Matt Priddis

Matthew Harley "Matt" Priddis (born 21 March 1985) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Prior to being drafted, Priddis won two premierships with the Subiaco Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and also won the 2006 Sandover Medal as the league's best player. An inside midfielder, he debuted for West Coast during the 2006 season, becoming a regular in the team the following season. Priddis won the John Worsfold Medal as West Coast's best and fairest player at the end of the 2013 season, having previously been runner-up in the award in 2010 and 2011.

An acting co-captain of the club during the 2014 season, following Darren Glass's retirement, Priddis was awarded the Brownlow Medal as the competition's best and fairest player at the end of the season.

Priddis holds the record for most career tackles in the AFL, with 1502.

Priddis was raised in Manjimup, a country town in Western Australia's south-west region, but moved to Perth, the state's capital, as a teenager, playing at junior level for Sorrento–Duncraig. He represented Western Australia at both under-16 and under-18 level, and made his senior debut for Subiaco in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) in 2003, playing two games early in the season. Priddis became a regular in Subiaco's senior side during the 2004 season. He played 21 games, including Subiaco's win over Claremont in the grand final, and was named the WAFL's Rising Star at the end of the season. At the end of the season, he was offered a well-paid contract in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), but turned it down on the advice of Subiaco's coach, Peter German. During the 2005 season, Priddis won Subiaco's best and fairest award, the Tom Outridge Medal, as well as winning the Simpson Medal as Western Australia's best player in the state game against Queensland. He was subsequently selected by West Coast with the 31st pick in the 2006 Rookie Draft (held at the end of the 2005 season). He had been overlooked at three previous national drafts.

Priddis made his AFL debut for West Coast midway through the 2006 season, aged 21, recording 19 disposals and five tackles against Geelong. He played one further AFL game during the season, against Port Adelaide, spending the remainder of the season in the WAFL. Priddis averaged over 31 disposals per game at WAFL level, playing in a second premiership for Subiaco, and at the end of the season won the Sandover Medal with 58 votes, a competition record (since equalled by Kane Mitchell in 2012).

Having been upgraded to West Coast's senior list for the 2007 season, Priddis reached a career high 45 disposals, 30 handballs, 15 kicks, 5 marks and 3 tackles in round 14, 2008 against Hawthorn. His 30 handpasses was then the highest tally ever recorded (recorded since 1987), until Gary Ablett, Jr. broke the record the following season. During the 2013 season, Priddis played his 150th game for West Coast, becoming a life member of the club. At the end of the season, he was awarded West Coast's best and fairest award, the newly named John Worsfold Medal. He had finished second in the award on two previous occasions, in 2010 and 2011.

After Darren Glass retired midway through the 2014 season, Priddis was named acting co-captain of the club for the remainder of the season, along with four other players. He had been a member of the club's leadership group since the 2009 season. He finished the home-and-away-season ranked first in disposals, second in contested possessions, and third in tackles. Priddis was awarded the Brownlow Medal as the AFL's best and fairest player at the end of the season. Polling 26 votes, Priddis became the third West Coast player to win the award, and the second person, after Haydn Bunton, Sr., to win both a Brownlow Medal and a Sandover Medal. He also became the first player who began his career on the rookie list to win the award. Priddis' best previous finish came in the 2011 Brownlow Medal, when he finished equal seventh, with 19 votes.

Known for his "unusually strong legs and hips", as well as his "thirst for hard work" and "football smarts", Priddis is regarded as a specialist at stoppages, and "one of the league's most reliable workhorses". He generally plays as an inside midfielder, and led the AFL in average handballs in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and in total handballs in 2011, with high rankings in clearances and contested possessions as well. Priddis is also known for his tackling ability, having averaged more than five tackles per game in all but his first season. His figure of 193 tackles for the 2011 season has only been beaten by teammate Scott Selwood (202 during the same year) since tackles were first recorded in 1987, while his 18 tackles against Richmond during the 2014 season has only been beaten by Sydney's Jude Bolton (19 tackles against West Coast in 2011). On 23 April 2017, he passed Lenny Hayes' record for the highest number of tackles in a playing career.

AFL

• Team
  • McClelland Trophy (West Coast): 2006
• Individual
  • Brownlow Medal: 2014
  • John Worsfold Medal (West Coast B&F): 2011
  • Geoff Christian Medal: 2011
  • Ross Glendinning Medal: 2011 (Round 8), 2016 (Round 3)

WAFL

• Team
  • WAFL Premiership (Subiaco): 2004, 2006
• Individual
  • Sandover Medal (WAFL B&F): 2006
  • Simpson Medal (State Match): 2005
  • Tom Outridge Medal (Subiaco F.C. B&F): 2005
  • WAFL Rising Star: 2004
  • West Coast Co-Captain (Acting): 2014

Priddis and his wife, Ashleigh, a schoolteacher, married in 2009, and their first child, Nala May, was born in 2012. Prior to being drafted into the AFL, he worked as a tiler, and was also involved in surf lifesaving. Priddis is distinguishable on the football field by his "distinctive shock of curly hair".