Leigh Matthews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leigh Matthews |
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Matthews working for Fox Footy, July 2025.
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Leigh Raymond Matthews | ||
| Nickname(s) | Lethal, Barney Rubble | ||
| Date of birth | 1 March 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Frankston, Victoria | ||
| Original team | Chelsea (MPNFL) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder/Forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Playing
Coaching
Hall of Fame
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Leigh Raymond Matthews (born 1 March 1952) is a famous former Australian rules football player and coach. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Later, he coached the Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions teams in both the VFL and the renamed Australian Football League (AFL).
Matthews was known for his strong and skillful playing style. This earned him the nickname "Lethal Leigh." The AFL officially calls him the "best player of the 20th century." He is also a 'Legend' in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He is part of the Hawthorn and AFL teams of the century. Matthews is also one of the most successful AFL coaches ever. After his coaching career, he became a well-known commentator for television and radio.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Leigh Matthews started playing junior football at the Chelsea Football Club. Football was a big part of his family. His brother, Kelvin, also played many games for Hawthorn and Geelong. Leigh Matthews got married and had his first child when he was 18 years old.
Playing Career: Hawthorn Legend
Leigh Matthews joined the Hawthorn Hawks in January 1969. He was only sixteen but had already played senior football in his local area. He played his first senior game for Hawthorn in 1969. He kicked a goal with his very first kick! He quickly became a regular player.
Rising Star in the 1970s
By 1971, Matthews was a key player for Hawthorn. He was great at winning the ball, especially near the goals. He helped Hawthorn win their first premiership in 1971. He also won his first of eight "best and fairest" awards for Hawthorn.
In 1975, Matthews became a superstar. He won the Coleman Medal as the league's top goal kicker. This was special because he wasn't a full-forward. He kicked 67 goals that year. In 1976, he helped Hawthorn win another premiership.
The 1977 season was one of Matthews' best. He scored 91 goals and had many possessions. This was a record for a non-full-forward at the time. He won his fifth Hawthorn best and fairest award. In 1978, he won his sixth best and fairest and his third premiership medal. He was named best on ground in the 1978 Grand Final.
Captain and "Lethal Leigh" in the 1980s
In 1980, Matthews became the captain of Hawthorn. He led the team until he retired in 1985. He also captained the Victorian State of Origin team. He won his seventh club best and fairest award.
In 1982, Matthews won the first-ever Players' Association Most Valuable Player award. This award was later renamed the Leigh Matthews Trophy in his honor. He was known for his tough playing style. He famously ran into a goal post at Windy Hill and broke it! This added to his "Lethal Leigh" nickname.
Matthews continued to play strongly in 1983. He moved to full-forward for part of the season. He kicked 6 goals in the 1983 Grand Final, helping Hawthorn win his fourth premiership.
Retirement from Playing
The 1985 season was Matthews' last as a player. He played his 332nd and final game in the 1985 Grand Final. He scored 915 goals in his career. This is still the highest goal tally for a non-full-forward in VFL/AFL history. He is also ninth on the all-time goal-kicking list.
Coaching Career: Leading Teams to Glory
After retiring as a player, Matthews became an assistant coach at the Collingwood Football Club. He soon became the head coach in 1986.
Coaching Collingwood
Matthews led Collingwood to the finals several times. In the 1990 Grand Final, Collingwood defeated Essendon. This ended Collingwood's 32-year wait for a premiership, often called "the Colliwobbles". This was Matthews' first premiership as a coach.
Matthews coached Collingwood for ten seasons. He won 125 games out of 224. He left Collingwood at the end of the 1995 season.
Coaching the Brisbane Lions
After a short break, Matthews became the senior coach of the struggling Brisbane Lions in 1999. The Lions had finished last the year before. Matthews quickly turned the team around. In 1999, they finished third and made the preliminary final.
In 2001, Matthews famously used the movie quote, "if it bleeds, we can kill it," to inspire his team. This was before a big game against Essendon, who were the reigning champions. Brisbane won that game. The Lions then went on to win their first AFL premiership in club history in the 2001 Grand Final.
This was the start of an amazing run. The Brisbane Lions, under Matthews, won three premierships in a row! They defeated Collingwood in both the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals. These wins gave Matthews a total of eight premiership medals as a player and coach.
In 2004, the Lions tried for a fourth straight premiership but lost the Grand Final to Port Adelaide. Matthews continued to coach Brisbane until the end of the 2008 season. He coached Brisbane for 237 games, winning 142 of them. He resigned in September 2008, saying it was "the right time."
Honours and Achievements
Leigh Matthews has received many awards for his amazing career.
Playing Honours
- 4× VFL premiership player with Hawthorn (1971, 1976, 1978, 1983)
- VFLPA MVP Award (now the Leigh Matthews Trophy): 1982
- Coleman Medal (leading goal kicker): 1975
- All-Australian team: 1972
- Hawthorn Captain: 1981–1985
- 8× Peter Crimmins Medal (Hawthorn's best and fairest): 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982
- AFL Team of the Century
- Hawthorn Football Club Team of the Century
Coaching Honours
- AFL Premiership coach with Collingwood: 1990
- 3× AFL Premiership coach with Brisbane Lions: 2001, 2002, 2003
- 4× Jock McHale Medal (awarded to premiership coaches): 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003
- 3× All-Australian team (as coach): 2001, 2002, 2003
Hall of Fame
- Australian Football Hall of Fame – Legend Status
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame – Legend Status
- Hawthorn Football Club Hall of Fame – Legend Status
- Collingwood Hall of Fame
- Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame
After Football
After his coaching career, Leigh Matthews became a well-known media personality. He has worked as a special commentator for AFL matches on the Seven Network. He also comments on games for 3AW radio and writes for the Herald Sun newspaper.
