After two modest seasons, which brought him just 11 games, O'Neill was one of South Melbourne's best players in 1977.
He polled well in the Brownlow Medal count, with 14 votes, to finish as his club's second top votegetter, behind only the winner Graham Teasdale.
He returned to the VFL in 1981 as a Fitzroy player and took part in their finals campaign that season.
His first appearance in 1983, against Footscray at Waverley Park, was his 100th league game and he played just one more time for Fitzroy.
State captain in 1988, O'Neill represented Queensland at interstate football on 25 occasions.