Matt Campbell (Australian footballer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matt Campbell |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Matthew Dylan Campbell | ||
| Date of birth | 21 January 1987 | ||
| Original team | North Adelaide (SANFL) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
Matthew Dylan Campbell (born 21 January 1987) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 2006 to 2012.
Even though he was small and light, Matt was known for being super fast. He was also very good at dodging other players on the field.
Matt Campbell's Early Life
Matt Campbell grew up in Alice Springs, which is in the Northern Territory of Australia. He has Indigenous Australian heritage, meaning his family comes from the original people of Australia. His ancestors are from the Arrente group.
He started playing senior football in 2005 with a team called North Adelaide. This team plays in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He played in every game for them in 2006.
Later in 2006, the Kangaroos team chose him in the draft. This is like a special selection process where professional teams pick new players. After being drafted, Matt moved to Melbourne to join the Kangaroos.
After the 2012 season, Matt was no longer on the Kangaroos' team list. He then went back to North Adelaide in the SANFL in 2013.
Playing for North Melbourne
Matt Campbell played his first AFL game for the Kangaroos in 2007. It was against the Collingwood team. He didn't have a great first game, only getting 3 "possessions." A possession means when a player gets the ball.
Because of this, he wasn't chosen for the next game. That game would have been in his hometown against Port Adelaide. But in Round 3, he was back on the team. He got 12 possessions and kicked his first ever AFL goal.
He kept playing well, getting 13 possessions against the Brisbane Lions. In Round 5, he kicked 2 goals against Geelong. In Round 6, he only kicked the ball 4 times against Sydney. But he still managed to kick 3 goals! His third goal was very important. It came late in the game when Sydney was only four points behind.
Back to North Adelaide
After his time in the AFL, Matt returned to Adelaide. He played for his original club, North Adelaide, for three more years. He played at their home ground, the Prospect Oval.
Matt Campbell officially retired from playing football at the end of the 2014 SANFL season.
