Former SANFL player Mathew Vidic jailed for threatening ex-wife with petrol can and lighter

He was once a sporting star at a well known SANFL club. Now this man is behind bars after holding a petrol can and lighter to his ex-wife’s head.

Vidic with his then-wife Julia at Minda’s 110th birthday gala dinner at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in 2008.

A father of two and privately educated former SANFL star who held a petrol can over his wife’s head and threatened to burn her alive will spend at least two years behind bars.

In the South Australian District Court late on Wednesday afternoon, Judge Rauf Soulio jailed Mathew Vidic, 42, for his vile domestic abuse of his wife and mother of his children.

Vidic pleaded guilty to one count each of threatening to harm and threatening to kill after his wife recorded him as he repeatedly told her he would burn her alive in their Mitcham home last year.

He had on another occasion taken her phone, garage remote and keys to prevent her leaving.

In her victim impact statement in August, Ms Vidic’s ex-wife, Julia Hodge – a teacher, mother and champion marathon runner – said those incidents were just parts of a “pattern” of abuse.

She said they were preceded by Vidic threatening to kill the family dog with a knife, and by him stealing her passport to prevent her competing overseas.

The crimes were followed, she said, by him repeatedly calling her from prison after his arrest.

In sentencing, Judge Soulio said Vidic had told his wife of 16 years that if he couldn’t keep her through love, he would keep her through fear.

Footballer Mathew Vidic at a Norwood vs Sturt match in May 2003.

Vidic will remain behind bars until at least August 2025.

In June 2023, while his children were at a friend’s home, Ms Hodge pretended to be asleep as Vidic emerged in the bedroom holding a jerry can full of fuel and a lighter in his hand.

Ms Hodge, however, recorded the audio of the interaction on her phone.

“You said ‘if you want to pretend you’re asleep, we’ll find out if you’re asleep or not.’ You walked out of the room and returned with a jerry can and a cigarette lighter. You held the jerry can towards her, flicking the lighter,” Judge Soulio said.

“You said ‘today’s the day, it’s your last day’. She asked, in fear, if you intended to kill her, and you said ‘I think we go together’. She was in great fear and she believed you would kill her.

“The lid was off the jerry can and there was fuel spilt on the floor near her bedside table. She apologised to you and endeavoured to do anything that might encourage you to put the can of petrol down.

“You said ‘you’re sorry because I’ve got a can of f***ing petrol next to your f***ing head and I’m about to set you on fire.’”

When he left the room, she left the house and sought help from the neighbours who called emergency services.

Vidic was arrested just before midnight, with a lighter found in his pocket and the fuel found in the bedroom.

Judge Soulio said that Vidic was in a cycle of generational trauma, telling the court his mother had killed his father when he was a young boy.

He said Vidic had written a letter of apology to his former wife, which displayed his remorse.

Judge Soulio jailed him for four years and four months, with a non parole period of two years and two months.

That sentence was backdated to June last year, meaning Vidic will be eligible for parole in August 2025.

Originally published as Former SANFL player Mathew Vidic jailed for threatening ex-wife with petrol can and lighter