Matthew Kreuzer

Career: 2008 -
Debut: Round 3, 2008 vs Essendon
Carlton Player No. 1 112
Games: 43*
Goals: 26*
Guernsey No. 8
Height: 200cm
Weight: 99kg
DOB: 13 May, 1989
Best First Year Player: 2008
Rising Star Nomination: Round 11, 2008


Carlton drafted highly rated ruckman Matthew Kreuzer with the no.1 pick of the 2007 National Draft. Kreuzer had an outstanding junior career. In 2007, he was adjudged the Most Valuable Player for Victoria Metropolitan in the U/18 Division 1 National Championships and was named as the ruckman in the U/18 All Australian team. An AIS-AFL Academy graduate, he played for the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup and he was awarded that club's best and fairest. He was awarded the Morrish Medal as the most outstanding player in the TAC Cup, he was named in the TAC Cup Team of the Year in both 2006 and 2007 and he was awarded the TAC Cup Coaches' Award in 2007. With all these achievements, it's easy to see why Carlton had no hesitation in taking him with pick no.1 and he promises to be a champion player for the Blues.

His junior club before the Northern Knights U18s was Bundoora and the last Carlton Senior player to come from that club was dual premiership player and 200 game player Barry Armstrong. He will be the 9th Carlton Senior player to have played Under 18s football with the Northern Knights (or Preston Knights) since they were established in 1992. He joins Nick Stevens and previous players in Anthony Franchina, Ryan Jackson, Trent Hoppner, Lance Whitnall, Andrew Eccles, Daniel Harford and Jim Plunkett.

Kreuzer, as well as being a gun ruckman at junior level, has the ability to play forward and perhaps it is this added string to his bow that saw the club willing to include Josh Kennedy as part of the trade to secure Chris Judd.

Kreuzer joins fellow number 1 selections Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs at the Blues and in future years these three young men are expected to form the nucleus for one of the AFL's most formidable midfield line ups. Matthew was given former captain Lance Whitnall's no. 8 guernsey upon his arrival at Carlton.

Matthew's first kick for Carlton was a left-foot goal from 45 metres out in the opening round of the NAB Cup for season 2008. He had a promising pre-season in which he was one of the best players for the final practice match against the Western Bulldogs. He would have made his debut in Round 1 against the Tigers but unfortunately suffered a hip injury at training in the week leading up to the game and had to sit it out. And then, after a short wait, the Club announced that Kreuzer would debut in Round 3 of 2008 against our old foe, the Bombers, to add even more interest to the usual big match.

Kreuzer's debut would have been a dream come true if the Blues had have won. Individually, he produced probably the finest debut at the Carlton Football Club since Andrew Walker in 2004. He kicked a goal with his first kick in AFL football (like previous no.1 pick Bryce Gibbs had the previous year) from a set shot about 35m out on a slight angle. The goal came as a result of Kreuzer getting the hit out at the centre bounce to Chris Judd, who passed to Eddie Betts, who passed back to Kreuzer after he'd sprinted from the centre circle to the forward 50. He then followed up with another goal in the second quarter after crumbing a pack and running into an open goal. 16 disposals, 8 contested possessions and 12 hit outs had Blues fans salivating at the prospect of him playing for Carlton for the next 15 years.

He enjoyed his first win in the Navy Blue in the Round 4 clash against arch-rival Collingwood. He had 15 disposals at 87% efficiency, 11 hit outs, a goal and 2 goal assists in the Round 5 win over Melbourne. In the Round 11 victory over Port Adelaide, Kreuzer was awarded a rising star nomination after kicking 3 crucial goals in the final quarter to help the Blues recover from a 30-point 3/4 time deficit and win their first match against Port Adelaide at Football Park since 2001. It was in this match that Kreuzer received his first Brownlow Medal vote. He then kicked another 3 goals in the Round 17 victory over the 2nd-placed Western Bulldogs, and then followed it up with another 2 in the Round 19 victory over Port Adelaide.

In the week after the end of the home and away season, Kreuzer polled 4th highest in the Rising Star Award, a phenomonal performance for a teenage ruckman in his first AFL season. He had the most hit outs from all players eligible for the award, 63 more than 2nd-placed Lion Matthew Leunberger (who was in his second season). Following in the footsteps of previous No.1 draft picks Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs, Kreuzer was awarded the club's best first year player award.

Kreuzer showed no signs of suffering from the second year Blues as he put in a wonderful game in Round 1, 2009 for a player his size and age. His 21 hit outs, 16 disposals, 4 tackles and goal helped the Blues to an 83-point thrashing of Richmond. He followed up with another 21 hit outs and 14 disposals in the following week's victory over Brisbane.

Career Highlights

2008 Rising Star Nomination: Round 11, 2008
2008 Best First Year Player
2009 5th Best and Fairest

Links

Articles: Carlton's Top Ten Draft Picks | That First Pick...Players taken with Carlton's first pick in the draft

Blueseum: A summary of Kreuzer's playing career | Career Breakdown | Kreuzer's Blueseum Image Gallery