Every time Brandon O'Neill steps on to the field for Sydney FC, there's an AFL coach in Western Australia lamenting the one that got away. After being named the young player of the month for October due to his starring role in the Sky Blues' perfect start to the season, the 22-year-old midfielder revealed he had flirted with abandoning football for AFL just six years ago.

O'Neill picked up the Sherrin for school sports at the age of 16 and became an instant hit, so much so that he was named his high school's best player in his rookie season and had sports teachers prompting him to take his game further. Coaches in Perth were pushing him towards development pathways into the AFL, believing he had a chance to forge a professional career out of the game.

Stunner: Brandon O'Neill celebrates his perfectly taken free kick against Western Sydney. Credit:Getty Images

"I thought I would give AFL a crack," he said. "I got voted the best player for our school and there was a bit of a sniff for me going on with it and my sports teachers were trying to change me from a footballer to an AFL player. It was funny, being an Irish lad."

He had an unorthodox style of play for a winger, using his football background to dribble the ball with speed while on the ground instead of delving into messy rucks. It gave him an advantage over others and It caught the attention of those coaches who pressured him to drop his football commitments in favour of AFL, with pitches that he could dream of playing for West Coast Eagles or Fremantle Dockers if he took the game seriously.