Born to lead the way: The Matt Paterson-Nicolai story

ALICE Springs Deputy Mayor and former Territory Alliance election candidate Matt Paterson-Nicolai is a family man, sports star, champion for his community, and advocate for sick kids and those with special needs. He also believes in Alice Springs and its future.

Matt in Alice Springs. Picture: Hannah Millerick

IF you were writing a Hollywood movie about the iconic Australian man, he’d have the quick wit, kind heart, sense of fun and iron will of Matt Paterson-Nicolai.

With ‘Patto’, actions speak louder than words.

He is a great family man, sports star, champion for his community, and advocate for sick kids and those with special needs.

He also believes in Alice Springs and its future.

Patto says he and his mum Karen- who is also known as ‘Patto’- have a really close bond.

“I’m 29, she’s 48, so there’s not a huge difference. She’s a good mate of mine! She’s pretty good fun! And a great ‘nanny’ to my kids,” he said.

“She survived those years as a single mum, and I never went without.

“When I was five or six, mum met dad.”

Patto says his dad, Scott, has been great figure in his life.

“I can’t remember him not being around. I’ve always called him dad,” he said.

“We had that normal relationship between a father and son where when you’re 15 or 16, you have a few arguments.

“Then when you’re 25, you look back and think, ‘He was probably right!’”

Patto’s also very close with his siblings Jordi, Bella, Lucy and Piper.

Matt today with his wife Katelyn, daughter Olive, 2, and son Jasper, 10 months. Picture: Hannah Millerick

Sport has played a big role in Patto’s life.

“I was always involved in rugby (league), through mum and her crowd. I was the ‘Sand Boy’ for Westies when I was 4!,” he said.

Patto is one of the best rugby players of his generation in the Northern Territory, and as an under 18 even caught the eye of then-Australian team coach Ricky Stuart.

Patto was playing in the NT side in the elite-level NRL junior competition, SG Ball.

An athletic back-rower with a razor sharp footy brain, Patto electrified the competition, and never more so than one day in Darwin.

The NT took on Gold Coast in an NRL curtain raiser.

Patto raised the curtain, and stole the show.

“After the game I was in the change room, and a bloke came up to me and another lad, and said ‘Come with me.,” he said.

“I’d been in Darwin for two weeks, and I was thinking of all the things I’d done, trying to work out what he wants to see me for?’

“He takes us and introduces us to Ricky Stuart – who was coach of Cronulla, and also the Australian coach.

“He said to me, ‘If you can put on 8-10 kilos in the next 12 months, we’ll look to sign you up.’”

Patto played in a subsequent Nationals tournament, where he says he “wasn’t at his best”.

Despite that, Patto still made the team of the comp, selected to recognise the best performing players.

After the Nationals, Cronulla told Patto that he wasn’t “quite what they were looking for”.

“I thought, ‘Oh well, I better get a job now,’” he said.

Patto played more rep footy for the NT after that and continued to shine.

He won a flag with the Memo Bulls in 2008, and helped keep the team alive after the Memo Club shut in 2012.

He also starred in the Bulls’ Cinderella Premiership of 2018, and played in the crucial dying minutes of the 2019 Grand Final, as the Bulls won back-to-back flags after the final siren.

Patto is a gun cricketer, and for six years was Rovers’ Captain, Coach and President.

He’s won the cricketer of the year award twice, won two Aussie rules flags playing for Westies in the Under 17s, and played rugby union.

Matt, in his Central Bulls uniform with Wests' Reece Hohn. The two teams battled it out in the 2018 CARFL grand final. Picture: Anthony Geppa

Patto is a sparky by trade, and one day in 2012, he was on the road coming back in to town after a job at Yuendumu.

His car flipped, and Patto suffered a severe neck injury.

“I was feeling okay, I was walking around at the scene. Then I got home, and I was a bit sore,” he said.

“Then things went downhill pretty quickly. I was in hospital bedridden for 14 days. I couldn’t move.

“I wasn’t down in the dumps – I just thought ‘It is what it is.’

“Slowly but surely things got better. It took me six months to get back in to working order.

“I look back now and realise I was pretty lucky!”

Not long later, Patto met the love of his life, and now his wife, Katelyn.

“I’d been to a friend’s dad’s funeral. We were at Rock Bar, and I was still in my neck brace,” he said.

“I met Katelyn, and we started talking. I told her that night I’d marry her!

“I was nicely dressed – she couldn’t see all my tats!

“The rest is history. I met my wife in a neck brace.

“She is special – she deals with me! She’s very understanding. She’s a good, fun chick! A great mother! Very responsible, much unlike me!

“I wasn’t naughty but I was a partier! She settled me down! Now she’s the one going out on a Saturday night!”

Patto and Katelyn have two beautiful children.

“Olive is two and a half. She’s a little version of me. She gets a bit more fun every day, and is a very strong willed lady!,” he said.

“Jasper is 10 months old. He’s a big boy! His personality is just like Katelyn, he smiles at everyone!”

While it was nerve-racking waiting for the birth of his first born, Patto says the second time round it was a little easier.

“I was there at the hospital, and the tennis was on. The Aussie John Millman was 2 sets-all with Roger Federer going in to the last set,” he said.

“I said to the young midwife, ‘Geez, if Millman wins it’ll be a night to remember, won’t it!’

“The young midwife got it. The older midwife wasn’t too impressed!”

Katelyn and Matt with their newborn son Jasper, born on January 22 this year. Picture: Emma Murray

In 2014, Patto rode a push bike 2,258km in 14 days from Alice Springs to Melbourne for charity, in one of the greatest acts in the history of Central Australia.

“Being involved with rugby I’d seen what the Starlight Foundation do for kids,” he said.

“I probably felt a sense of guilt that I’d survived that car crash without a scratch. I thought, I wanted to do something for Starlight. They are a tremendous organisation!

“We rode 200km on the first day to Erldanda. I had a support car behind me – it was slow going for them!

“That first day was really hard. It was August, but it was a scorching hot day.

“I thought … ‘Hell … well we got in to this, we gotta keep going now!”

On Sunday, August 10, Patto completed his 14-day, 2,258km journey, riding in to the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital.

“All the kids and parents were there to welcome me. It was pretty emotional! It put a lot in perspective! It’s the most rewarding thing I think I’ll ever get to do,” he said.

Matt on his charity bike ride. Picture: Supplied

Matt, third from left, with his dad Scott, far left, sister Bella, second from right, and wife Katelyn, far right, and the Starlight Foundation Crew at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne at the end of his charity bike ride. Picture: Supplied

In 2017 Patto ran for Alice Springs Town Council, and won!

“I thought I knew everything. Then you get on the council, and you’re with people like Rex Mooney, and you realise, ‘I don’t know everything, Rex knows everything!’,” he said.

Patto soon warmed to the task, and in 2018, at the age of just 27, became the Deputy Mayor of Alice Springs.

“It was a great honour to be named Deputy Mayor, and I really enjoy the experience of being on council,” he said.

This year Patto ran for Territory Alliance in the seat of Namatjira at the NT Election.

While ultimately not taking the seat, Patto’s primary vote was outstandingly high, when you consider he was running for a newly-minted third party.

“It was a good experience to get myself out there. Many hours of campaigning and door knocking!,” he said.

“I didn’t embarrass myself with the result, which was good!

“Two weeks after, Antony Green (ABC Election Guru) was tweeting that I could still win.

“It is what it is. Everything happens for a reason! I’ve enjoyed being back at council.”

The NT’s next local government elections are next year. Will Patto recontest?

“I’m thinking about it,” he said.

“It’s all about timing. (With) two young kids, I’m missing a lot of bed times, moments that I’m sure I’ll regret missing.

“It’s a long time away, I don’t know where I’ll be on it. I’ll keep thinking, and see where it sits.”

Matt as Deputy Mayor of Alice Springs, with Mayor Damien Ryan. Picture: Anthony Geppa

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Patto is passionately determined to help achieve a park with play equipment that is accessible for special needs children in Alice Springs.

“Alice only has one disability swing. We have all these other parks. When you see how much the Starlight Foundation can do, why can’t we do something?,” he said.

Patto has made a full proposal, and is hopeful it will soon bear fruit.

And he is optimistic about Alice overall.

“We face challenges that every other place faces. But we’re in a bubble here,” he said.

“There is tremendous opportunity in this town. The community vibe is so strong. I’m positive about Alice’s future.”

With people like Patto in the town, we can all be positive about Alice’s future.