Delisted Matt Eagles (2016-2020)

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Matt Eagles and Mitch Hinge re-sign for 2019
Two rookies will return for the Brisbane Lions in 2019 with Matt Eagles and Mitchell Hinge signing on again as Category B and A rookies respectively.

For Eagles, signing on for a third year at the Lions was a no-brainer. “When the Club said they wanted to extend my contract for another year, it was overwhelming,” Eagles told lions.com.au. “I’m obviously really happy and I look forward to putting in more hard work.”

Eagles landed at the Gabba for the 2016 pre-season after winning Foxtel’s reality program The Recruit. In 2017 he dominated in the backline in the Lions NEAFL side and was an important member of their premiership-winning team that year.

In Round 7 against Collingwood this year, Eagles made his long-awaited AFL debut at 28 years of age. He played in the Lions' Round 9 victory over Hawthorn and kicked his first goal to the jubilation of his teammates. The defender’s season was cut short in the Round 10 loss to Sydney after he suffered an abdominal injury. Eagles had groin reconstruction surgery but will be fit for the 2019 season.

General Manager of Football David Noble praised Eagles’ hard work ethic. “Matt has continued to improve and his strong performance at AFL level made it an easy decision to offer him a contract,” he said. “He’s a really popular player amongst the group with a great work ethic to match.”
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Player Reviews: Ballenden, Lyons, Payne and Eagles
#41 - Matt Eagles
Matt Eagles was one of the feel-good stories of the 2018 AFL season. It seemed incredible that Eagles, winner of the reality TV show ‘The Recruit’ in 2016, would go on to spend more than a year on the Lions’ list. After an exceptional season in the NEAFL in 2017, Eagles earned a one-year contract extension and began his push to make his AFL debut.

While he missed a chunk of pre-season due to injury, it took just four NEAFL matches for Eagles to prove his mettle and get the call up to make his Senior debut. What impressed the coaches was his remarkable intercept marking ability and aggression around the contest.

Senior Coach Chris Fagan was amazed by the progress Eagles had made. “He’s come a long, long way. It’s a great story,” Fagan said. “The dream has come true for him. It’s come true because he’s worked hard.’’

He performed well in his first match against Collingwood and kept his spot for the Lions’ next three matches. The highlight of his season was the Round 9 victory over Hawthorn, where he kicked his first goal and enjoyed his first Gatorade shower alongside Luke Hodge, Charlie Cameron, Oscar McInerney, Cam Rayner and Zac Bailey.

An abdominal injury sustained in Round 11 against North Melbourne, which required a groin reconstruction, unfortunately cut his season short. Despite the injury, Fagan and General Manager of Football David Noble saw enough in his four Senior appearances to offer him another one-year contract for 2019. He has progressed well in his rehab and is on track to take part in the Lions' full pre-season training schedule ahead of the 2019 season.

Senior matches: 4, NEAFL matches: 4
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Matt Eagles: 'Living my dream' (Anthony Alsop)
If Matt Eagles’ first season of playing at Senior level in 2018 was going to script as he kicked the first goal of his career in Round 9’s big win against Hawthorn, he was hardly to know he was about to be written out of his starring role.

Eagles, recruited as a Category B Rookie from the TV show ‘The Recruit’ at the end of the 2016 season, was elevated off the Rookie List for his debut in Round 7 against Collingwood, but was struck down with a season-ending injury just three games later against Sydney.

“I went to snap kick it out of the 50 and got tackled as I kicked it, so when I landed, I did the splits. Doing the splits for me normally is bad, but you put somebody on top of me, I felt it then I was like, ‘oh it’s pretty bad’,” Eagles told lions.com.au. “I was struggling to walk but my teammates were yelling at me because my guy went to get the ball. I just said, ‘I can’t’. I had to gut run over to get the ball and luckily enough I got a stoppage, so I just went off.”

What Eagles knew to be bad ended up being a torn abductor tendon, which eventually put the defender out for the remainder of the 2018 season. From reality television, to winning a NEAFL premiership and making his AFL debut all within 18 months, the injury gave him the chance to slow down and reflect on his debut season at AFL level.

“It was definitely an amazing year, but it had its lows as well," Eagles said. "I debuted, then had a bit of a stinker in the Bulldogs game going in too confident, then in the Hawks game we got the win and I got my first goal, and the Sydney game I felt like I was building into a really good game then that happened. “I played AFL, I want to play more. It’s been crazy, it’s been good, I will look back at it always.”

It was almost the year that never was, as he went into an end of season meeting in 2017 thinking he was going to be delisted. “I went into the meeting after a few of the other boys and they told me in the car park ‘I just got delisted’ I thought, oh that’s not good,” Eagles said. “It was the day after we won the NEAFL flag so we had Mad Monday, a big night Monday and Tuesday morning ‘Fages’ rings up in the morning and says ‘Can you come in?’

"I spoke to the lads in the car park who said they were getting delisted. I thought oh no, well it was a good year while it lasted. “I went in there and sat down and told them not to beat around the bush just tell me, I’m fine with it you don’t have to sugar coat it. "They said no, we’re actually really happy with the year and want to keep you on. We’re really excited about what you bring to the Club, after that I was just went silent, like ok, you guys can keep talking," Eagles joked. “It was a big relief and good to get something out of the hard work for the year.”

The energetic and bubbly big man has never been short on confidence, but he now looks back on a conversation with Chris Fagan in his first season which he may have gone in over-confident. "I went up to Fages in my first year and said can I play in one of the JLT games? and he said, ‘To be serious, you’re not ready for it’,” Eagles said. “I thought I was ready back then, but now I’m really glad he did that because I would have made an arse out of myself. “I had to put my trust in everyone, the coaches and all, but it worked out well. Fages is straight down the line with me. "At the time I was a bit pissed off, I thought, ‘Oh whatever’, but I didn’t come to the Club with an arrogance or have expectations, I just thought I’d worked my arse off.”

That hard work is currently being channelled into the gym and rehab as he looks to break back into the team for 2019. “I want to get my body right first, which has been a struggle this pre-season and off-season, but the medical team are really confident I’ll be there,” Eagles said. “The backline is looking good, we added Marcus Adams. Jack Payne should be right too, there’s a lot of competition for spots. "It puts everyone under the pump for spots, I like that. "It just shows that if you’re playing, you've worked really hard.”

And while he may lack experience on-field, the soon to be 29-year-old has quickly become a veteran voice for a young playing list, having recently lived with young defender Jack Payne and rookie Ely Smith. “It was good living with the young fellas, I got something out of it because I like to help people," Eagles said. "I felt like they were my little brothers, just to help them out. I didn’t have Ely for long, but he’s a good lad, a country lad,” Eagles said.

Little did he know, despite their near 11-year age difference, Eagles had faced his new housemate on-field two years earlier. “Ely actually played a game on ‘The Recruit’ against me," Eagles said. "He was a top up for the GWS team, he played in their academy. I didn’t know that and then when I went to introduce myself he said, ‘Oh we played a game on ‘The Recruit’.”

While being on the comeback trail to full fitness, purchasing a new home, and trying to cement himself a spot in a much-improved Lions backline, the former labourer knows these are only small concerns. If he’s ever asked if he has to still pinch himself that he’s playing AFL football, Eagles says he is simply “Living the dream”.

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Q&A — MATT EAGLES (Katie de Haer)
Matt Eagles’ pathway to football was far from conventional. The winner of Foxtel’s reality TV program, The Recruit, Eagles landed a spot on the Brisbane Lions’ list as a Category B rookie in late 2016. He made his debut as a 28-year-old last season, but, what’s next for the defender?

Your football story is quite different to others — you won a reality show (The Recruit) and got a spot on the Lions’ list as a rookie in late 2016. How do you reflect on that time and how much did the show prepare you for what was to come?

I would say that The Recruit gave me a good foot in the door and an insight into what to expect. Obviously they could only do so much with the time that we were on there, but it was really good to see how AFL players eat, how they train, the role of the media — everything. It was an unreal experience that I’m really grateful for. I guess it’s (being on an AFL list) is everything I expected and more. I knew it was going to be hard, but it’s been good fun as well, I’ve loved every moment of it. It’s the best job in the world.

Do you think that your particular pathway to AFL makes your experience different from the other guys? Do you feel like you have something to prove?

Johann (Wagner), the guy that won The Recruit before me, struggled a lot. I can see how it gets perceived as a bit of a novelty — you’re only there because you won a TV show. I tried my best to prove myself through the NEAFL. I hated that persona, I hated that people thought I was only there because of a show. I was constantly trying to prove people wrong. It made it enjoyable for me because I liked the challenge — I loved it.

You spent the first year of your AFL career playing in the Lions’ premiership-winning NEAFL side. How was that, and was it frustrating having to wait to for senior selection?

Not at all. That was the first premiership I’d ever played in, and it’s something that I will be able to look back on. The team we had that year, all the boys were great, we built a real connection. Footy was just fun — I felt like it wasn’t our work or job. It made football enjoyable. Early on (in my time at the Lions) I felt I may have been ready for a debut, but Fages (Chris Fagan) was really good and didn’t make me look stupid by going out there before I was ready. He kept me grounded and when I was ready, I was ready.

You eventually made your AFL debut last season, at the age of 28. What do you remember about your first game?

I just remember having mum and nanna up in the locker room pre-game. I remember the first quarter running around, nervous as hell, thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ I was so puffed out because I was nervous, running around with my head cut off. After the first quarter, I settled into it. It felt natural. Getting over that first quarter and those first nerves, worrying about everything else when I should have been just playing footy.

You managed to string a sequence of games together last year until injury ended your season. You signed a contract extension in September. How’s the body holding up?

I signed a contract last year after I tore my abductor. The club were really good while I was going through rehab for the injury, but I was always second guessing myself. I was worried because I’d just started playing footy and it could have been over because of an injury. The club did a really good job of reassuring me that I had a lot more footy to play ahead of me. The strength and conditioning team and the physios have helped me get my body back to 100 percent, though I have had a few little hiccups along the way — but that’s expected when you’re an old bloke like me.

Where do you think your best playing position is? What areas are you looking to work on in 2019?

I love playing in the backline. I’ve really enjoyed my time back there. I love being a lock down defender and making forwards drop hard, but I love kicking goals as well and being around the footy in the ruck. I want to be a versatile footballer, I’ll try to play anywhere I can but I love playing down back. Being out for so long with the injury, working on my confidence again (will be important), and in a way I feel like I’m starting from scratch again. It’s strange, having an injury that sets you back, it’s kind of draining mentally as well. I’ll be putting in the hours in the craft room and getting back to where I was, developing from there and getting better. I want to work on my contested stuff in the air as well — like Jeremy McGovern and Harris Andrews.

What were you doing before football? Have your pre-AFL experiences impacted on the decisions that you make now?

I’ve had a different pathway and I’ve been lucky enough to work a few jobs before playing AFL. Whether that was my own business or working in the mines, I’ve done all sorts of stuff. But I’m really grateful because now I know what it’s like working in the real world. Playing footy, I know everyone says it’s the best job in the world, but I actually know what an amazing opportunity it is to do something that you love and get paid for it.

There are plenty of mature-age guys all around the country who have been overlooked by AFL recruiters but are still determined to make it to the most senior level. Do you have any advice for them?

Work your butt off, I guess. I always get asked that and I never know what to say. I probably got told a bit when I was younger that I would make it. But, if I could go back in time, I would pull my finger out and actually do the hard work back then, instead of waiting for it to happen.

Thanks for your time.

No worries!
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The tastiest players in the AFL
Lions: Matt Eagles
I can’t wait to finally see the Apprentice back on the field!

I was one who expected almost nothing from Eagles when he joined Brisbane, and not only was I wrong, but he turned out to be pretty decent in his four games so far – 22 disposals, including 11 in his debut against Collingwood last year and a goal against the Hawks, before getting hurt in his fourth game in Round 10.
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And was reportedly close to our best in the game against Casey Demons. Should find his way back into the team when we have an injury or two.
 
WhiteLionFeva said:
And was reportedly close to our best in the game against Casey Demons. Should find his way back into the team when we have an injury or two.
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I saw him up close against Casey and he was easily the best for mine.

He's certainly a ready made replacement in the event one of our KPD goes down with injury god forbid and will go close to forcing his way in if Gardiner, Walker or Adams aren't performing.
 
The unseen: Who is yet to play senior footy at your club in 2019?
Matt Eagles: Another strong NEAFL season for Eagles, but he's caught behind Darcy Gardiner, Marcus Adams and Ryan Lester as hybrid defenders. Out of contract and a tough decision coming for the club.

Who might play in 2019? With a reliable squad of 28-30 players to choose from, injury is the only avenue for any of the above to get a call-up. Lyons, Skinner and Berry are the most likely candidates if injury should strike.
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Ruling on The Recruit
Brisbane has had some success with its application to retain defender Matt Eagles as a Category B rookie for a fourth year in 2020.

The Lions will risk losing the 29-year-old by delisting him then re-drafting him as a rookie, but the AFL will allow them to again classify him as a Category B player if no other club picks him.

AFL rules typically allow players to maintain that status for a maximum of three years, but AFL.com.au reported in August the Lions felt Eagles was an exceptional case because of his circumstances.

The 2016 winner of Fox Footy's The Recruit defied expectations to make four senior appearances last year and is a consistently strong NEAFL performer.

Eagles received the Andrew Ireland Medal as the best player afield in this year's NEAFL Grand Final, two seasons after a similarly excellent display in the decider.

Brisbane football boss David Noble told AFL.com.au: "We're a little bit disappointed we can't just retain him, but we understand the process." – Marc McGowan




www.afl.com.au

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It would seem to me that if the Lions delist Matt with the intent of re-contracting him it would be unlikely that another club would jump in and take him...29 years old with 4 games under his belt.
 
He's been pretty solid across the backline of the NEAFL team but from everything I've read about him, he's a super chill and ripper of a bloke to be about as well. I hope he's been working on something on the side of playing footy that's still AFL management related, because if the club is this keen to keep him as a player, it could well turn into something of a job after the footy boots get hung up. A great fit for our club culture.
 
T Rick said:
It would seem to me that if the Lions delist Matt with the intent of re-contracting him it would be unlikely that another club would jump in and take him...29 years old with 4 games under his belt.
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Wouldnt discount the Suns trying to Rookie him with their new expanded list space.
 
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