Herbie Matthews

Herbie Matthews (20 November 1913 – 8 June 1990) was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was recruited to South Melbourne from suburban club Fairfield. His father, "Butcher" Matthews, partnered the great Roy Cazaly in South Melbourne's ruck combination of the early 1920s. Although he was smaller and slighter in build than his ruckman father, he was a strong mark and showed a ferocious drive for possession of the football. He was recruited by South Melbourne at the age of 17 in the face of determined approaches from Collingwood and his local Victorian Football Association club, Northcote.[1]

For his family members of the same name, see Herb Matthews (disambiguation).
Herbie Matthews
Personal information
Full name Herbie Matthews
Date of birth (1913-11-20)20 November 1913
Date of death 8 June 1990(1990-06-08) (aged 76)
Original team(s) Fairfield
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 76 kg (168 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1932–1945 South Melbourne 191 (17)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
Victoria 4 (1)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
1939, 1954–1957 South Melbourne 90 (27–62–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1945.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

A centreman and wingman with great pace, stamina and skills, he was awarded the Brownlow Medal in 1940 and was runner-up on another two occasions. He won his club's best and fairest award five times and captained them from 1938 until 1945.

Matthews crossed to Victorian Football Association club Oakleigh in 1946 as playing coach,[2] and served there for two seasons.[3]

In 1997 Matthews was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame and in 2003 was named on the wing in South Melbourne's official Team of the Century.

References
  1. Branagan, Mark and Lefebvre, Mike, Bloodstained Angels, The Rise & Fall of the Foreign Legion, 1995, self-published, Melbourne, Australia, page 7
  2. "Over 700 at S.M.F.C. Meeting". Record. Emerald Hill, VIC. 16 February 1946. p. 1.
  3. "Oakleigh appoints a new coach". Record. Emerald Hill, VIC. 6 December 1947. p. 1.
  • Ross, John (1999). The Australian Football Hall of Fame. Australia: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 92. ISBN 0-7322-6426-X.
  • AFL Hall of Fame
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