Matthew Whelan: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Australian rules footballer}} |
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{{for|the Irish hurler|Matthew Whelan (hurler)}} |
{{for|the Irish hurler|Matthew Whelan (hurler)}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} |
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{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}} |
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{{Infobox AFL biography |
{{Infobox AFL biography |
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| name = Matthew Whelan |
| name = Matthew Whelan |
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| image = Matthew_whelan.jpg |
| image = Matthew_whelan.jpg |
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| alt = |
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| caption = |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|11|13|df=y}} |
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|11|13|df=y}} |
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| birth_place = |
| birth_place = Darwin |
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| death_date = |
| death_date = |
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| death_place = |
| death_place = |
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| originalteam = [[Darwin Buffaloes]] (NT), [[Woodville-West Torrens Football Club|Woodville-West Torrens]] (SA) |
| originalteam = [[Darwin Buffaloes]] (NT), [[Woodville-West Torrens Football Club|Woodville-West Torrens]] (SA) |
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| heightweight = 180cm / 80kg |
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| debutdate = Round 4, 2 April 2000 |
| debutdate = Round 4, 2 April 2000 |
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| debutteam = [[Melbourne Football Club|Melbourne Demons]] |
| debutteam = [[Melbourne Football Club|Melbourne Demons]] |
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| debutopponent = [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda Saints]] |
| debutopponent = [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda Saints]] |
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| debutstadium = [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] |
| debutstadium = [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] |
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| |
| height = 180 cm |
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| weight = 80 kg |
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| clubs = [[Melbourne Football Club|Melbourne]] |
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| position = |
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⚫ | |||
| statsend = 2009 |
| statsend = 2009 |
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| years1 = 2000–2009 |
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| careerhighlights = |
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| club1 = [[Melbourne Football Club|Melbourne]] |
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⚫ | |||
| careerhighlights = *[[Melbourne Football Club#Honour board|Harold Ball Memorial Trophy]]: 2000 |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Matthew Whelan''' (born 13 November 1979) is a former professional [[Australian rules football]] player. |
'''Matthew Whelan''' (born 13 November 1979) is a former professional [[Australian rules football]] player. |
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Wearing the number 45 jersey, Whelan was reliable defender/[[back pocket]] known by Demons fans |
Wearing the number 45 jersey, Whelan, recruited from the Northern Territory was a reliable defender/[[back pocket]] known by Demons fans as "Wheels". He also earned the nickname "Wrecker" (after [[Whelan the Wrecker]]) for his big hits (often on big name players) and tough and uncompromisingly defensive style of play. His tackling style, to drop the shoulder, resulted in spectacular, almost [[spear tackle]] like throws of opponents, and he ended up at the Tribunal many years over unsightly plays. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Matthew has [[Indigenous Australian]] heritage and his ancestry can be traced to the [[Ngalakan language]] speaking peoples of the [[Arnhem Land]].<ref>AFL Record. Round 9,2009. Slattery Publishing. pg 75.</ref> |
Matthew has [[Indigenous Australian]] heritage, and his ancestry can be traced to the [[Ngalakan language]] speaking peoples of the [[Arnhem Land]].<ref>AFL Record. Round 9,2009. Slattery Publishing. pg 75.</ref> |
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He grew up in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], the capital of the [[Northern Territory]], where he played [[rugby league]] at junior levels<ref>[http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/03/152731_ntsport.html Folau will deliver] by GREY MORRIS for Northern Territory News |
He grew up in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], the capital of the [[Northern Territory]], where he played [[rugby league]] at junior levels<ref>[http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/03/152731_ntsport.html Folau will deliver] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319155436/http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/03/152731_ntsport.html |date=19 March 2012 }} by GREY MORRIS for Northern Territory News 3 June 2010</ref> before concentrating on Australian football at the age of 15. |
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Before heading to Victoria in 2000, Whelan played in both the Northern Territory and South Australian leagues. From October to March he would play for Darwin before heading to [[Woodville-West Torrens]] for the winter. |
Before heading to Victoria in 2000, Whelan played in both the Northern Territory and South Australian leagues. From October to March he would play for Darwin before heading to [[Woodville-West Torrens]] for the winter. |
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==AFL career== |
==AFL career== |
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===2000 debut season=== |
===2000 debut season=== |
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Whelan made his debut in round four of season 2000 and played every game until round 20 when an injured neck cost him his place and he missed the finals, including Melbourne's grand final appearance. This was a major blow to the Demons who missed his toughness against a more physical Essendon. |
Whelan made his debut in round four of season 2000, and played every game until round 20 when an injured neck cost him his place and he missed the finals, including Melbourne's grand final appearance. This was a major blow to the Demons, who missed his toughness against a more physical Essendon. |
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===History repeats=== |
===History repeats=== |
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===2003 & Shane Crawford incident=== |
===2003 & Shane Crawford incident=== |
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In a rare report for rough play in 2003 for what appeared to be a dangerous throw on [[Shane Crawford]] he was later cleared by the tribunal of any infringement.<ref>[http://melbournefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=108228]</ref> |
In a rare report for rough play in 2003 for what appeared to be a dangerous throw on [[Shane Crawford]] he was later cleared by the tribunal of any infringement.<ref>[http://melbournefc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=108228]{{dead link|date=January 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> |
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===2004 & James Hird incident=== |
===2004 & James Hird incident=== |
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During the 2004 [[2004 AFL season#Finals series|Elimination Final]], Melbourne were drawn to play rivals [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]]. With about five minutes to go in the first half, Whelan knocked [[James Hird]] unconscious with a strong [[Bump (Australian rules football)|shirtfront]], re-gathered the ball and fed it off to [[Travis Johnstone]] who finished |
During the 2004 [[2004 AFL season#Finals series|Elimination Final]], Melbourne were drawn to play rivals [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]]. With about five minutes to go in the first half, Whelan knocked [[James Hird]] unconscious with a strong [[Bump (Australian rules football)|shirtfront]], re-gathered the ball and fed it off to [[Travis Johnstone]] who finished the play with a goal to bring up double figures for the Demons. Whelan, playing his first final, was one of Melbourne's best, picking up 22 possessions and a match high five tackles. |
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===2005 & Nathan Brown incident=== |
===2005 & Nathan Brown incident=== |
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During the final quarter of the Melbourne v Richmond game on 27 May 2005, Richmond attacked in their 50 when Whelan came from nowhere to smother [[Nathan Brown (Australian footballer, born 1978)|Nathan Brown]]'s kick. Because Brown was kicking with his left boot Whelan landed on his right foot, and, in front of horrified [[Friday Night Football ( |
During the final quarter of the Melbourne v Richmond game on 27 May 2005, Richmond attacked in their 50 when Whelan came from nowhere to smother [[Nathan Brown (Australian footballer, born 1978)|Nathan Brown]]'s kick. Because Brown was kicking with his left boot, Whelan landed on his right foot, and, in front of horrified ''[[Friday Night Football (AFL)|Friday Night Football]]'' viewers, broke his leg. Replays were constantly played on the news, including ''[[Sports Tonight (Australian TV program)|Sports Tonight]]'' and [[Fox Sports News (Australia)|Fox Sports News]]. Whelan said that he had felt guilty, given the seriousness of Brown's injury. Brown sat out the rest of the season, and has had re-occurring leg-related injuries ever since. |
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===2006 AFL Season=== |
===2006 AFL Season=== |
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===2007 & Luke Ball incident=== |
===2007 & Luke Ball incident=== |
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During the [[AFL season 2007|2007 season opener]] against [[St |
During the [[AFL season 2007|2007 season opener]] against [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]], while shepherding a teammate, Whelan turned his back, colliding solidly with [[Luke Ball]]. The severe collision injured both players, resulting in both coming off the ground, with the back of Whelan's head lacerating Ball's forehead. Ball was carried off the ground with a laceration to his head, although both players later returned to play out the game. Whelan was charged for rough play based on the video. The charge, however, was later dropped as the high contact was ruled as an accidental clash of heads, while Ball continued a slow recovery from the injury.<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21548781-11088,00.html Ball plans for Round 4 | Herald Sun<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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His 2007 season saw him play just a handful of games due to injury. |
His 2007 season saw him play just a handful of games due to injury. |
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===2008 & Brendan Fevola incident=== |
===2008 & Brendan Fevola incident=== |
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In round-five of the [[2008 AFL season|2008 season]], Whelan was reported for striking [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]]'s full-forward [[ |
In round-five of the [[2008 AFL season|2008 season]], Whelan was reported for striking [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]]'s full-forward [[Brendan Fevola]]. He was offered a two-week suspension by the AFL. But an early guilty plea reduced this to just one week. |
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==Retirement== |
==Retirement== |
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In August 2009 Whelan announced his retirement from the AFL alongside |
In August 2009, Whelan announced his retirement from the AFL alongside teammate Paul Wheatley, effective after Round 22, as part of the Melbourne Football Club's youth policy. His career has been plagued by injury, but is leaving on a good note and was happy to play an important role mentoring the MFC's young Aboriginal players.<ref name="test">[http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/82754/default.aspx afl.com.au] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817222610/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/82754/default.aspx |date=17 August 2009 }} Whelan, Wheatley to call it a day.</ref> |
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In February 2010, Whelan was awarded life membership of the Melbourne Football club at the club's annual general meeting. |
In February 2010, Whelan was awarded life membership of the Melbourne Football club at the club's annual general meeting. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Commons category}} |
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* {{Melbplayer|ref=13398}} |
* {{Melbplayer|ref=13398}} |
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* {{ |
* {{AFL Tables|M/Matthew_Whelan}} |
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{{2003 Indigenous All-Stars squad}} |
{{2003 Indigenous All-Stars squad}} |
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{{2005 Indigenous All-Stars squad}} |
{{2005 Indigenous All-Stars squad}} |
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{{Harold Ball Memorial Trophy}} |
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{{2000 AFL Rising Star nominees}} |
{{2000 AFL Rising Star nominees}} |
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{{1999 AFL |
{{1999 AFL national draft}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Whelan, Matthew |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian rules footballer |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = 13 November 1979 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Matthew}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Matthew}} |
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[[Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football]] |
[[Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football]] |
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[[Category:Woodville-West Torrens Football Club players]] |
[[Category:Woodville-West Torrens Football Club players]] |
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[[Category:Darwin Football Club players]] |
[[Category:Darwin Football Club players]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Casey Demons players]] |
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[[Category:Australian rules |
[[Category:Australian rules football players from Darwin, Northern Territory]] |
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[[Category:Australian people of Indigenous Australian descent]] |
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[[Category:Casey Scorpions players]] |
Latest revision as of 17:22, 1 August 2024
Matthew Whelan | |||
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Personal information | |||
Date of birth | 13 November 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Darwin | ||
Original team(s) | Darwin Buffaloes (NT), Woodville-West Torrens (SA) | ||
Debut | Round 4, 2 April 2000, Melbourne Demons vs. St Kilda Saints, at Melbourne Cricket Ground | ||
Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2000–2009 | Melbourne | 150 (15) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2009. | |||
Career highlights | |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Matthew Whelan (born 13 November 1979) is a former professional Australian rules football player.
Wearing the number 45 jersey, Whelan, recruited from the Northern Territory was a reliable defender/back pocket known by Demons fans as "Wheels". He also earned the nickname "Wrecker" (after Whelan the Wrecker) for his big hits (often on big name players) and tough and uncompromisingly defensive style of play. His tackling style, to drop the shoulder, resulted in spectacular, almost spear tackle like throws of opponents, and he ended up at the Tribunal many years over unsightly plays.
Early life
[edit]Matthew has Indigenous Australian heritage, and his ancestry can be traced to the Ngalakan language speaking peoples of the Arnhem Land.[1] He grew up in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, where he played rugby league at junior levels[2] before concentrating on Australian football at the age of 15. Before heading to Victoria in 2000, Whelan played in both the Northern Territory and South Australian leagues. From October to March he would play for Darwin before heading to Woodville-West Torrens for the winter.
AFL career
[edit]2000 debut season
[edit]Whelan made his debut in round four of season 2000, and played every game until round 20 when an injured neck cost him his place and he missed the finals, including Melbourne's grand final appearance. This was a major blow to the Demons, who missed his toughness against a more physical Essendon.
History repeats
[edit]History repeated itself in 2002 when Whelan played every game but was forced out in round 22 with a calf injury, and another finals series went begging.
2003 & Shane Crawford incident
[edit]In a rare report for rough play in 2003 for what appeared to be a dangerous throw on Shane Crawford he was later cleared by the tribunal of any infringement.[3]
2004 & James Hird incident
[edit]During the 2004 Elimination Final, Melbourne were drawn to play rivals Essendon. With about five minutes to go in the first half, Whelan knocked James Hird unconscious with a strong shirtfront, re-gathered the ball and fed it off to Travis Johnstone who finished the play with a goal to bring up double figures for the Demons. Whelan, playing his first final, was one of Melbourne's best, picking up 22 possessions and a match high five tackles.
2005 & Nathan Brown incident
[edit]During the final quarter of the Melbourne v Richmond game on 27 May 2005, Richmond attacked in their 50 when Whelan came from nowhere to smother Nathan Brown's kick. Because Brown was kicking with his left boot, Whelan landed on his right foot, and, in front of horrified Friday Night Football viewers, broke his leg. Replays were constantly played on the news, including Sports Tonight and Fox Sports News. Whelan said that he had felt guilty, given the seriousness of Brown's injury. Brown sat out the rest of the season, and has had re-occurring leg-related injuries ever since.
2006 AFL Season
[edit]Whelan had a stellar season in 2006, marred only by minor injuries to his calf and hamstring.he kicked a career high four goals in round-five
2007 & Luke Ball incident
[edit]During the 2007 season opener against St Kilda, while shepherding a teammate, Whelan turned his back, colliding solidly with Luke Ball. The severe collision injured both players, resulting in both coming off the ground, with the back of Whelan's head lacerating Ball's forehead. Ball was carried off the ground with a laceration to his head, although both players later returned to play out the game. Whelan was charged for rough play based on the video. The charge, however, was later dropped as the high contact was ruled as an accidental clash of heads, while Ball continued a slow recovery from the injury.[4]
His 2007 season saw him play just a handful of games due to injury.
2008 & Brendan Fevola incident
[edit]In round-five of the 2008 season, Whelan was reported for striking Carlton's full-forward Brendan Fevola. He was offered a two-week suspension by the AFL. But an early guilty plea reduced this to just one week.
Retirement
[edit]In August 2009, Whelan announced his retirement from the AFL alongside teammate Paul Wheatley, effective after Round 22, as part of the Melbourne Football Club's youth policy. His career has been plagued by injury, but is leaving on a good note and was happy to play an important role mentoring the MFC's young Aboriginal players.[5] In February 2010, Whelan was awarded life membership of the Melbourne Football club at the club's annual general meeting.
References
[edit]- ^ AFL Record. Round 9,2009. Slattery Publishing. pg 75.
- ^ Folau will deliver Archived 19 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine by GREY MORRIS for Northern Territory News 3 June 2010
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ Ball plans for Round 4 | Herald Sun
- ^ afl.com.au Archived 17 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine Whelan, Wheatley to call it a day.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Matthew Whelan's profile on the official website of the Melbourne Football Club
- Matthew Whelan's playing statistics from AFL Tables