Matt Rendell

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Matthew Rendell (born 18 April 1959 in South Australia) is a South Australian born Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League and South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Rendell, standing at 200cm, was a ruckman who made his debut with the West Torrens Football Club in the SANFL in 1977 where he played 79 games. He left South Australia in 1981 to play with the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFL, wearing the No. 9 guernsey. In his time there he won the 1982 and 1983 best and fairest awards, and was appointed captain from 1985-1987. Rendell kicked 8 goals in a game against North Melbourne in 1983, which the Lions won by 150 points.

Despite this good form he played just one game with the Lions in 1988, the rest of the year spent in the reserves, which Rendell put down to a misunderstanding with coach David Parkin.

He retired at the end of 1991 after 164 games and 101 goals with Fitzroy. However he soon reversed that decision and moved to the Brisbane Bears, who persuaded him to continue playing. He did so in his final year in 1992, playing 13 games and booting 7 goals for the Bears before retiring for good.

Rendell was an assistant coach and match-day tactician with the St Kilda Football Club alongside Grant Thomas, until he was sacked at the end of 2006 with the appointment of Ross Lyon.

Rendell's brother Tim was a promising ruckman who also played for West Torrens and was recruited by Fitzroy but did not play a game due to chronic injury.