Matthew Whelan
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| Personal information | |
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| Birth | November 1, 1976 , |
| Recruited from | Darwin Buffaloes (NT), Woodville-West Torrens (SA) |
| Height and weight | 180cm / 80kg |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 4, April 2, 1997, Melbourne Demons vs. St Kilda Saints, at Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| Team(s) | Melbourne Demons (1996-)
256 Games, 98 Goals |
| ¹ Statistics to end of Round 13, 2007 season | |
| Career highlights | |
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Matthew Whelan (born November 1, 1976) is an indigenous Australian rules football player.
Whelan is originally from Darwin in the Northern Territory, where he played rugby league at junior levels.
Wearing the number 45 jersey, Whelan is a reliable defender/back pocket known by Demons fans simply as the "Wheels".
He is also nicknamed "the Wrecker" (after Whelan the Wrecker) for his big hits (often on big name players) and tough and uncompromisingly defensive style of play.
His tackling style, to drop the shoulder, results in spectacular, almost spear tackle like throws of opponents.
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[edit] Incidents
[edit] Shane Crawford incident
In a rare report for rough play in 2003 for what appeared to be a dangerous throw on Shane Crawford he was later cleared by the tribunal of any infringement.[1]
[edit] James Hird incident
During the 2004 AFL Finals Series, Melbourne were drawn to play most-hated rivals Essendon. With about 5 minutes to go in the first half, and with Melbourne in trouble, Whelan knocked James Hird unconscious in a strong shirtfront, regathered the ball and fed it off to Travis Johnstone who finished off the play with a goal to bring up double figures for the Demons. A Video of the hit can be seen here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4prxr0OaEU
[edit] Nathan Brown incident
During the final quarter of the Melbourne v Richmond game on May 27, 2005, Richmond attacked in their 50 when Whelan came from nowhere to smother Nathan G. Brown's kick. Because Brown was kicking with his left boot Whelan landed on his right foot, and, in front of horrified Friday Night Football viewers, broke his leg. Replays were constantly played on the news, including Sports Tonight and FOX Sports News. Whelan said that he had felt guilty, given the seriousness of Brown's injury. Brown sat out the rest of the season, and has had re-occurring leg-related injuries ever since.
[edit] Luke Ball incident
During the 2007 season opener against St Kilda, while shepherding a teammate, Whelan turned his back, colliding solidly with Luke Ball. The severe collision injured both players, resulting in both coming off the ground, with the back of Whelan's head lacerating Ball's forehead. Ball was carried off the ground with a laceration to his head, although both players later returned to play out the game. Whelan was charged for rough play based on the video. The charge, however, was later dropped as the high contact was ruled as an accidental clash of heads, while Ball continued a slow recovery from the injury.[2]
[edit] Brendan Fevola incident
In round 5 of the 2008 season, Whelan was reported for striking Carlton's full-forward Brendon Fevola. He was offered a 2 week suspension by the AFL. But an early-guilty plea reduced this to just one week.
[edit] 2006 Season
Whelan has had a stellar season in 2006, marred only by minor injuries to his calf and hamstring.he kicked a career high 4 goals in round 5
His 2007 season saw him play just a handful of games due to injury.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Matthew Whelan profile on the Official AFL Website of the Melbourne Football Club
- Matthew Whelan's statistics from AFL Tables
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