Footy fever: Chris Butler, Leigh Matthews and Tony De Domenico at the UDIA luncheon last week.
Kim Waters
Football legend Leigh Matthews has put aside the business of real estate development to tip Geelong to win the 2010 AFL premiership.
The Hawthorn champion and flag-winning coach of Collingwood and Brisbane made the prediction last week before the Cats’ first-up narrow finals’ loss when he was guest speaker at a September Urban Development Institute of Australia luncheon.
Mr Matthews told the room of development and real estate industry professionals Geelong would be hard to beat if the Cats played at their best.
“I saw Geelong play the Bulldogs a few weeks ago and I’ve never seen a team play better,” Mr Matthews said.
“If they find that level during the finals then I’m not sure how anyone could beat them.
“It’s going to be a really, really exciting finals season.”
Football fever dominated the usually urban-development-focussed luncheon.
“It’s that time of the year when those with not even a remote interest in football take an interest,” Mr Matthews said.
“I’ve had a close association with the UDIA for most of this decade and I’m really pleased to be here talking about football.”
Development company directors, real estate agents, builders and affiliated industry professionals swamped the football great with questions at the end of his address.
One asked why the AFL was “beholden to the betting companies”, while another wanted to know how the pressures of drugs and alcohol affected players.
“One of the evolutions of the game is betting,” Mr Matthews said.
“The AFL has said it isn’t going to be able to stop this, so at least at the moment we’re in a partnership and can check on it. We can keep it official and control it and be aware of what money is being put on what.”
Mr Matthews lamented that the “old days of footy” had past when players could “have a drink to relax after a game”.
“We’ve gone from a time when footballers worked part of the week to a period where football is the player’s whole livelihood.
“There is much more pressure now because of that and more demands on the way they live their lives in public.”
