M. Goodyear. Let’s Hope It Is.

When I was ten, my teacher was Ms Glassey. She was possibly the best teacher I’ve ever had, nice, kind and gentle. In 3/4 G, we’d talk about footy and fraction addition in the same sentence.

It was about mid-year when Ms Glassey suggested that her son Matt, who at that time was around 15 or 16 years old, come in with some of his mates to run a footy clinic. From memory, Matty and his mates already owned Australian AFL jumpers.

Matt is 18 now, and might be drafted this year. He’s described as a “extremely athletic medium midfielder with elite speed and endurance … his drive and rebound from half back as well as through the midfield often breaks the game open”.

He played for Vic Metro this year as well as the Calder Cannons. He is one of a wide pool of players who have been drafted from the Macedon Ranges in the last few years; Jono O’Rourke (GWS, Gisborne), Lachie Plowman (GWS, Macedon) and Daniel Markworth (STK, Macedon). Matty and Romsey’s Jay Lever will hopefully join that list.

Another Matt, ex-swan Matty Dick, was my house captain when I was in year 5. I remember parading around after doing my 800 metre run at athletics day with my red ribbon sticking out on my yellow “Darling Devils” T-shirt. I high-fived Matty and gave him a red-fizzy fueled salute.

“Cap’n!”

“Grindlay”.

“Kill ’em in the 1500!”

“Yep. Nice run.”

*wild grin*

“Thanks!”

Matty, as you’d expect, killed ’em in the 1500. Then blitzed everyone else in every other event. I remember this because my 11 year old mind was astounded. This guy was burning everyone and not even sweating!

Matty was given a wild round of applause at an end-of-year donut party. I found out he was to be an AFL player that day and hoped he could be in a yellow sash next year.

Matt was following in the footsteps of Daniel Markworth, who’d been a Darling House future footballer a year beforehand. He was currently recuperating after a knee reconstruction, and has not yet made his debut due to a luckless run with injury.

I remember when I met Matty Goodyear in 2011, and noticed how he accepted his AFL awesomeness with ease. Like he’d just been picked in his school team. 3 years later, I remember how Ms Glassey was excited for his future, and hope that a draft pick to his name and a brand new club will be the first step towards a bright career.