[1] He played with the Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1949 and 1951, appearing in a total of 40 games.
He was runner-up in the Mulrooney Medal in his first season, and in 1955 won a premiership the following year as Manuka's captain-coach.
[5] He and the club won consecutive premierships in 1958–59, and also made the grand final in 1960 losing to Eastlake.
[7] Outside of football, Donnellan worked as a public servant with the federal Department of Territories and its predecessors.
He worked in the areas of parks and recreation, including as superintendent of Lake Burley Griffin for a time, and was involved in organisation of the 1977 Pacific Conference Games and the establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).