AFL Football Players

AFL Players from the past and present

As a boy, Kevin Sheedy barracked for the Bombers, but lived close to the Richmond ground.  He joined the Richmond Tigers without a clearance from his prior VFA club, Prahran, as they would not grant him one.  This was a big decision for a young player, because if he failed as a player in the VFL (now AFL) then he would be banned from playing competition football anywhere in Australia for 5 years.

(click image to see available trading cards)

Kevin Sheedy’s dubet season in 1967 was not the greatest.  His prefered playing position was center, though this was held by Tiger star and fan favourite Billy Barot.  After Barot was injured in the third game of the season Sheedy got his chance.  He played poorly for six games and found himself back in reserves for the remainder of the season.

The following year saw Kevin Sheedy back in the team due to his sheer determination, and fearlessness when attacking the ball.  Coach Tom Hafey put Sheedy in the back pocket where he grew to become a key defender for the Tigers.  In 1969, his 3rd season for Richmond, Sheedy not only recieved runner up fairest and best for the club, he earned a Victorian State gournsey and played in the Tigers premership team.

Sheedy went on to play in the 1973 and 1974 premiership sides, won the clubs best and fairest in 1976 and captained the side in 1978.  It was not his skills on the football field that made him stand out as a player, it was his on-field riling and phsycologial aggrivation he used on his opponents and the opposition fans.  The fact that he was never once reported in his career suprises everyone that ever watched him play a game of afl football.

PERSONAL STATISTICS

(click image for available trading cards)

Born 24th December 1947

Height – 180cm

Weight – 81kg

Played for – Richmond (as #10)

Games Played – 251 (1967-1979)

Goals Kicked – 91

THE COACH

In 1981 the Essendon Bombers appointed Kevin Sheedy as their head coach where he stayed in charge for 27 seasons.  During that time, he led the Bombers to 4 premiership flags – 1984, 1985, 1993 and 2000.  He was a great inovator and took every advantage he could over other teams, including tying down the windsock at Windy Hill to confuse the opposition afl players.

At the end of the 2007 season, Essendon drew the curtain on his career with a staggering record of 635 games as head coach.  Kevin Sheedy’s last home game as coach was in round 21 against his old side the Richmond Tigers.  88,468 people turned out to farewell the great man along with one of the Essendon greats also retiring, James Hird.  Sheedy received a standing ovation as he left the field for the last time.

KEVIN SHEEDY QUOTES

“You never fight a war the same way you won the previous one – not if you are smart”

“I would like to invent or radically change a sport”  (Kevin developed the backspin handball)

Well regarded as one of the greatest afl players of all time, Leigh Matthews was fearless on the football field. Standing at 178cm (5′10″) and weighing in at 83.5kg (13.5 stone) he was quite an unusual build for a rover.

He earned the nickname “Lethal” through his play style of fighting hard for the ball and his accuracy in front of goal. In saying this, Leigh Matthews was by no means an unscrupulous player. In fact he won 8 fairest and best awards during his career at Hawthorn.

PLAYER STATISTICS

Leigh Matthews played 5 senior games for the Hawks in 1969 in jersey number 32, and then went on to play from 1970 – 1985 in the number 3 jumper.

With a career spanning 332 games, it was a club record until surpassed by former team mate, Michael Tuck.  During his 16 seasons at Hawthorn, Leigh Matthews kicked 915 goals, which placed him seventh on the VFL all-time goal kicking list (It is still the highest goal count for a non-full forward to date).  His highest ever season total was 79 goals and on two occasions he kicked 11 goals in a game. Matthews headed the Hawk’s goal kicking tally six times – 1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1983 & 1984.  He also topped the VFL goal shooting tally in 1975 with 68 goals.

Leigh Matthews captained the Hawthorn football club from 1981 to 1985, during which the Hawks won the 1983 flag.  He was also in the premiership teams in 1971, 1976 and 1978.

RETIREMENT

The only real blemish to Leigh’s carrer was in his final season in 1985 when he broke the jaw of Gelong player Neville Bruns in an off-the-ball incident.  He was suspended for 4 weeks and also charged by the police and fined $1000.  This is believed to be one of the major contributing factors to his retirement.  Leigh Matthews final game was the 1985 Grand final in which Hawthorn lost to Essendon.

(click picture for available trading cards)

The season following his retirement from playing the game, Matthews took up the coaching role at Collingwood.  In 1990 he guided the Magpies to a premiership win, their first since 1958.  He continued to coach at Collingwood until 1995.

In 1999 Leigh Matthews took over the role as head coach for the Brisbane Lions.  He experienced more premiership success winning 3 flags in a row for the Lions in 2001, 2002 and 2003.  At the end of the 2008 season, Matthews retired from coaching and his position was taken over by one of his former Brisbane premiership players, Michael Voss.

POST CAREER HONORS

Matthews was named “Player of the Century,” inducted as an inaugural official Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He was also named in both the AFL Team of the Century (forward pocket) and Hawthorn Team of the Century (rover)

In 2002, the AFLPA MVP award, of which Matthews was the inaugural recipient, was renamed the Leigh Matthews Trophy.