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Matthew Knights
Knights with Geelong in April 2019
Personal information
Full name Matthew Knights
Date of birth (1970-10-05) 5 October 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth Mildura, Victoria
Original team(s) Merbein, Mildura Imperials
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 79 kg (174 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1988–2002 Richmond 279 (141)
Coaching career
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2008–2010 Essendon 67 (25–41–1)
2022 West Coast 1 (0–1–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2010.
Career highlights


Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Matthew Knights (born 5 October 1970) is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the West Coast Eagles.[1] Knights played in the midfield for the Richmond Football Club from 1988 to 2002, before going on to forge a coaching career, most notably as head coach of the Essendon Football Club from 2008 to 2010. He later became the head coach of the Geelong VFL Football Club from 2012 to 2014, guiding the Cats to the 2012 VFL Premiership and the 2013 VFL Grand Final.

Playing career

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Knights wore the number 33 guernsey in 279 games between 1988 and 2002 for the Tigers whom he captained between 1997 and 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 spatial 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 tied for fourth place in the Brownlow Medal count of 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 (despite this, Richmond went on to finish the season as preliminary finalists). 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.

Coaching career

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Early career

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Knights was quickly recruited as assistant coach for the SANFL Port Adelaide Magpies and replaced Stephen Williams as senior 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 become the senior coach the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL, while also acting as an assistant coach with the Essendon Football Club in the AFL for the 2007 season.[2]

Essendon Football Club senior coach

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In July 2007, Essendon announced that long-standing senior coach Kevin Sheedy would be replaced at the end of the 2007 AFL season[3] and in September 2007, Knights was appointed as the club's new senior coach.[4][5][2]

In 2009, Knights coached Essendon to its first finals series since 2004, but the team was soundly beaten by Adelaide in the elimination final.[6]

In the 2010 season, Essendon won seven games and failed to make the finals.[7] Criticism of Knights coaching performance increased during the season.[8] On 12 August 2010, Essendon's CEO Ian Robson stated that Knights would continue as senior coach in 2011,[9] but he was, nonetheless, sacked two weeks later on the day after Essendon's final round loss to the Western Bulldogs.[10] He had two years remaining on his contract. Essendon won 25, drew one and lost 41 matches under Knights, during which they enjoyed three consecutive victories against Alastair Clarkson and the Hawthorn Football Club.[6][11] Knights was replaced by James Hird as Essendon Football Club senior coach.

Other coaching roles

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For the 2011 season, Knights worked with the Xavier College football team in Kew.

During the 2012 season Knights was coach of the Geelong VFL Football Club. He coached the team to the 2012 VFL premiership.[12] In 2015, he was promoted to midfields coach.

On 13 September 2021, Knights left Geelong, and was hired by the West Coast Eagles as midfields coach.[13]

Statistics

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Playing statistics

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[14]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1988 Richmond 33 4 3 8 42 21 63 17 4 0.8 2.0 10.5 5.3 15.8 4.3 1.0 0
1989 Richmond 33 19 9 8 192 147 339 47 32 0.5 0.4 10.1 7.7 17.8 2.5 1.7 4
1990 Richmond 33 22 19 7 348 203 551 63 52 0.9 0.3 15.8 9.2 25.0 2.9 2.4 3
1991 Richmond 33 22 16 11 317 218 535 81 34 0.7 0.5 14.4 9.9 24.3 3.7 1.5 17
1992 Richmond 33 22 16 12 289 225 514 67 34 0.7 0.5 13.1 10.2 23.4 3.0 1.5 5
1993 Richmond 33 20 11 15 290 216 506 65 44 0.6 0.8 14.5 10.8 25.3 3.3 2.2 13
1994 Richmond 33 20 14 11 221 162 383 49 42 0.7 0.6 11.1 8.1 19.2 2.5 2.1 8
1995 Richmond 33 24 12 7 306 222 528 53 72 0.5 0.3 12.8 9.3 22.0 2.2 3.0 16
1996 Richmond 33 10 1 3 87 66 153 36 24 0.1 0.3 8.7 6.6 15.3 3.6 2.4 0
1997 Richmond 33 11 2 4 129 87 216 34 22 0.2 0.4 11.7 7.9 19.6 3.1 2.0 8
1998 Richmond 33 20 6 4 289 229 518 56 61 0.3 0.2 14.5 11.5 25.9 2.8 3.1 18
1999 Richmond 33 22 5 4 254 210 464 55 44 0.2 0.2 11.5 9.5 21.1 2.5 2.0 6
2000 Richmond 33 22 11 6 240 212 452 82 52 0.5 0.3 10.9 9.6 20.5 3.7 2.4 9
2001 Richmond 33 25 12 9 234 230 464 75 65 0.5 0.4 9.4 9.2 18.6 3.0 2.6 7
2002 Richmond 33 16 4 2 118 134 252 44 31 0.3 0.1 7.4 8.4 15.8 2.8 1.9 0
Career 279 141 111 3356 2582 5938 824 613 0.5 0.4 12.0 9.3 21.3 3.0 2.2 114

Coaching statistics

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[15]
Legend
 W  Wins  L  Losses  D  Draws  W%  Winning percentage  LP  Ladder position  LT  League teams
Season Team Games W L D W % LP LT
2008 Essendon 22 8 14 0 36.4% 12 16
2009 Essendon 23 10 12 1 45.7% 8 16
2010 Essendon 22 7 15 0 31.8% 14 16
Career totals 67 25 41 1 38.1%

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Matthew Knights – Midfield Coach".
  2. ^ a b "Matthew Knights named as Essendon coach". 26 September 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ Baynes, Dan (25 July 2007). "Essendon Fires Sheedy After Record 27 Years as Coach". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Knights to steer Bombers". Brisbane Times. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  5. ^ "Knights lands Bombers job". ABC News. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b Brodie, Will (30 August 2010). "Sacked Bomber coach Knights bites his tongue". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  7. ^ Matthews, Leigh (1 September 2010). "Bombers' 'perfect storm'". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Knights unfazed by looming criticism". ABC Grandstand. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  9. ^ Ralph, Jon (12 August 2010). "Essendon boss Ian Robson vows Matthew Knights will fight on despite changes". Herald Sun. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  10. ^ Wilson, Caroline (29 August 2010). "Matthew Knights sacked". The Age. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  11. ^ Matthew Knights Coaching Record, AFL Tables
  12. ^ Wojcinski's perfect exit as Cats claim VFL flag – AFL.com.au
  13. ^ Long-time Cats coach, Power assistant join Eagles – AFL.com.au
  14. ^ Matthew Knights' player profile at AFL Tables
  15. ^ "AFL Tables – Matthew Knights – Coaching Record". afltables.com.
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