Australian Football

Popularly referred to as 'Lethal' there was nothing delicate or fancy about the style of Hawthorn champion Leigh Matthews. However, unlike in 'sports' like gymnastics, diving and synchronised swimming, Australian football scores do not derive in any directly assessable way from perceived aesthetic merit. Efficiency and expediency are paramount in Australian football, and Leigh Matthews possessed both in abundance.

Which is only to affirm that, in Australian football terms, he was a highly skilful player. In 332 VFL games over 17 seasons with the Hawks he was eight times adjudged his club's fairest and most brilliant player - quite an awesome accolade when you consider that his career coincided with arguably Hawthorn's greatest ever era. He also topped the club goalkicking list on no fewer than six occasions in amassing a career total of 915 goals (and, in the process, highlighting another reason for the aptness of the 'Lethal' epithet).

Matthews' failure to secure Victorian football's highest individual honour, the Brownlow Medal, is perhaps not too surprising given his relentlessly vigorous style of play, but participation in the Hawthorn premiership sides of 1971, 1976, 1978 and 1983 will no doubt have afforded more than adequate compensation (if such were needed).

Following his retirement as a player, Matthews embarked on a highly successful coaching career which spawned AFL premierships with Collingwood in 1990, and Brisbane in 2001-2-3.

Author - John Devaney