Herbie Matthews was an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er who played for South Melbourne

Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

 in the Victorian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

. He was recruited from suburban Fairfield under the League's "father and son" rule. His father, 'Butcher' Matthews

Herb Matthews, Sr.

Herbert E. "Herb" Matthews was an Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne, Richmond and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....

, partnered the great Roy Cazaly

Roy Cazaly

Roy Cazaly was an Australian rules football player famous for his high marks and ruck work, which gave rise to the phrase "Up There Cazaly".-Early life/career:...

 in South Melbourne's ruck combination of the early 1920s. Although he was smaller and slighter in build than his ruckman father, he was a strong mark and showed a ferocious drive for possession of the football. He was recruited by South Melbourne at the age of 17 in the face of determined approaches from Collingwood

Collingwood Football Club

The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

 and his local VFA club, Northcote

Northcote Football Club

Northcote Football Club, nicknamed The Dragons, was an Australian rules football club which played in the VFA from 1908 until 1987. The club's colours were green and yellow and it was based in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote...

.

A centreman/wingman with great pace, stamina and skills, he was awarded the Brownlow Medal

Brownlow Medal

The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

 in 1940 and was runner up on another two occasions. He won his club's Best and Fairest award

Bob Skilton Medal

The Bob Skilton Medal is awarded to the Sydney Swans player adjudged the Best and Fairest over the home and away season. It is named after Bob Skilton, who won the award a record nine times from 1958 to 1968.-List of winners:...

 5 times and captained them from 1938 until 1945

In 1997 Matthews was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame

Australian Football Hall of Fame

The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...

and in 2003 was named on the wing in South Melbourne's official 'Team of the Century'.