Australian Leigh Matthews arrived in Invercargill from Adelaide on Sunday to take up the role of girls and women’s development officer at Southland Football. PHOTO: LUISA GIRAO
Australian Leigh Matthews arrived in Invercargill from Adelaide on Sunday to fill the position of girls and women's development officer with the organisation.
Speaking to the Southland Express this week, he said he was excited about the role and the challenges ahead.
"I am very much looking forward to getting established in the role, engaging with the football community and making new friends through the sport."
Matthews had two decades of experience coaching football back home including with the Football South Australia Under-15 girls' team and the development squad age teams for the Southern Region of Adelaide.
In the past year, he coached the Adelaide City Under-15 girls and they won both the league and the cup, something the club had never achieved previously.
Throughout his career he also worked with Matildas players Jenna McCormick, Emily Condon and Charli Grant.
He hoped he could use his experience to enhance the football culture in Southland.
"Hopefully, I can bring a lot of growth and development for the game and the region.
"Provide players with an opportunity they haven't had before in terms of the type of coach I am.
Also I would like to help clubs attract new players and build the game from the ground up, get more juniors involved, and give that structure where players can come from under-7s or under-9s and then work their way towards seniors."
He had always been passionate about sport and he played a range of modalities in his school years.
While football had been a big part of his career, he was a strong tennis player and even played against Australian former world number 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
"I didn't win but just to play against him, it was pretty cool. My parents have kept the score card and all that."
While Matthews was fresh in the role and in the country, he already felt the Southland community would be a good one to be part of.
"People are really friendly. It seems like a great city, easy to get around and they're passionate about their sport.
"I think it will be awesome."
Southland Football operations manager and board president Nick Hamlin said he was looking forward to working with Matthews to continue to grow and develop the sport, building on the success already achieved in the girls and women's space.
