siggins.

"We liked him a lot, along with Sam Siggins" Adelaide recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie said of O'Brien.

"Obviously, the local (O'Brien) would have got the nod if we'd still had pick 20 but they're both quality blokes with great temperaments.

"We would have loved to have been in a position to draft Timmy but we weren't, so good luck to the Hawks and we wish Timmy all the best there."