Matthew Primus
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | January 12, 1975 , |
| Recruited from | Grovedale/Norwood (SANFL) |
| Height and weight | 198 cm / 109 kg |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 1, March 30, 1996, Fitzroy vs. Hawthorn, at Western Oval |
| Team(s) | Fitzroy (1996) 20 games, 5 goals Port Adelaide (1997-2005) 137 games, 76 goals |
| ¹ Statistics to end of 2005 season | |
| Career highlights | |
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Matthew Richard Primus (born January 12, 1975) is a former Australian rules footballer and dual All-Australian ruckman.
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[edit] AFL career
Primus began his career with the Fitzroy Football Club in what was to be their final season in the AFL. At the end of the season, he was one of the Fitzroy players picked up by the Brisbane Lions (the result of a merger between Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears), but was immediately traded to Port Adelaide as an 'uncontracted player selection'.[1], the side that effectively replaced Fitzroy in the league.
After finishing 2nd in Fitzroy's 1996 Best and Fairest and 2nd in Port Adelaide's 1997 Best and Fairest, Primus had established himself as one of the game's top ruckmen, but his close losses in the Best and Fairest counts would be a pointer to the bad luck he would face later in his career. As his star rose as a player, Primus was also getting noticed off the field, being voted Cleo Magazine's "Most Eligible Bachelor" in 1998.
Primus was promoted to captain of the club in 2001, and received All-Australian selection in 2001 and 2002. However these would be the last years where Primus was a truly dominant ruckman. In 2003 he was hampered by hamstring and knee injuries, and only played 9 games. The worst was yet to come, however, and 2004 would be the ultimate heartbreak for Primus. In his return game in Round 3, he suffered an ACL rupture after his left knee bent the wrong way, requiring a knee reconstruction and putting him out of the game for the rest of the 2004 season. Warren Tredrea took over the captaincy, and after plenty of near-misses in the finals, Port Adelaide would go on to win the premiership that year, with Primus, one of the club's great servants, missing out on that glory as a captain and player.
In 2005 Primus made another return to the AFL. His form was not indicative of the Primus of old, however, and it seemed Port were playing Primus out of respect that he was the captain, when Dean Brogan was clearly the better-performed ruckman. Not only that, but Port Adelaide were not the same strong side they were just a year earlier. While they eventually had a few results go their way and managed to scrape into the finals, Primus injured his knee again in the final round of the home-and-away season. He was expected to miss the finals series at first, which was already a cruel blow (Port Adelaide were knocked out of the finals in the 2nd week), but later scans revealed that he would require a third knee reconstruction. After hearing this news, Primus considered his future, and with the likelihood that he would not be able to play until 2007, at the age of 30 he announced his retirement from AFL football.
[edit] Coaching
Primus has been the ruck coach at Port Adelaide since December 2005.[2]
[edit] Personal life
Primus married Melissa Tucker in January 2007 They have two daughters together, Skye Isabella (born April 2006) and Holly Jessica (born July 2007)
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
| Preceded by Warren Tredrea |
Port Adelaide Best and Fairest winner 2002 |
Succeeded by Gavin Wanganeen |
| Preceded by Gavin Wanganeen |
Port Adelaide Captain 2001-2005 |
Succeeded by Warren Tredrea |
