Hawthorn has unveiled the third iteration of the collectable Legends Guernsey series, this time acknowledging Leigh ‘Lethal’ Matthews.
The Matthews Legends Guernsey will follow on from the success of the previous editions with John Kennedy Snr (2019) and Peter Hudson (2022).
BUY THE LEIGH MATTHEWS LEGEND GUERNSEY HERE NOW
Arguably one of the greatest players the game has seen, Matthews’ Legends Guernsey is the first of the three to be a predominately brown design.
He is the third of eight club Legends set to be honoured in the coming years as part of a collectable Legends series.
The four-time premiership player and former captain played 332 games for the Hawks and kicked 915 goals during the 70s and 80s.
An eight-time best and fairest winner, Matthews won the first Peter Crimmins Trophy that was introduced in 1976.
The guernsey design, thanks to ISC, carries on the original V design, this time inverting to colours to recognise the club’s original 1925 guernsey.
The gold V on brown was Hawthorn's first guernsey when we entered the VFL/AFL.
Worn from 1925-1949, with the exception of 1933 where the colours were inversed, before adopting the traditional brown and gold stripes in 1950 that we know and love today.
The fabled Legends emblem is positioned on the front below the V of this historic piece.
The Legends Guernsey series is about honouring Hawthorn’s rich history while paying tribute to some of the most influential figures our club has known.
Hawthorn fans can purchase their Lethal Legends Guernsey here.
Leigh ‘Lethal’ Matthews
Judged as the game’s greatest player, Matthews embodied the qualities that made the Hawks the envy of all.
Matthews was squat, short-legged and barrel-chested and played the game in a courageous, physical and totally fearless manner. A reliable kick on goal he always made the ball his objective.
A measure of his talent was winning eight best and fairest awards in an era when the club was consistently in the finals and had some of the most talented players in the competition.
- Position: Forward
- Career: 1969 - 1985
- Debut Order: 598
- Guernsey: 32 (1969 - 1971), 3 (1972 - 1985)
- Games: 332
- Goals: 915
- Captain: 1981 - 1985
- Premierships: 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983
- Night Premierships: 1969, 1977
Awards - Coleman Medal: 1975
- Hawthorn Leading Goal Kicker: 1975 (68)
- Hawthorn Best and Fairest: 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982
- State Captain: 1980
- State Representative: 14
- Hawthorn Life Member: 1976
- Hawthorn Team of the Century: 2001
- Hawthorn Hall of Fame – Legend of the Club: 2003
- VFL/AFL Life Member: 1984
- AFL Legend: 1996
- AFL Team of the Century: 1996
- All-Australian: 1972, 1982, 1983
- AFLPA MVP: 1982
