Hamish McLachlan: Why Matthew Scarlett was a secret Bombers member playing for Cats
Cats premiership player, All-Australian, hall of famer … Essendon member. Matthew Scarlett reveals why he was a Bombers member while playing at Geelong. The champion talks his love of the Dons, Mad Monday and the Abletts with Hamish McLachlan.
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Matthew Scarlett arrived at the Geelong Football Club on a BMX, and left a three-time Premiership Player and a crucial part of the Club’s resurgence. Now as an assistant coach, he continues to spend his days trying to make it the best in the league. If you speak about the best defenders in the history of the game, Matthew’s name will pop up. We spoke about his love of the game, wrestling, Essendon, Gary Junior and Senior, Mad Monday outfits and what he might do when he grows up.
HM: If you had to spend the rest of your life playing fantasy sports around American Sports or WWE, which would it be?
MS: Ha …. well, historically it would have been watching the wrestling, I used to be an obsessive. I loved it, I knew them all like family, but now, I’ve flip flopped and I could watch American sport — NFL, baseball, basketball — all day every day with you, and I wouldn’t ask you to change the channel … … maybe just pause it for a bit while I go to the bathroom!
HM: Which American sportsman do you admire the most?
MS: Troy Polamalu. A big Samoan, with long black hair that flowed out the back of his helmet. He was vicious and played with a violent edge. Nothing fancy, no frills, but he just loved winning and contributing to the team. He’s my favourite Pittsburgh Steeler of all time!
HM: In 2003 Benny Graham kicked a monster late to get the Cats in front with seconds to play against the Power. You had the ball in your hands on in your hands on the siren. Did you drop to your knees and do a wrestling celebration?
MS: That was for a mate of mine — Travis Agg. We used to watch the wrestling together, and he used to play for South Barwon. I was there watching one day, they were playing St Mary’s, and he did it in one of his games. I promised him the next week that if I finished with the footy, I’d return the favour. It happened to be the next game we played, and that was an awesome, close win against the Power. I used to be obsessed with wrestling, but I don’t know what’s going on with it now. I still believe it’s quite popular. I’ve got two eight-year-old boys but they’re not into it yet, but I know Boris Enright’s little fella loves it! He loves all the oldies — Hulk Hogan’s his man!
HM: The Hulk … … Your old man played almost 200 games for Geelong — how the hell do you end up barracking for someone other than Geelong?
MS: I remember as a youngster, maybe four or five, when Dad took me to a Geelong — Essendon game at Kardinia Park. We used to stand in the old past players shed, and Essendon beat Geelong that day. I wasn’t happy about it, so I changed teams!
HM: You were light on for loyalty back then ….
MS: Seemingly! That’s bad isn’t it! I had some unreal memories — I loved Essendon. I saw some great premierships in the 80s — how good were 84 & 85. I remember being at the MCG watching the 93’ premiership as a mad Essendon fan. I was a member for about 20 years! I grew up in Geelong, and I wanted to play in Geelong, so I did end up at the right club even though I was mislead early on! Even though I was a passionate Essendon man, I wanted to play for my home town so I was lucky, bloody lucky.
HM: You debuted against Essendon?
MS: I did. In 1998. A big crowd, and a big game for us. I think we knocked them out of the finals. Matty Lloyd was one of my heroes growing up. There weren’t many rotations back then, so I sat on the bench for the first quarter and watched Lloydy kick three goals. I played on him for the remaining three quarters and I think he kicked three on me, finishing with six for the game. I was in awe, and just couldn’t believe I was out on the MCG standing next to one of my childhood heroes.
HM: Playing for Geelong, were you still an Essendon member at that point?
MS: I was. I think I was for a couple of years.
HM: You were playing for Geelong … as a Bombers Member?
MS: Weird now you bring it up. I think I just thought, I may as well keep signing up. They kept sending me mail for a long time. Even after I’d played 200 games for Geelong, they were still sending me letters in the mail. I wrote a letter back to them saying that I played for Geelong. They stopped sending them to me after that, so they must have received it I guess.
HM: When did you stop barracking for them?
MS: The day I got drafted I stopped, but I still watched them and always had a bit of a soft spot. It was a really deep passion. I had a good group of schoolmates that barracked for Essendon as well, so we’d watch all the games, and rode the highs and lows with them. I have some great memories following a great club.
HM: You talked about Matty Lloyd. He was the first forward you walked down and sidled up against. Who did you most look forward to playing on? You played on the big power forwards for a long time.
MS: All of them presented different challenges. I enjoyed the battles with Barry Hall, Warren Tredrea, David Neitz the most I think. Those guys were just unbelievable footballers, and champions of their clubs. I always felt that I’d get myself up a little bit more against the great players, as opposed to the lesser players. I really enjoyed those battles. Lloydy was the best pure full forward that I played on, but the other guys like Tredrea and Hall were more centre half forwards.
HM: Three flags. Is it true that you think about the 08’ loss daily?
MS: Yep.
HM: Every day?
MS: Every single day. You’re just reminded of it working at a footy club, and any time you see Hawthorn, or watch vision of Hawthorn, you think back to that day. Our premiership cups are at the front of our stadium, so I walk in the doors in there every morning, see our three cups there and think “there should be four there!”. It was disappointing. We were clearly the best team in the competition in 2008, it’s just one that we let slip. It felt like we should have been good enough to win that one. It’s strange; I probably should be thinking about the positives of the three that we have, but I don’t. I think about that one all the time.
HM: Let’s focus on the positives. 2009 Grand Final. Scores level, middle of the ground, late in the last quarter — you’re a long way from full back. Why do you toe poke instead of picking the ball up?
MS: It’s a fair question. I actually don’t know. I think it’s just a little bit of instinct taking over. Looking back on it now, it could have really gone pear shaped if it didn’t come off my foot very well. It wasn’t as if it was on the ground, it actually sat up nicely for me to grab, but I have no idea why I did it. It almost happened in slow motion. The ball sat up, and it’s lucky it came off because it probably would have cost us the premiership if it didn’t.
HM: You would have spent every day thinking about 08’ and 09.
MS: Mate, it would have been seen as the biggest brain fade of all time, in a grand final to boot! What’s a bit understated is the rest of that play. Moons and Rookey going back with the flight, Travy Varcoe’s unbelievable front and square ground ball, and Chappy’s finish. The toe poke gets spoken about a lot, but what happened after was better footy than the toe poke. It was awesome what those boys did in a huge clutch moment.
HM: The toe poke ended up with Gary Junior. If you were senior coach of the AFL’s 19th franchise that was opening next year, and you had to pick one at their best, who do you choose out of Gary Junior and Gary Senior?
MS: Uhhh …. that’s a great question. The soft answer, because I’m working with him now, would be Junior, but I’m going to say Senior. I don’t think that I’ve seen a better player. Junior would be in the top five, but the old man’s sitting up the top. I’ll be strong with Gary Senior.
HM: You’re an assistant coach now and seemingly not as cagey of the media as when you were a player.
MS: When I was playing, I just wanted to play footy, and that was it. I didn’t want to talk myself up in the media or put myself out there. I liked keeping a low profile — I actually didn’t like having a profile to start with. I’m pretty much a recluse. I just wanted to play, cruise home and hang out with my family and mates. We had enough guys that were good self-promoters, like Andrew Mackie and the likes. They like to get in front of the cameras and talk themselves up. I didn’t like doing that stuff. I’m much more relaxed with it, and I now have some good friendships with people in the media. The media does a lot of good stuff for our game.
HM: Do you want to end up as senior coach? Is that where you see yourself?
MS: I don’t have any idea, to be honest.
HM: What do you want to do when you grow up?
MS: It’s a good question. I’m still waiting to grow up. I feel lucky to still be working at a club that I’m passionate about. I love this club, and I feel like I owe the club a lot, so that drives me every day to come in. I work with unbelievable players, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys than the backline guys I work with. I love work, I love the players, so I’m not sure what the future holds for me to be honest, and I’m fine with that uncertainty.
HM: When you were playing, you, Max Rooke, Darren Milburn and Boris Enright were so good on field together, but you guys were inseparable off field. Why did the group of you get on so well?
MS: It’s hard to imagine you could find fellas you get along so well with at the one club and play in the backline together for so long. We just all gelled. We probably got carried away at times and drank a little bit too much, and partied too much, but the bonds that we forged over those times are still so strong. We’d do anything for each other, on and off the field, and we’re still best mates today, so anyone that says having a beer or two is no good for you, I don’t reckon they know what they’re talking about. We had some great memories off the field and forged some lifelong friendships. They’re wonderful people, and again, I feel lucky to still be working with Boris who does a great job with our forwards. Being able to come to work with one of your best mates every day is a good feeling.
HM: You’re in charge of the defence at the Cats — you call the back 6 “the Misfits” — made up of high jumpers and Irishmen a steeplechasers and a tradie or two … you must get extraordinary pride when you see Tommy Stewart going as well as he is given you found him when you were coaching at South Barwon?
MS: I am bloody proud of Tom. He deserves all the credit for how he’s turned his life around. He’s unbelievable, and his football has come a long way in the last couple of years. He’s changed so much as a person. When I was coaching at South Barwon I was young and probably not ready to be a coach, and Tommy was young and a little bit immature and a little bit lazy and he wasn’t ready to be in an AFL system, so I feel like we’re growing on this journey together. He’s a future captain the way he’s going I reckon. He’s a consistent, ruthless competitor. Every week he puts his body on the line, trains his arse off, and he wants to be a great footballer and a great person. He’s well on the way to being both.
HM: Proudest moment as a coach, so far for you?
MS: Seeing the growth of all those guys. Seeing the growth in Stewy, Jack Henry, Mark O’Connor. Seeing them improve and develop is the best thing about being a coach, and just seeing how they play and how they go about it. Those guys are fully invested in the team, they play for each other, and just play a really good brand of footy. It’s the way defence should be played, so watching them every week makes me really proud.
HM: Do you love footy now, or do you view it differently to, say, a 15-year-old Matty Scarlett?
MS: I still love the game, I always have. It’s a tough question. It’s very different when you’re playing rather than coaching. I still love it, and I think it’s the same as when I was 15. I watch most games on the weekends, and I just love sport. I love my rugby league, American sports, so I just love being involved in sport. I love playing sport, competing, and working with young men that are really keen to achieve something special.
HM: How much of what Zach Tuohy says do you understand?
MS: Not much actually — I pick up little bits and pieces.
HM: (laughs)
MS: It’s funny. My grandma was born in Ireland, so I think I’m half Irish. That’s why I can understand a tiny bit of it, because the other guys can’t understand any of it. He’s one of the best blokes I’ve met in footy.
HM: He’s a ripper.
MS: The boys all love him, all the coaching staff loves him. He’s a really hard worker, and just a great story too. We’ve got Mark O’Connor as well. The Irish are super people, the players are very grateful for the opportunity that we’ve given them, and they want to make the most of it. They’re very hardworking, and funny.
HM: Who’s the weirdest individual you’ve had anything to do with via football?
MS: Maxy Rooke. Five length leader.
HM: Is it true he was reading The Alchemist in the rooms before a big final?
MS: Yeah mate. Corey Enright moved in with Max Rooke, and I used to go around to their joint after training, and they’d be sitting in their house eating dinner wearing face masks. He is the weirdest human being on Earth, Max Rooke; easily. But one of the best too.
HM: You’ve got to give Brownlow votes to your Mad Monday kits: 3,2,1.
MS: 3 votes; Dermie. That was 09’. I had to peroxide the hair, and it stayed like that for months. I had weddings and everything, and it was a bit ordinary, but it was a cracking day, especially after a flag. 2 votes — Hannibal Lecter. I had restricted movement, but it was well received. And 1 vote — KB. Again, bad memories, because that was 08’. It was a sombre mood after that one.
HM: What Mad Monday outfits didn’t make the cut that you wish you could have pulled off?
MS: I think Boris did Freddie Mercury a few years ago and I love Queen, so I wish I’d done Freddie first. The Nature Boy — Ric Flair. Boris had a New Year’s Eve party a long time ago, and I had the Ric Flair dress up for the party, but it never made it to Mad Monday. Regrets.
HM: Ric Flair might come out in your coaching tenure. Thanks for talking.
MS: Thanks mate. Good to have a chat.
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