UNVEILED: August, 2005
LOCATION: Outside Gate 4
Named one of Hawthorn’s two inaugural club legends, Leigh Matthews did it all in his playing days, playing in four premiership sides and winning an amazing eight best and fairests in a 17-year career that spanned 332 games.
Matthews was captain of Hawthorn for his last five seasons, kicked 915 goals on the way to winning the club goalkicking six times, and played 14 games for Victoria - captaining the Vics in 1980.After retiring following the Hawks' loss to Essendon in the 1985 Grand Final, Matthews turned his hand to coaching the very next season, and lifted Collingwood from a struggling team to premiers by 1990, which broke a 32-year flag drought at Victoria Park.
Matthews went on to coach the Magpies for 10 seasons before stepping aside after the 1995 season, and after spending three years in the media, took on the Brisbane Lions coaching position and likewise lifted them.
The Lions were wooden spooners the year before Matthews took over, but made it all the way to the preliminary final in his first season, before claiming back-to-back-back premierships in 2001, 2002 and 2003.