Southern league: Keysborough forward Matthew Carnelley to play his 300th senior game

Keysborough sharpshooter Matthew ‘Hammer’ Carnelley will on Saturday achieve another accolade when he plays his 300th senior match.

Matthew Carnelley on the move for Forest Hill.

His initials are MC, so they call him “Hammer’’.

It’s apt: during his long time in suburban football leading goalkicker Matt Carnelley has indeed dropped the hammer on defenders.

DINGLEY SEES OFF COLTS IN CRACKING MATCH

SOUTHERN MRP NABS THREE

CHELTENHAM, BENTLEIGH IN ANZAC DAY CLASH

This week the 35-year-old week plays his 300th senior game, for Keysborough in Division 2 of the Southern league.

He’s a relative newcomer to the Southern scene — he joined Keysy last season — but he’s known in Eastern for big bags, two centuries of goals, and his long kicking and general skill as a spearhead.

Carnelley was a late starter to football. After playing basketball he joined the Under 15s at Mossgiel Park in Endeavour Hill. But he rose quickly, linking with the Rowville senior team when he was 17 and thriving under the coaching of Rowille great Paul “Monster’’ Mynott and then league medal star Nick Cox.

“I was lucky to have such great mentors,’’ he said.

Matt Carnelley leading and marking for Keysborough. Pic: Mandy Werner.

Carnelley played in the club’s 2004 Division 3 premiership.

A move to Glen Waverley Hawks turned him into a goalkicker.

“I was a wingman at Rowville. My junior coach (Andrew Owen) became the senior coach of Glen Waverley and I’d played full forward as a junior,’’ Carnelley said.

“So he put me back there.’’

Soon he was kicking lots of goals, topping the ton for the first time with 110 in 2010.

“It’s a great feeling, everyone running on to the ground and giving you a high five,’’ he said.

After five years with the Hawks he had one season with Ringwood, then crossed to Forest Hill in 2015. He slotted 60 goals in first season with the Zebras and 113 in his second, catapulting himself into the headlines with bags of 22 and 24.

Carnelley transferred to Keysborough to be closer to his home (at Mordialloc) and his work (Dandenong).

Keysy had been keen on him for a while and he regrets not joining them earlier.

With big Chris Bryan dragging in species almost every week, Carnelley regards himself as the Burras’ No 2 forward.

“That works out well for me because I get the second or third best defender each week,’’ he said.

Bryan booted 80 goals last season.

Quick off the mark, strong and a thumping kick, Carnelley kicked 48, including two hauls of six in finals matches.

His 300th match will come against Skye.

“I haven’t really thought about the 300 games,’’ he said. “I just want a premiership with Keysborough.’’

Some time next season he’ll have another milestone, his 1000th goal in senior football.

He’s up to 920. When he moves into four figures it really will be “Hammer’’ time.