Otto Albert O'Pelt (12 February 1888 – 11 July 1963) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).Holmesby & Main (2014), p. 673.
Family The son of Julius Richard Opelt (1849–1915),Certificate of Naturalization (1897/E4304), National Archives of Australia.Deaths: Opelt, The Australasian, (Saturday, 3 April 1915), p. 49.In Memoriam: Opelt, The Argus, (Friday, 24 March 1922), p. 1. and Rosa Opelt (1864–1947), née Drews,Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria Marriage registration no.3593/1886.Deaths: Opelt, The Age, (Thursday, 25 September 1947), p. 8. Otto Albert Opelt was born at Port Melbourne on 12 February 1888.His birth was registered at Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria (5609/1888) as "Albert Otto Opelt".
Football Recruited from the Metropolitan Football Association (MFA) club Oakleigh,The Juniors, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 21 April 1911), p. 2. and selected as a rover,The St. Kilda Secession, The Age, (Monday, 31 July 1911), p. 11. Opelt played his first and only First XVIII match for St Kilda in its 2.3 (15) to 18.21 (129) loss against Carlton, at Princes park, on 29 July 1911.Carlton (18.21) beat St. Kilda (2.3), The Age, (Monday, 31 July 1911), p. 11.
On Tuesday, 26 July 1911, 18 dissatisfied senior players Gordon Dangerfield, Bert Butler, Wally Scott, Reg Gregson, Hugh Plowman, Tom Baird, Sam Mortimer, Harry Lever, Harold Parker, Matt Outen, Ken McKenzie, Artie Thomas, Ernie Sellars, Bill O'Brien, Henry Merrett, Bob Briggs, Wels Eicke, and Wally Graham informed the St Kilda Football Club officials that "they would not be available for the rest of the season".Footballers' Strike: St. Kilda Secession: 18 Players Withdraw, The Argus, (Wednesday, 26 July 1911), p. 12.Football Crisis at St. Kilda: A Team Disbanded: Mayor Proposed as Arbitrator, The Age, (Thursday, 27 July 1911), p. 8.Footballers' Strike: St. Kilda Secession: Settlement Fails, The Argus, (Friday, 28 July 1911), p. 8.St. Kilda Football Trouble: The Match against Carlton, The Age, (Saturday, 29 July 1911), p.14.
Opelt was one of the nine new players in the last-minute, stopgap senior team selected for the game against Carlton; the others were Alby Bowtell, Roy Cazaly, Claude Crowl, Peter Donnelly, Alf Hammond, Rowley Smith, Tom Soutar, and Bill Ward. Including that match and ignoring the experienced Harrie Hattam (16 games), Bert Pierce (41 games), and Bill Woodcock (65 games) the team's remaining six players had only played a total of 37 senior matches.See VFL records.
Death He died at Camberwell, Victoria on 11 July 1963.Legal Notices: Otto Albert Opelt, The Age, (Monday, 29 July 1963), p. 15.
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