Richard Kreider in Soccerites writes, “From Newcastle, New South Wales, J. O’Neill had played soccer for 11 years before the [1909] tour. He arrived in the State the same time as J. McLaughlin (1903) and both appeared to have played for a lower grade club called Teralba, where there were most likely brothers F. O’Neill and Pat McLaughlin. Like Bodenham and McLaughlin, O’Neill was an influential member of the Goldfields team for a number of years. He was a superlative tackler and one of the first to offer support when needed. He possessed a sharp turn of speed and was a great anticipator of play. O’Neill gained selection after an almost flawless performance for the Goldfields against a ‘Coast’ selection in August 1908.”
He seems to have moved to Fremantle Rovers in 1911 and his brother also came to Perth at one point prewar. He enlisted, with his brother Thomas and they both served in the 2nd Australian Tunneling Company in France and were take as POW at Limburg in 1917. Both returned safely in 1919.