In The News
Matthews grins after Lions AFL tirade
April 24, 2006
He has lost his cool on live television and lost too many AFL games this season for his liking.
But Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews hasn't lost his sense of humour.
After saying he had no regrets after pushing three senior players during a three quarter-time blast last Saturday night, Matthews joked that the crowd would have "loved it".
Counting down to his 400th game as a coach, Matthews didn't look like a man under pressure despite his ailing team's form that prompted a classic "Lethal" tirade during last round's 14-point loss to lowly Richmond.
Matthews handled Simon Black and Jason Akermanis before shoving skipper Michael Voss into the players' huddle after Richmond piled on six unanswered, three quarter goals at the Gabba.
Brisbane responded by kicking four straight goals before Richmond star Matthew Richardson guided the Tigers to their first 2006 win.
But Matthews was in a jovial mood when he fronted the media on Monday.
"Right, what headline can I give you?" he laughed.
"I am having nightmares about press conferences. Let's go to the (nearby) ... hotel just to get out of this environment - seriously."
But there was no avoiding the very public spray Matthews described as "spur of the moment".
"I guess you can regret things you do on the spur of the moment, in the cold light of day," he said.
"God knows in my footy life as a player, I had that a lot. But this wasn't one of them."
While explaining that he was "touching ... not manhandling" players, Matthews said the home crowd would have appreciated the drama.
"Crowds love coaches yelling at players. When you used to have to walk down through the crowd to games you always heard from some bloke third row back 'go on Matthews get into them'," he said.
"Look, we play a public game and everything we do as coaches and players ... can largely be debated and talked about."
Matthews didn't see a problem pumping up Brisbane (1-3 record) before its daunting Saturday night clash against an undefeated West Coast at Perth - his 400th game as a coach.
"Including us, there is no bad team in the AFL at the moment," said Matthews who will become the 12th coach to notch 400 games.
"The bottom side is always a chance of beating the top side - that's probably...us against the West Coast this week although frankly we play better against the Eagles at Subiaco than at the Gabba.
"(But) the (AFL) ladder doesn't matter at the moment."
Matthews is tempted to bring Beau McDonald (knee reconstruction) back from a two-and-a-half season fitness battle to help Jamie Charman counter Eagles ruckman Dean Cox with a question mark still over Clark Keating (foot).
Keating will consult a specialist this week to determine whether he is suffering stress fractures.
Matthews admitted the Gabba's hard surface would have contributed to Keating's condition.
Due to the Gabba surface, the Lions also hold training sessions at Coorparoo.
[source]
Voss finds cause for hope
AAPT Brisbane Lions skipper Michael Voss says he and his teammates can take heart from the last-quarter surge that got them back into Saturday night's game against Richmond. [read more]
April 24, 2006
He has lost his cool on live television and lost too many AFL games this season for his liking.
But Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews hasn't lost his sense of humour.
After saying he had no regrets after pushing three senior players during a three quarter-time blast last Saturday night, Matthews joked that the crowd would have "loved it".
Counting down to his 400th game as a coach, Matthews didn't look like a man under pressure despite his ailing team's form that prompted a classic "Lethal" tirade during last round's 14-point loss to lowly Richmond.
Matthews handled Simon Black and Jason Akermanis before shoving skipper Michael Voss into the players' huddle after Richmond piled on six unanswered, three quarter goals at the Gabba.
Brisbane responded by kicking four straight goals before Richmond star Matthew Richardson guided the Tigers to their first 2006 win.
But Matthews was in a jovial mood when he fronted the media on Monday.
"Right, what headline can I give you?" he laughed.
"I am having nightmares about press conferences. Let's go to the (nearby) ... hotel just to get out of this environment - seriously."
But there was no avoiding the very public spray Matthews described as "spur of the moment".
"I guess you can regret things you do on the spur of the moment, in the cold light of day," he said.
"God knows in my footy life as a player, I had that a lot. But this wasn't one of them."
While explaining that he was "touching ... not manhandling" players, Matthews said the home crowd would have appreciated the drama.
"Crowds love coaches yelling at players. When you used to have to walk down through the crowd to games you always heard from some bloke third row back 'go on Matthews get into them'," he said.
"Look, we play a public game and everything we do as coaches and players ... can largely be debated and talked about."
Matthews didn't see a problem pumping up Brisbane (1-3 record) before its daunting Saturday night clash against an undefeated West Coast at Perth - his 400th game as a coach.
"Including us, there is no bad team in the AFL at the moment," said Matthews who will become the 12th coach to notch 400 games.
"The bottom side is always a chance of beating the top side - that's probably...us against the West Coast this week although frankly we play better against the Eagles at Subiaco than at the Gabba.
"(But) the (AFL) ladder doesn't matter at the moment."
Matthews is tempted to bring Beau McDonald (knee reconstruction) back from a two-and-a-half season fitness battle to help Jamie Charman counter Eagles ruckman Dean Cox with a question mark still over Clark Keating (foot).
Keating will consult a specialist this week to determine whether he is suffering stress fractures.
Matthews admitted the Gabba's hard surface would have contributed to Keating's condition.
Due to the Gabba surface, the Lions also hold training sessions at Coorparoo.
[source]
Voss finds cause for hope
AAPT Brisbane Lions skipper Michael Voss says he and his teammates can take heart from the last-quarter surge that got them back into Saturday night's game against Richmond. [read more]