Footy’s a family affair
MATTHEW McMahon joined rare company on Wednesday night by becoming only the fourth back-to-back Mathieson medallist in GFL history. It was the ballwinner’s fifth top-three finish in the past six seasons.
McMahon’s second league medal, however, has coincided with a new family dynamic after wife Maddy McMahon ignited a football career of her own with the Geelong Cats.
As she embarks on a preliminary final with the VFLW team tomorrow, we talked family, football and Mathieson Medals with one of the GFL’s most respected players.
DAMIEN RACTLIFFE: Congratulations on a second league medal after three topthree finishes. Where does 2018 stack up compared with last year and seasons prior? MATT McMAHON: If I look back on both years, I think I had a much better year this year than what I did last year. But a lot of it probably comes down to enjoying my football more. Last year we had a really young group and a lot of the time I found out on the ground I was almost coaching the young guys rather than worry- ing about my own football. This year we’ve got a few more experienced players and you can just let the team go about their business and worry about your own football, which is sometimes the most important thing. That’s why I enjoyed this year so much. DR: Do you take any extra pride in your fifth topthree finish in six years? MM: Something that I really pride myself on is consistency, so I guess it’s a good indication of that. But nights like tonight, I enjoy them when they come, but it seems to bring a lot of enjoyment to other people rather than myself, which is really nice to see. For example, I see our head fitness trainer Lenny Alford, who’s been struggling all year with illness. To see him have a smile on his face, that’s what brings me enjoyment, not the actual fact I’ve won it. A lot of that comes from other people, rather than myself, but as these awards come along, there’ll come a time when you reflect on them and you’ll be really proud of yourself. But right now, not really, it’s more the enjoyment that other people get. DR: Your family circumstances have clearly changed with Maddy starting a football career of her own. How are you guys handling that? MM: It was a bit of a shock to the system. Obviously when it all came along, a lot of people knew she was good enough to be playing football. I was pushing that a lot and I’m still really happy she’s doing it, but I didn’t actually realise how hard it would be for the family dynamic. But I wouldn’t have it any other way as well. I’m really proud of what she’s been able to achieve. With us having three kids, that’s hard enough just doing that, let alone being able to play at a really high standard of sport, let alone football where I reckon it’s probably a bit more strenuous than most sports. It’s probably one of the things I’m most proud of, is her just being able to play football at a really high level. DR: Is there any envy that Maddy is playing finals with the Cats? MM: I haven’t even thought of it that way, I’ve just enjoyed it. On the weekend I said to a few people, in the last quarter it was a pretty close game and I was getting really involved in it. I probably haven’t been like that for most of the games during the year, but probably be- cause it’s finals football, it’s something that comes natural. I guess I am envious now that you say it, but more so I’m really excited by it. DR: Have you spoken with Maddy about playing AFLW and how that might affect the family dynamic? MM: We’ve spoken about it and it’s probably something we’ve had to speak about. I’d love her to be able to do it, it would be something I’d absol- utely love. Hopefully that comes her way in the next few weeks, who knows what happens, but that would be unbeliev- able. I’m just really proud of what she does right now, let alone to take it even further would be unbelievable. DR: What does next year look like for Newtown & Chilwell. Can you take the team back into finals in 2019? MM: As you get older you probably get a bit wiser. When you’re younger I think you worry about your own game more than anything. Now my sole focus is just about the team and where we’re heading and I’m really confident under ‘Macca’ (coach Damien McMahon) we’re heading in the right direction. I couldn’t be more confident we are. The feeling we had at the end of this year, when we were playing the style we wanted to and we were near unstoppable against sides, that’s what I’m chasing and I know the group’s chasing that. That’s really exciting going into next year. There’s every chance you might add a couple of players to that, but you keep developing the players you’ve got and it’s a really exciting place to be. We don’t need too much I think, because the players have found our brand and style of football; that’s what I’m most excited about.