Matthew Knights

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**Matthew Knights**
Personal Info
Birth	5 October 1970, {{{birthplace}}}
Recruited from	Merbein
Playing Career¹
Debut	1988, Richmond vs. , at
Team(s)	Richmond 1988-2002 279 Games, 141 Goals
Coaching Career¹
Team(s)	Port Adelaide Magpies (2004) 20 Games, 7 Wins, 13 Loses, Bendigo Bombers (2005-) 18 Games, 11 Wins, 7 Loses, TOTAL 38 Games, 18 Wins, 20 Loses
¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season
Career Highlights
All-Australian 1998 Jack Dyer Medal 1990, 1992 Richmond Football Club Team of The Century Youngest player ever to win Best & Fairest at the Richmond Football Club 1988 Richmond U19 Captain

Matthew Knights (b. 5 October 1970) was a football player with Richmond Football Club

Knights wore the number 33 guernsey in 279 games between 1988-2002 for the tigers whom he captained between 1997-2000. Playing in Richmond's midfield for the majority of his career, Knights was known for his ball winning ability if not his athleticism. Gifted with excellent "vision" or spacial awareness, and consistently reliable delivery from his left boot, given time and space Knights was one of the most damaging midfielders in the AFL throughout the 90s.

Though rewarded with numerous individual honors playing in a mediocre team, Knights made only two appearances with the tigers in the AFL Finals Series in 1995 and 2001. He was placed top four in the team's annual best and fairest vote seven times between 1990 and 2000 and equal second in the Brownlow Medal count for 1995.

Knights' career was interrupted by a serious ankle injury in Round 2 of 1996 and a knee injury in the pre-season Ansett Cup competition in 1997. Late in 1998 he became one of the first high-profile AFL players to be diagnosed with the debilitating groin condition Osteitis pubis, which dogged him through much of the remainder of his career. His courage in leading his team despite these set-backs made him much admired by his team's supporters and his removal as captain just before the beginning of the 2001 season caused much controversy. In Round 2 he was the centre of a further public controversy when struck behind play by Western Bulldogs player Tony Liberatore, who was suspended for five matches as a result. Inability to maintain high expectations saw Knights' retirement as a player towards the end of the 2002 season.

Knights was quickly recruited as assistant coach for the SANFL Port Adelaide Magpies and replaced Stephen Williams as head coach the following year. Having played a major role in restructuring the club's playing list, but without having reached the finals, he resigned at the end of 2004 by mutual consent to coach the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL, while also acting as a development coach with the Essendon Football Club in the AFL.