FootyGoss :: Club News - Essendon [Lloyd league life member]

Lloyd league life member

By Mr Dandalooa

One of the AFL’s most decorated full-forwards will receive the greatest footy honour next month when he is inducted as a league life member.

Retired Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd, who retired at the end of last year after 15 seasons, qualified for the accolade after reaching the 300-game mark last season, including preseason and representative matches.

Lloyd finished a very decorated career as the AFL’s seventh highest goal-kicker, amassing 926 majors, and was the Bombers’ leading goal kicker 11 times.

The footy legend also won the Coleman Medal three times (2000, 2002 and 2003).

During his career Lloyd twice topped the 100-goal mark in a season, including in 2000 when he was part of the club’s premiership side.

Upon retiring last year, the 31-year-old said he had always been of the belief that he would rather go a year too early than a year too late and had decided that 2009 was the right time.

Lloyd first descended on Windy Hill as a 16-year-old schoolkid with potential, but left as a club legend and a leading goal-kicker.

“The role of a forward is harder than it ever was before and if you haven’t got 100 per cent hunger to commit to this great game then you won’t survive,” Lloyd had said in 2009 upon the announcement of his retirement.

“I know that this choice is the best one and is a happy one.

“I fought back pretty hard after tearing my hamstring off the bone and I probably thought that this would be my last contract and I have been thinking about it since early on in the season.

“I was offered a fantastic contract and was told what my role would be next year but I’ve decided that I don’t have the hunger to play anymore and it is as simple as that.

“You don’t go into a pre-season if you are fatigued mentally and physically like I am.”

Lloyd was captain of Essendon since late 2005 and won the AFL goal of the year in 2007 and AFL mark of the year in 2008.