He grew up in the shadow of his elder brothers, but by the time Phil Matera had completed his football journey he had more than carved his own inimitable reputation.
Both in their hometown of Wagin and in his early days at South Fremantle, Matera jnr was the third wheel. Comparisons with his older brothers and sleights about his small stature were commonplace. He had heard it all well before he made his way onto the West Coast Eagles senior list.
But following his brothers Wally and Peter to the Eagles in 1995, the youngest of the Matera siblings soon began to forge his own impression. Just as his brothers had signature tools, so too did Phil boast a unique bag of tricks.
Wally, a member of the club’s inaugural squad, was a talented rover (known and as a small midfielder these days) who had a penchant for a goal while Peter was more explosive, slightly taller and he will always figure in discussions about the greatest players in club history.
Phil, at 171cm, was about the same height as Wally but rather than making his mark in the midfield he would create a special niche in the West Coast Eagles forward line for a decade.
Secured by the Eagles by virtue of a trade that saw 1994 premiership ruckman David Hynes move to Fremantle, Phil was something of a pioneer as a permanent small forward whose ability to create forward half pressure was almost as important as kicking goals.
Modern day list managers recruit players specifically for the role but Matera was something of a lamp lighter.
So well did he hone his craft that he has joined Peter, who won the Norm Smith Medal with a blistering five-goal effort from the wing in the 1992 Grand Final, in the West Coast Eagles Hall of Fame. He is one of just 21 people to be afforded that distinction, including players, coaches, administrators and volunteers.
Nicknamed ‘Fido’ – a moniker that might have been coined by teammates as he followed Peter ‘Roo’ (or Roo dog because of his long stride and running ability) into elite football, the tag proved most apt. He had the traits of a terrier, chasing and harassing opposition defenders, creating goal-scoring opportunities for both himself and teammates.
The youngest of the Matera siblings played 179 games and kicked 389 goals in a stellar career that saw him five times lead the goal-kicking list at the club. His most productive seasons were 2003 and 2004 when he kicked a total of 123 goals. He was all-Australian in 2004 when his season yielded 61 goals but inexplicably he was somehow over-looked the previous season.
While those were his most productive years, when he was as much a target inside the attacking arc as he was a pressure forward, his relationship with Scott Cummings in 1999 and 2000 was something to behold.
In 1999 Cummings won the Coleman Medal with 95 goals but was also snubbed by the all-Australian selectors. It was unprecedented for the leading goal-kicker to miss a spot in the team of the year and hasn’t happened since. While Cummings was the traditional lead-up full-forward, the side-kick at his feet also reaped the benefits, passing the 50-goal mark (51) for the first time in his career.
To average 2.17 goals a game across his career was an outstanding performance, perhaps best illustrated by the fact that when he retired off the back of missing the 2005 Grand Final, only Peter Sumich (514 goals) had been more impactful on the scoreboard.
Matera has since been surpassed by Josh Kennedy (712), Jack Darling (*484) and Mark LeCras (441) but all played significantly more games.
PHIL MATERA
1996-2005
Debut: Round 4, 1996 V Geelong
Games: 179
Achievements:
Leading goal-kicker 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Best Clubman 2000
All-Australian 2003