Leigh Matthews

Leigh R. Matthews (born March 1, 1952) is widely regarded as one of the greatest Australian Rules footballers of all time, playing for Hawthorn in the VFL from 1969 to 1985. Since retiring as a player in 1985, Matthews has had a successful coaching career, first with Collingwood, then the Brisbane Lions. He has coached the Lions to three consecutive premierships in 2001, 2002 and 2003 as well as to a Grand Final in 2004.

Playing career

Matthews played 332 games for Hawthorn, kicking 915 goals - a record for goals kicked by a non-full forward. In 1975 he won the John Coleman Medal by kicking 68 goals and was Hawthorn's leading goal kicker for 1973-1975 and 1981-1984. He won a club record eight Best and Fairest awards in 1971-1972, 1974, 1976-1978, 1980 and 1982. He represented Victoria 14 times from 1971 to 1982, captained his state against Western Australia in 1980 and played in seven grand finals (four of which the Hawks won).

Lou Richards gave Matthews the nickname 'Lethal' Leigh (a name change from Barney after Barney Rubble from The Flintstones). According to Matthews, his target was always the ball, but players who got in his way found out why they called him 'Lethal'. He was part of a footballing family, and his brother Kelvin (built on similar lines) played 155 games at Hawthorn and Geelong and made the state team. Leigh came to Hawthorn from Chelsea at the age of 16, having already played a senior season in suburban football.

Early career

In 1969 Matthews played only five matches and kicked 7 goals in his rookie season. Hawthorn ended up finishing fifth on the ladder with 13 wins and seven loses.

In the 1970 season Matthews played 16 games and kicked 20 goals. Hawthorn ended up finishing eighth for the season with ten wins and twelve losses, and the third best percentage for the year with 114.

In the 1971 season Matthews won his first of eight Hawthorn Best and Fairest awards after he played 23 matches and kicked 43 goals. Hawthorn won the minor premiership that year with nineteen wins and only three loses, and went on to defeat St. Kilda in the Grand Final, with Matthews kicking a crucial goal in Hawthorn's seven point win. This year was his first representing Victoria.

In the 1972 season Matthews once again won Hawthorn's Best and Fairest after 21 games and kicking 45 goals but Hawthorn they finished sixth on the ladder with thirteen wins and nine loses. This would be the same year that Michael Tuck would play his first out of four hundred and twenty six games for Hawthorn.

In the 1973 season Matthews won Hawthorn's Leading Goal Kicker for first time in his career by kicking 51 goals in 19 games. In that season Matthews played what many regard as the greatest game ever played and at quarter time of that game, Leigh Matthews had only one goal, and the Hawks had a lead of only seven points over Essendon. These statistics gave little warning of the incredible 11 goals that 'Lethal' Leigh would kick by game's end - a record for a rover - in the Hawks' 27.8 (170) to 15.12 (102) win. Matthews also ended up with 38 kicks for the game. Not so fortunate was Leigh's brother Kelvin who, while following his victorious brother into the players' race, forgot to duck and knocked himself unconscious on the race's concrete roof. Unfortunately Matthew's outstanding performance wasn't enough to get Hawthorn to the finals - they finished seventh on the ladder with eleven wins and eleven loses.

In the 1974 season Leigh Matthews won his third Hawthorn Best and Fairest in four seasons and played 21 games for the season, kicking 52 goals. Hawthorn finished third on the ladder with fifteen wins and seven loses - they made the preliminary final but lost to North Melbourne by five points.

Mid-70s

In the 1975 season Leigh Matthews was not only Hawthorn's leading goal kicker but won the John Coleman Medal as the leading goal kicker in the league with 68 goals in 23 games. Hawthorn won the minor premiership with seventeen wins and five losses; they made the Grand Final but they lost by fifty points to North Melbourne who won the club's first ever premiership. This was, at the time, the biggest winning margin in a Grand Final since Melbourne's 61-point victory over Essendon in the 1957 Grand Final. This was also Peter Crimmens' last season.

In the 1976 season Leigh Matthews kicked 71 in goals in 22 games to win Hawthorn's Best and Fairest for the fourth time in his career. Hawthorn finished the season second on the ladder with sixteen wins and six loses and would make the Grand Final, again playing North Melbourne. This time, however, Hawthorn won by thirty points with Leigh Matthews kicking four goals (from twenty four kicks total). Future Brownlow Medallist Robert DiPierdomenico was the only player better than Matthews on the day.

In the 1977 season Leigh Matthews kicked the most goals in a season by a non-full forward with 91 goals in 24 games. This record stood for twenty three years, broken in 1990 by Peter Daicos of Collingwood, with 97 goals (Coincidentally, coached by Matthews). Hawthorn finished second on the ladder with seventeen wins and five losses but were beaten by North Melbourne in the preliminary final. Matthews would win Hawthorn's Best and Fairest for the fifth time in his career.

Late 70s/Early 80s

In the 1978 season Matthews won his sixth career Hawthorn Best and Fairest (third in a row) after he kicked 71 goals in 23 games. Hawthorn finished second on the ladder with sixteen wins and six losses and Hawthorn once again played North Melbourne in the Grand Final and won by 18 points, making it Matthews' third premiership side.

In the 1979 season Matthews only played 13 games but kicked 30 goals. Hawthorn again failed to follow up on the previous season's premiersip win and finished seventh on the ladder with ten wins and twelve loses - their worst since the 1973 season.

In the 1980 season Matthews again won Hawthorn's Best and Fairest - his fourth in five seasons, and seventh overall - after he kicked 32 goals in 17 games. This would be Matthews last season as a non-leadership player as he took over as captain the following year. Hawthorn finished eighth on the ladder with ten wins and twelve loses.

In the 1981 season Matthews was Hawthorn's leading goal kicker with 48 goals in 16 games and this would be the first of four consecutive Hawthorn leading goal kicking seasons. He was named team captain and would retain this position for the rest of his playing career. Under Matthew's guidance, Hawthorn lifted two positions, finishing sixth on the ladder with thirteen wins and nine losses. Hawthorn missed out on the finals but they would make the the finals a record thirteen times.

Late career

In the 1982 season Matthews won his eighth overall Hawthorn Best and Fairest and was Hawthorn's leading goal kicker with 74 goals, and was the inaugural winner of the AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player award, which would be renamed the Leigh Matthews Trophyin his honour in 2002. Hawthorn finished second on the ladder with seventeen wins and five loses, making it to the preliminary final but losing by 31 points to Carlton.

In the 1983 season Matthews was the Hawks' leading goal kicker with 79 goals. Hawthorn finished second on the ladder with fifteen wins and seven loses and made the Grand Final, Matthews kicking 6 goals in Hawthorn's 83 points win over Essendon. This would be Matthews' last appearance in a premiership side.

In the 1984 season Matthews kicked 77 goals, making him Hawthorn's leading goal kicker for the fourth consecutive season (eight total). Hawthorn finished second on the ladder with seventeen wins and five loses. They were able to make the Grand Final, again playing Essendon. Hawthorn led for the first three quarters, but Essendon won by twenty four points after scoring nine goals in the last quarter.

Retirement

The 1985 season was Matthews' last. During the season he struck Geelong player Neville Bruns in an off-the-ball incident, breaking Bruns' jaw. As this was before the use of video evidence to report players, and the officiating umpires missed the incident, no report was laid. However, after much public outcry, the VFL launched an investigation and subsequently deregistered Matthews for four weeks. He was also charged by the police and fined $1000 - this was a major factor in his retirement. Hawthorn finished third on the ladder with fifteen wins and six loses & a draw. Hawthorn were still able to make the Grand Final, but unfortunately lost by 78 points. Matthews made a tearful farewell on his teammates shoulders.

Coaching career

Following his retirement from football in 1985 Matthews moved to coaching. His first appointment was with the Collingwood Football Club in 1986, and he took the team to victory in the 1990 Grand Final, beating Essendon by 48 points and ending a 32-year premiership drought which included Grand Final loses in 1960, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979-1981.

Brisbane Lions era

Since moving to Brisbane in 1999, Leigh Matthews has been coach for the Brisbane Lions, and has enjoyed great success. In his first year of appointment he took the team from 16th in 1998 to 4th in 1999, in one of the greatest coach turn arounds in the history of football. The club continued to do well in 2000, finishing 5th on the ladder with 13 wins and 11 losses. In round 10 of 2001 the Lions beat premiership favorites Essendon by 28 points. This was the start of a 16-game winning streak that extended to the Grand Final, a feat which had only been accomplished once, by Carlton in 1995. Matthews followed up by guiding the Lions to the 2002 and 2003 premierships, as the club became the first to "3 peat" since Norm Smith's Melbourne side of the 1950s. In 2004 the Brisbane Lions were looking to equal Collingwood's record of four consecutive premierships. They finished second on the ladder after the home and away season with sixteen wins and six losses and played Saint Kilda in the Qualifying Final. Brisbane won by 80 points and went on to play Geelong in the Preliminary Final, winning by 9 points. In the grand final, they led at half-time but were eventually beaten by Port Adelaide.

The Brisbane Lions side had three Brownlow Medallists in Jason Akermanis, Simon Black and Michael Voss. There were also eight All-Australians in the side: Jason Akermanis, Simon Black, Chris Johnson, Nigel Lappin, Justin Leppitsch, Alastair Lynch and Luke Power. Two Brisbane Lions players won two Brownlow Medals in their 3 Premierships - Jason Akermanis and Simon Black. Michael Voss, shared the 2002 Leigh Matthews Trophy and won it in 2003.

In 2005, Matthews was not available to coach the Round 18 game against the Western Bulldogs due to the death of his mother Lorna Matthews. John Blakey took the coaching reins in this match, which the Brisbane Lions lost, after at one stage drawing level in the final quarter.

Matthews' coaching style at the Lions is reportedly incredibly strict, although obviously successful.

Outside of football

Before coaching the Brisbane Lions, Leigh Matthews made several media appearances as guest commentator. His celebrity status in both Melbourne and Brisbane has seen him become the face of Devine, a residential development company based in Brisbane with projects in Melbourne.

Post-career awards

In the 1996 centenary year of Australian Football League, Leigh Matthews was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame. Matthews was also named as "Player of the Century" along with the position of forward pocket in the VFL/AFL Team of the Century.