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Leigh Raymond Matthews (born 1 March 1952) is a former
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er and coach. He played for
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
in the
Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
(VFL) and coached and the . Squat, short-legged and barrel-chested, Matthews earned the iconic nickname "Lethal Leigh" due to his physical as well as skillful style of play. He is officially recognised as the "best player of the 20th century" according to the AFL, is a ''Legend'' in the
Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...
, on the Hawthorn and AFL Teams of the Centuries and is one of the most successful AFL coaches of all time. He is now an
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
commentator on television with the
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
and on radio with
3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693  kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...
.


Playing career


Hawthorn Football Club

Matthews played his junior football at the Chelsea Football Club. He joined
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
in January 1969, aged sixteen and having already played senior suburban football. Part of a footballing family, Matthews' brother
Kelvin The kelvin, symbol K, is the primary unit of temperature in the International System of Units (SI), used alongside its prefixed forms and the degree Celsius. It is named after the Belfast-born and University of Glasgow-based engineer and phys ...
played 155 games at Hawthorn and
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
. Matthews made his senior debut for the Hawks in round 16 of the 1969 season against Melbourne as a
forward pocket In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team is assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location on the gro ...
, crumbing around the feet of Hawthorn's champion full forward,
Peter Hudson Peter John Hudson AM (born 19 February 1946) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and for the New Norfolk Football Club and Glenorchy Football Club in the ...
. Matthews kicked a goal with his first kick and went on to kick at least one goal in each of his five games that year, winning the club's Best First Year Player award. By midway through
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, Matthews had earned a regular place in the team as a rover rotating forward. He was immediately impressive, kicking 20 goals from 16 games for the season.


1970s

Though still a teenager, Matthews became one of the most important players in a dominant Hawthorn team in
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
. He developed an uncanny ability to win contests, especially near the goals. He kicked 43 goals at an average of 1.9 in 1971 and earned his first of fourteen Victorian guernseys, his first of eight Hawthorn Best and Fairest awards, and his first of four playing premiership medallions. On 17 July 1971, Matthews notoriously felled one of the game's fairest and best rovers, Barry Cable, with an elbow to the head. This was the first in a series of occasional violent lapses that punctuated, and ultimately soiled, Matthews' stellar career, culminating in his conviction for criminal assault arising out of an on-field incident in 1985 described below. In round two of
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, Matthews destroyed
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...
, for the first of what would end up being many times. He kicked 8 goals in the absence of Hudson (who suffered a season ending knee injury the previous week). Matthews kicked another six goals against
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at ...
in round 18 and finished the season with 45 goals at 2.1 per game. He won his second club best and fairest—before his 21st birthday. Matthews made his presence felt early again in 1973 with an amazing 11-goal haul against
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...
in round 3, also amassing 42 possessions in the same game. The rest of his season was comparatively quiet; however, his total of 51 goals from 19 games was an impressive figure given the increased time he spent in the midfield. By 1974, Matthews had become one of the toughest and most damaging players in the game. Strong, quick and almost impossible to tackle, Matthews regularly turned matches with brilliant solo efforts. Against Collingwood in a semi final Matthews proved the difference with 7 goals from 24 disposals. He went on to win his third best and fairest, averaging 21.8 disposals and kicking 52 goals for the season. After six seasons in the VFL, Matthews established himself as a superstar of the competition in
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, winning the
Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. Goal may also refer ...
as the League's leading goal kicker, with 67 goals (68 including finals), while averaging 22.9 disposals per game. While 67 goals was an unusually low tally, it was a rare result for a non-full forward to lead the competition. He started the season brilliantly with 47 goals in the first 12 games, including five bags of 5 or more. His 6 goals from 28 kicks in round 9 against Footscray was a highlight. He was unable to maintain this pace in the second half of the season and could manage only 21 goals in his last 11 appearances. Hawthorn made the Grand Final; however, they fell to North Melbourne, with Matthews going goalless on the day. Another brilliant season in
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
confirmed Matthews as one of the best players in the game. He kicked more goals than most Full Forwards, while also being one of the most effective ball winners in the game. For the season Matthews kicked 71 goals at 3.2 per game and averaged 22.5 disposals, winning his fourth Best and Fairest. His best game for the year came in a Qualifying Final against North Melbourne, when he had 31 kicks and kicked 7 goals from 13 scoring shots. It was an immense performance in a hard-fought win. Hawthorn again played North in the Grand Final, and although Matthews was not amongst the best this time, his second premiership medal was just reward for a brilliant season. In the 1977 season Matthews went from being from one of the best players in league to one of the best of all time, with what was among the greatest individual seasons by any player in history. Matthews posted career highs in kicks, marks, handballs and goals, averaging 27.1 disposals per game and kicking 91 goals at 3.8 per game. He had 41 disposals in round 10 against Melbourne, but the peak of Matthews' form came during the last eight games of the home and away season, during which he averaged 29.8 disposals and 5.1 goals. He kicked 7 goals and had 30-plus disposals three times in seven weeks and finished the season with another 30 disposals and 6 goals against Essendon in round 22. He won Hawthorn's best and fairest for the fifth time. Matthews 91 goals that year was a record for goals kicked by a non-full forward, until it was broken in 1990 by Collingwood's
Peter Daicos Peter Daicos (born 20 September 1961) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played his entire 250-game career with the Collingwood Football Club in the VFL/AFL. Daicos is considered one of the greatest-ever players in Austra ...
(where Matthews was then coaching). Matthews' performances in
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
further confirmed his status as the game's number one player, as he added another 71 goals to his career tally and averaged 25.5 disposals and a career-high 6.4 marks, in a year that saw him win his sixth Best and Fairest and his third premiership medallion. The Hawks again played North Melbourne in the grand final, but this time a best afield display of 28 disposals and 4 goals by Matthews ensured the win for Hawthorn. Matthews was on track for another stellar season in 1979 before injury forced him out of all but two of the last 10 games of the year. A 7-goal performance against
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
in round 5 was a highlight in a season that saw him spend less time in front of goals and more in the midfield.


1980s

In 1980, Matthews became the captain of Hawthorn, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. He was also selected as the captain of the Victorian State of Origin team for the only time in his career, and he won his seventh club
Best and Fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...
. Matthews spent less time in the forward line and while it was the first time since 1971 that he averaged fewer than two goals per game, his 26.9 disposals per game was second highest in the league. Hawthorn opened the 1981 season against Melbourne in round 1 and Matthews, under a slight injury cloud, lined up at full forward to great effect. He took 10 marks and kicked 11 goals. Matthews missed five games between rounds 3 and 8, before returning to his customary role, alternating between the forward line and midfield, for the rest of the season. He maintained impressive form for most of the year, averaging 23.5 disposals and 3.0 goals in his 16 games. Matthews finished the season as Hawthorn's leading goal kicker for the first four consecutive years. After three seasons interrupted by injury and inconsistent form, Matthews returned to his best in 1982, winning the inaugural Players' Association Most Valuable Player award (which was later renamed, in Matthews' honour, to the
Leigh Matthews Trophy The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was st ...
). He kicked 7 goals in round 16 against North Melbourne and two weeks later against Collingwood kicked 8 more and had 25 disposals. Matthews averaged 22.5 disposals and 3.4 goals per game for the year and won his eighth Hawthorn Best and Fairest award. Matthews earned the nickname "Lethal" for his reputation for giving (and taking) very hard bumps, and in 1982 this reputation was enhanced to the point of legend when he famously collided with a behind post at Windy Hill and broke it. A piece of the post (measuring about one metre) broke off, hitting the boundary umpire, after Matthews ran into its base. It is believed that, to comply with a VFL directive, groundsmen at Windy Hill had glued an extension to the top of the post which broke loose after Matthews collided with it. At the time, commentator
Lou Richards Lewis Thomas Charles "Lou" Richards, (15 March 1923 – 8 May 2017) was an Australian rules footballer who played 250 games for the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1941 and 1955. He captained the tea ...
called him a " He-Man" due to his large size and strength. Going into his fifteenth season in the VFL, Matthews showed no signs of slowing down in 1983. He averaged 22.3 disposals and 2.9 goals in his first twelve games before, in round 15, he made the move to full forward and remained there for the rest of the season. He went on to kick at least three goals in each of the last 10 games of the year, including the Grand Final, in which he kicked 6 goals and 5 behinds in his fourth premiership win. For the season he averaged 20.1 disposals and 3.6 goals per game.


Retirement

The 1985 season was Matthews' last as a player. During a wild game vs Geelong which was marred by numerous brawls and reports, Matthews struck
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
player Neville Bruns in an off-the-ball incident, breaking his opponent's jaw. Geelong's Steve Hocking exacted swift retribution, breaking Matthews' nose and an all-in melee ensued. No report was laid by umpires against Matthews. However, the 'behind play' incident had been captured on camera. After much public outcry, the VFL launched an investigation and subsequently deregistered Matthews for four weeks. He was also charged with assault and fined $1,000. His conviction was later overturned on appeal. The charge remains the only time a top-level player has been charged for an on-field incident. Matthews 332nd and final game was the 1985 Grand Final loss to Essendon. Upon retirement, Matthews had scored 915 goals, which remains the highest tally by a non-full forward. At the time of his retirement, it was the fourth-highest tally by any player; he is now 9th all time. Matthews also accrued 202
Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the " best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by ...
votes in his career, currently the sixth most of all time. His tally was the most by a player who has not won the award.


Coaching career


Collingwood

Following his retirement, Matthews turned to coaching, becoming assistant coach at the
Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The club w ...
before taking over the head coaching role as senior coach from Bob Rose after 3 rounds in 1986. Matthews guided Collingwood to finish sixth at the end of the 1986 season, just missing out of the finals with twelve wins and ten losses. In the 1987 season, Collingwood under Matthews did not fare much better where they finished twelve at the end of the season with seven wins and fifteen losses. In the 1988 season, Matthews guided Collingwood to finish second on the ladder, but were eliminated by
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in the semi final. In the 1989 season, Matthews guided Collingwood to finish fifth on the ladder, but were once again eliminated by
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in the elimination final. Under Matthews guidance, Collingwood won one premiership in 1990, Matthews' fifth premiership medallion, and for which he would later be retrospectively awarded one of his four Jock McHale Medals. In the 1990 Grand Final, Collingwood beat
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...
, ending the 32-year premiership drought generally referred to as "the Colliwobbles". In the 1991 season, Collingwood under Matthews just missed out of the finals, where they finished seventh on the ladder. In the 1992 season, Matthews guided Collingwood to finish third on the ladder, but they were eliminated by St Kilda in the elimination final. In the 1993 season, Collingwood under Matthews just missed out of the finals, where they finished eighth on the ladder. In the 1994 season, Collingwood under Matthews returned to the finals after they finished eighth on the ladder, but were eliminated by the eventual premiers
West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known as the Victorian Football ...
in the qualifying final. Matthews was sacked as Collingwood Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1995 season, following an unsuccessful season, where Collingwood under Matthews finished tenth on the ladder, therefore missing out of the finals. Matthews then made a statement after he was sacked as Collingwood Football Club senior coach stating “I can see where they’re coming from, so there’s animosity. Sometimes you just need a change and sometimes the easiest position to change is the coaching position”. Matthews was then replaced by Tony Shaw as Collingwood Football Club senior coach. Matthews coached a total of 224 games in ten seasons with 125 wins, 94 losses and 5 draws to a winning percentage of fifty-five percent with the Magpies.


Brisbane Lions

After three years, Matthews was coaxed out of retirement by the struggling
Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...
, who had finished sixteenth, the last on the ladder for the 1998
wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to: * Wooden spoon, implement * Wooden spoon (award) A wooden spoon is an award that is given to an individual or team that has come last in a competition. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous e ...
. Matthews became the senior coach of Brisbane Lions for the 1999 season, when he replaced Brisbane Lions caretaker senior coach
Roger Merrett Roger Merrett (born 19 April 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in two Victorian Football League premiership sides with the Essendon Football Club in the mid-1980s before moving to the fledgling Brisbane Bears, later capt ...
, who replaced
John Northey John Neville Northey (born 29 June 1943) is a former Australian rules football player and coach. He played from 1963 to 1970 with the Richmond Football Club. Northey was a dual premiership player with Richmond, winning flags in 1967 and 1969. ...
, after Northey was sacked in the middle of the 1998 season. Matthews' impact at the Lions was immediate, lifting the team from the bottom to third on the ladder in 1999, making the finals but were eliminated by the eventual premiers the
Kangaroos Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
in the preliminary final, before making the finals again in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
before being eliminated by
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
in the semi final by eighty-two points. In 2001, Matthews famously used the ''Predator'' quote, "if it bleeds, we can kill it", to inspire his team for its round 10 game against
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...
, who sat atop the ladder, was the defending premier, and had lost only two of its previous thirty-four games. Brisbane finished as 28-point victors. Throughout the remainder of the season, the Lions were undefeated, eventually meeting and once again defeating Essendon in the 2001 Grand Final for their sixteenth consecutive win, and the first AFL premiership in club history. This would be the first of three consecutive premierships for the Lions under Matthews. Matthews then led Brisbane to consecutive triumph premiership victories over Collingwood in the 2002 Grand Final and the 2003 Grand Final. These wins gave Matthews a total of eight premiership medallions as a player or coach. His tenure crested at this point. A bid for a fourth consecutive premiership was brought undone by
Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
in the 2004 Grand Final, when the Lions under Matthews lost by forty points. In the 2005 season, The Lions with Matthews finished eleventh on the ladder with ten wins and twelve losses, missing the finals for the first time under Matthews. Also during the 2005 season, after his mother died, Matthews took a leave of absence for one game, which was coached by assistant coach
John Blakey John Blakey (born 24 July 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played 359 games in the Australian Football League. Football career Playing Recruited from East Doncaster, Victoria, Blakey debuted for the Fitzroy Football Club i ...
, when he filled in as caretaker interim senior coach in the absence of regular senior coach Matthews, for the Round 18, 2005 game against the
Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition. Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
, which the Lions lost. In the 2006 season, The Lions under Matthews did not fare much better when their form further dropped when they finished thirteenth (third-last) on the ladder with seven wins and fifteen losses. In the 2007 season, The Lions under Matthews finished tenth on the ladder with nine wins, two draws and eleven losses. Also in 2007, he coached his 200th game with the club, making him the first person to play or coach 200 games with three clubs. In the 2008 season, the Lions under Matthews finished tenth on the ladder again for the second straight year in a row, this time with ten wins and twelve losses. Matthews resigned from his position as Brisbane Lions senior coach on 1 September 2008, at the end of the 2008 season, stating that he "felt the time was right". Matthews was then replaced by
Michael Voss Michael Voss (born 7 July 1975) is a former professional Australian rules football player with the Brisbane Bears/Lions and current senior coach of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Voss was a triple premiersh ...
as Brisbane Lions senior coach. Matthews coached Brisbane Lions to a total of 237 games with 142 wins, 92 losses and 3 draws with a winning percentage of 60 percent. Matthews' coaching style at the Lions was reportedly incredibly strict, although obviously successful. Despite his four premierships as a coach, Matthews never coached a team to the minor premiership—though he did finish second with Collingwood twice and second with Brisbane three times.


Statistics


Playing statistics

, - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 1969 , , , , 32 , 5 , , 7 , , 4 , , 60 , , 15 , , 75 , , 6 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 12.0 , , 3.0 , , 15.0 , , 1.2 , , 2 , - , scope=row ,
1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, , , , 32 , 16 , , 20 , , 27 , , 249 , , 48 , , 297 , , 53 , , 1.3 , , 1.7 , , 15.6 , , 3.0 , , 18.6 , , 3.3 , , 3 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
# , , , , 32 , 23 , , 43 , , 47 , , 443 , , 84 , , 527 , , 111 , , 1.9 , , 2.0 , , 19.3 , , 3.7 , , 22.9 , , 4.8 , , 10 , - , scope=row ,
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, , , , 3 , 21 , , 45 , , 50 , , 432 , , 49 , , 481 , , 107 , , 2.1 , , 2.4 , , 20.6 , , 2.3 , , 22.9 , , 5.1 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 1973 , , , , 3 , 19 , , 51 , , bgcolor=CAE1FF , 48 , , 426 , , 47 , , 473 , , 81 , , 2.7 , , 2.5 , , 22.4 , , 2.5 , , 24.9 , , 4.3 , , 23 , - , scope=row , 1974 , , , , 3 , 21 , , 52 , , 52 , , 394 , , 53 , , 447 , , 72 , , 2.5 , , 2.5 , , 18.8 , , 2.5 , , 21.3 , , 3.4 , , 15 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, , , , 3 , 23 , , bgcolor=CAE1FF , 68 , , 48 , , 452 , , 50 , , 502 , , 73 , , 3.0, , 2.2 , , 20.5 , , 2.3 , , 22.8 , , 3.3 , , 10 , - , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
# , , , , 3 , 22 , , 71 , , 42 , , 416 , , 79 , , 495 , , 67 , , 3.2 , , 1.9 , , 18.9 , , 3.6 , , 22.5 , , 3.0 , , 23 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 1977 , , , , 3 , 24 , , 91 , , bgcolor=CAE1FF , 57 , , 514 , , 144 , , 658 , , 133 , , 3.8 , , bgcolor=CAE1FF , 2.6 , , 21.4 , , 6.0 , , 27.4 , , 5.5 , , 34 , - , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
# , , , , 3 , 23 , , 71 , , 58 , , 463 , , 123 , , 586 , , 147 , , 3.1 , , 2.5 , , 20.1 , , 5.3 , , 25.5 , , 6.4 , , 3 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 1979 , , , , 3 , 13 , , 30 , , 25 , , 237 , , 100 , , 337 , , 55 , , 2.3 , , 1.9 , , 18.2 , , 7.7 , , 25.9 , , 4.2 , , 6 , - , scope=row , 1980 , , , , 3 , 17 , , 32 , , 34 , , 364 , , 93 , , 457 , , 78 , , 1.9 , , 2.0 , , bgcolor=CAE1FF , 21.4 , , 5.5 , , 26.9 , , 4.6 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
, , , , 3 , 16 , , 48 , , 36 , , 292 , , 84 , , 376 , , 98 , , 3.0 , , 2.3 , , 18.3 , , 5.3 , , 23.5 , , 6.1 , , 11 , - , scope=row ,
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
, , , , 3 , 22 , , 74 , , 55 , , 383 , , 111 , , 494 , , 109 , , 3.4 , , 2.5 , , 17.4 , , 5.0 , , 22.5 , , 5.0 , , 17 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C , 1983# , , , , 3 , 22 , , 79 , , 51 , , 364 , , 78 , , 442 , , 127 , , 3.6 , , 2.3 , , 16.5 , , 3.5 , , 20.1 , , 5.8 , , 5 , - , scope=row ,
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
, , , , 3 , 24 , , 77 , , 52 , , 318 , , 127 , , 445 , , 111 , , 3.2 , , 2.2 , , 13.3 , , 5.3 , , 18.5 , , 4.6 , , 4 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 1985 , , , , 3 , 21 , , 56 , , 36 , , 210 , , 72 , , 282 , , 77 , , 2.7 , , 1.7 , , 10.0 , , 3.4 , , 13.4 , , 3.7 , , 4 , - class=sortbottom ! colspan=3 , Career ! 332 !! 915 !! 722 !! 6017 !! 1357 !! 7374 !! 1505 !! 2.8 !! 2.2 !! 18.2 !! 4.1 !! 22.3 !! 4.5 !! 202


Coaching statistics

, - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
, , , 19 , , 12 , , 7 , , 0 , , 63.2% , , 6 , , 12 , - , scope=row ,
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
, , , 22 , , 7 , , 15 , , 0 , , 31.8% , , 12 , , 14 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
, , , 24 , , 15 , , 8 , , 1 , , 64.6% , , 2 , , 14 , - , scope=row , 1989 , , , 23 , , 13 , , 10 , , 0 , , 56.5% , , 5 , , 14 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
# , , , 26 , , 19 , , 6 , , 1 , , 75.0% , , 2 , , 14 , - , scope=row ,
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
, , , 22 , , 12 , , 9 , , 1 , , 56.8% , , 7 , , 15 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, , , 23 , , 16 , , 7 , , 0 , , 69.6% , , 3 , , 15 , - , scope=row , 1993 , , , 20 , , 11 , , 9 , , 0 , , 55.0% , , 8 , , 15 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, , , 23 , , 12 , , 11 , , 0 , , 52.2% , , 8 , , 15 , - , scope=row ,
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
, , , 22 , , 8 , , 12 , , 2 , , 40.9% , , 10 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 1999 , , , 25 , , 18 , , 7 , , 0 , , 72.0% , , 3 , , 16 , - , scope=row ,
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, , , 24 , , 13 , , 11 , , 0 , , 54.2% , , 6 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
# , , , 25 , , 20 , , 5 , , 0 , , 80.0% , , 2 , , 16 , - , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
# , , , 25 , , 20 , , 5 , , 0 , , 80.0% , , 2 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
# , , , 26 , , 17 , , 8 , , 1 , , 67.3% , , 3 , , 16 , - , scope=row , 2004 , , , 25 , , 18 , , 7 , , 0 , , 72.0% , , 2 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row ,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, , , 21 , , 10 , , 11 , , 0 , , 47.6% , , 11 , , 16 , - , scope=row ,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, , , 22 , , 7 , , 15 , , 0 , , 31.8% , , 13 , , 16 , - style=background:#EAEAEA , scope=row , 2007 , , , 22 , , 9 , , 11 , , 2 , , 45.5% , , 10 , , 16 , - , scope=row ,
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, , , 22 , , 10 , , 12 , , 0 , , 45.5% , , 10 , , 16 , - class=sortbottom ! colspan=2 , Career totals ! 461 !! 267 !! 186 !! 8 !! 58.8% !! colspan=2 ,


Honours and achievements


Playing honours

Team * 4× VFL premiership player ():
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
,
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
,
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, 1983 * 2× Minor premiership ():
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
,
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
* 2× Night Series Winner (): 1969, 1977 Individual * VFLPA MVP Award (Later named the Leigh Matthews Trophy): 1982 *
Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. Goal may also refer ...
: 1975 *
All-Australian team The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...
: 1972 * Hawthorn Captain: 1981–1985 * 8×
Peter Crimmins Medal The Peter Crimmins Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player(s) from the Hawthorn Football Club deemed best and fairest for the season. Peter Crimmins was a rover for Hawthorn, playing from 1966 to 1975. He died of cancer jus ...
: 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982 * 6× Hawthorn leading goalkicker: 1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 * Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year: 1982 * 2×
Victoria Australian rules football team The Victoria Australian rules football team, known colloquially as the Big V, is the state representative side of Victoria, Australia, in the sport of Australian rules football. The Big V has a proud history, dominating the first 100 years of ...
: 1972, 1975 *
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
Team of the Century *
Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Mulgrave, Victoria, that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was founded in 1902 in the inner-east suburb of Hawt ...
Team of the Century


Coaching honours

Team * AFL Premiership coach ():
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
* 3× AFL Premiership coach ():
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
,
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
Individual * 4× Jock McHale Medal:
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
,
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
,
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
* 3×
All-Australian team The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...
: 2001, 2002, 2003 *
Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...
Team of the Decade (1997–2006)


Hall of Fame/Life membership

*
Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...
– Legend Status *
Hawthorn Football Club The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Mulgrave, Victoria, that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was founded in 1902 in the inner-east suburb of Hawt ...
Hall of Fame – Legend Status * Collingwood Hall of Fame (1990 premiership team) *
Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...
Hall of Fame * Queensland Hall of Fame – Legend status *
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
life member *
Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...
life member


Post-career honours

Matthews was named "Player of the Century", inducted as an inaugural official Legend of the
Australian Football Hall of Fame The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coa ...
, the highest individual honour that can be bestowed upon a football personality. He was also named in both the AFL and Hawthorn Teams of the Century, in the forward pocket for the AFL and as rover for Hawthorn. In 2002, the AFLPA MVP award, of which Matthews was the inaugural recipient, was renamed the
Leigh Matthews Trophy The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was st ...
. Matthews is one of only three Australian rules footballers recognised as a Legend of Australian Sport in the
Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...
, alongside
Ron Barassi Ronald Dale Barassi Jr. (born 27 February 1936) is a former Australian rules footballer, coach and media personality. Regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of the game, Barassi was the first player to be inaugurated into ...
and
Ted Whitten Edward James Whitten Sr. OAM (27 July 1933 – 17 August 1995) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Born and raised into a working-class family in Footscray, Whi ...
.


Outside football

Before coaching the Brisbane Lions, Leigh Matthews made several media appearances as guest commentator. He has now returned to do special commentary of AFL matches on
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
. He commentated the 2008 Finals as well as the 2008 Grand Final. He is also a commentator of the game for
3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693  kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...
and a feature writer and commentator for the ''
Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald S ...
''.


References


Bibliography

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Leigh 1952 births All-Australians (1953–1988) All-Australian coaches Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Brisbane Lions coaches Brisbane Lions Premiership coaches Collingwood Football Club coaches Collingwood Football Club Premiership coaches Coleman Medal winners Matthew, Leigh Hawthorn Football Club Premiership players Peter Crimmins Medal winners Leigh Matthews Trophy winners Living people Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Chelsea Football Club (Australia) players Australia international rules football team coaches Radio personalities from Melbourne 3AW presenters Four-time VFL/AFL Premiership players Four-time VFL/AFL Premiership coaches People from the City of Frankston