The Club's Victorian Office is hosting a major Lion Loyalist Luncheon: Leigh Matthews Tribute this Friday 7 August the day before the Lions v Essendon blockbuster at the MCG on Saturday night.

The event commences at 12 noon at Melbourne's RACV Club and includes a two-course meal, premium beer, wine and soft drinks, special guest speakers and an exclusive match preview from both the Lions and Essendon coaching panel.  

Tickets are selling fast so be sure to secure your booking today by calling Andrew McLeish at the Lions Victorian Office on 03 8850 5602 or emailing amcleish@lions.com.au  
 
Special guests at Friday’s event include former Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, Herald Sun chief football writer Mike Sheahan, former Hawthorn and North Melbourne coach John Kennedy Snr and a range of other high profile identities who have played under the great Leigh Matthews.  
 
To share the excitement leading up to this big event, we have been presenting some of Leigh Matthews' Lethal Moments from our Club's history each week. The final instalment is as follows...
 
LETHAL MOMENT #9. Lethal the Lion king (2008)
In Round 10 at the Gabba, Matthews became the longest serving coach in the history of Fitzroy, the Bears and the Brisbane Lions.
Matthews passed Robert Walls’ 224 matches for Fitzroy (1981-85) and the Brisbane Bears (1991-95) and Bill Stephen’s 214 matches with Fitzroy (three stints between 1955-80).
The following week against Fremantle at the Gabba, Matthews passed another major milestone when he became only the eighth person in the history of the game to coach 450 VFL/AFL matches.
LETHAL MOMENT #10. Lethal steps down (2008)
Just two days after the Lions’ final match of the season against Sydney at the MCG, Matthews surprisingly stepped down as Senior Coach.
For the 56 year-old, it ended a remarkable football journey spanning 793 VFL/AFL matches - 332 as a player and 461 as a coach.
He was honoured at the Club Champion dinner in October and awarded Life membership of the Club he had led for a decade.
This is your last chance to meet the man behind these moments and hear about these events from Leigh Matthews first-hand.

For booking and enquiries, please contact Andrew McLeish in the Lions Victorian Office:
Tel (direct):03 8850 5602 or 0412 865 555
Email:amcleish@lions.com.au