Chasing The Dream: The sliding doors moment for junior dual-sport star Matt LeRay
A state under-19 captain at just 17, those who guided Matt LeRay through the cricket pathway knew he had a big future in the game. But it all changed in December last year – and now the AFL Draft awaits.
It was a sliding doors moment for one of the country’s most-promising cricket prodigies.
Standing out in the middle of Adelaide Oval, representing his state at a national carnival as captain and putting together a half century was a sign of things to come for Matt LeRay.
LeRay was a standout player in South Australia’s elite talent pathways, captaining the state under-19 side as a 17-year-old and dominating on a stage that showcased Sam Konstas’ international cricketing ability just a year earlier.
And a potentially lucrative career in white-ball cricket beckoned.
But as he stepped back and heaved a pull shot for a six to bring up a half century during the championships at Adelaide Oval, LeRay knew he wasn’t on the right path.
“We played our last game against Queensland in Adelaide… not that I didn’t enjoy it, it suddenly clicked into my head that that was the time to probably focus on footy,” he said on Code Sports’ Chasing the Dream.
“My thought process was that if I give footy a crack this month and a half of pre-season that I would be in a better spot come this time of year.
“It was really tough.. I had to speak to a lot of people about it.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but they made it easier by being understanding.”
WATCH EPISODE 2 OF CHASING THE DREAM IN FULL BELOW
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
A bookshelf in the family’s Golden Grove home has been cleared of any reading material, and instead boasts years’ worth of sporting accolades, trophies, and five-wicket balls.
It’s a collection that wouldn’t look out of place in Australian champion Steve Smith’s house, but instead every award is dedicated to LeRay’s years of excellence on cricket pitches across the country.
LeRay won both batting and bowling awards for South Australia in national championships – a sign of things to come for the talented teenager.
A first-class debut for South Australia surely awaited LeRay in the 2025/26 season, had he chosen to pursue cricket over football.
After that? Given his potential, who knows – and that’s the question the man he told first straight after that final game still ponders today.
“You never know,” SA’s under-19 head coach Luke Butterworth mused when asked what LeRay could’ve been.
“With the different formats in cricket now, he could’ve been a very good white-ball player.
“A good spinner, who hits the stumps a lot, an excellent fielder and someone who could strike the ball really well.
“He really backed himself as a player and as a leader, which was his biggest strength.
“You never know what he could’ve been with a white ball, especially with the T20s... those formats really suit his game.”
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET OVER INTERSTATE FOOTY
There was a time where cricket was the priority for LeRay, having turned down the chance to play in the under-16s national footy championships.
Instead, LeRay boarded a flight bound for London – with a school cricket tour firmly on the agenda.
“That was another big decision, I got picked in the under-16s squad and was training with them,” he said.
“The fixtures came out and I realised they coincided with the London tour we were going on with the school for the cricket program.
“As a 16 year old, (getting) the opportunity to play on Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast for South Australia is pretty hard to pass up, but you don’t go to England every year – pretty much ever – I don’t think I’ll ever play cricket in England again.
“So it was a really exciting opportunity and one that was really hard to pass up.”
His international cricket exploits didn’t start and end in England though – LeRay travelled to India in 2024 as a member of South Australia Cricket Association’s academy.
The memories from India were not on the cricket field for LeRay, rather when he contracted “Delhi Belly”.
“I forgot about the ice… when I was sipping my coke, I had some of the nice and had Delhi Belly for a few days,” he laughed.
“I was throwing up and going to the toilet every three minutes. That was a few sleepless nights.
THE SUMMER OF FOOTY
As he celebrated Christmas and his attention turned to the second half of summer, LeRay decided to put down the bat and ball and focus on the Sherrin to try to get as much of a pre-season as possible.
Like Sam Lalor a year before, who was a talented cricketer himself before focusing on football and becoming the No.1 draft pick, LeRay has never had a summer dedicated to a pre-season.
It’s always been a constant juggle of club and state cricket training, local footy pre-season nights with Central District, and personal fitness and recovery sessions to try to cope with the heavy loads.
“I’ve been a bit behind over the last three or four years without doing a pre-season because of cricket,” he said.
“I wanted to prioritise getting stronger, and I think that was an area of focus for me over the pre-season.
“Even though it was only a month and a half or so, while everyone else got three, I think I definitely took some steps in the right direction from a strength perspective.”
Butterworth, an all rounder who played 69 Sheffield Shield games and made 52 one-day appearances for Tasmania, fully understood the teenager’s call.
“He loved cricket, but you could tell that his passion for football was a little bit stronger,” Butterworth said.
“As soon as it finished (the national champs), I came back from dropping the cars off and he said ‘can we have a chat?’
“I knew what it was going to be about... and his reasonings, I couldn’t argue with.
“He said ‘If I put everything into it and focus on footy for two years and don’t get drafted, I can live with that, but if I keep playing cricket and my foot is in both camps and I don’t give it my all and don’t get drafted, that would always be a regret’.
“I completely understood and supported him with that.”
LeRay’s focus on footy has paid dividends, with the winger seen as a lock to find a home in the national draft, with a chance to be called out on the first night of proceedings.
He is just one of several talented South Australians who will be waiting to hear their names called out, with Dyson Sharp, Sam Cumming, Jevan Phillipou, Aidan Schubert, Mitch Marsh, Harley Barker, Cameron Nairn, Latrelle Pickett, and Blake Thredgold all seen as top-30 talents.
LeRay was a valuable contributor in South Australia’s successful bid for national champs glory, helping his state side to a perfect season.
As the draft has crept closer, LeRay says there have been some nervous nights as he ponders whether he made the right call to pursue an elite footy career.
“Considering I chose footy over cricket, that drives me big time because if I haven’t made the right decision, I’ve sort of shot myself in the foot,” he said.
“That drives me a lot… that keeps me going.
“If I don’t get drafted, I’ll go play cricket again.”
And as Butterworth says, cricket will still be there for him.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen but if he didn’t get drafted, he’s still a very young player and there are a lot of opportunities with cricket as well.
“Alex Carey is one that went and played football and is about to play an Ashes series.
“I wish him all the best in football and hopefully he gets drafted and has an excellent career, but if things don’t go his way and he doesn’t get drafted, we still have plenty of programs in cricket that we could see him progressing in.”
Originally published as Chasing The Dream: The sliding doors moment for junior dual-sport star Matt LeRay
Goodwin: Drastic overhauls to become the norm
