My Most Famous Relative?

Now to possibly one of the biggest discoveries I have made researching my family history - certainly for a Hawthorn supporter - finding out that you are related to someone who many people believe was the greatest ever VFL/AFL player to have played the game! 

You may remember in a previous post I wrote about John Davenport, and a visit I made to a 3rd cousin named Lesley in Adelaide. Well Lesley took me to meet an older relative of hers, maybe an aunt... I can't quite remember who it was but I do remember she was grumpy and her small dog attacked me as soon as I arrived, biting me on the shin! But I digress. It was during a conversation with this old woman where she informed me that we were related to Leigh Matthews! Once I got home I did the necessary research to establish that Leigh and I are indeed third cousins, ie. my great-grandmother Florence Cowan nee Davenport and Leigh's great-grandmother Caroline Stone nee Davenport were sisters (daughters of the aforementioned John Davenport). 

Leigh Matthews with the 1983 VFL premiership cup

Most of the Davenports had made their home in the Essendon area, as had the Cowans and Phelans on my paternal side - this is why there are so many Essendon supporters in the extended family to this day. But in 1885 Caroline married Henry Stone, part of the Stone family who were pioneers of Mornington. After having children in Mornington, Caroline and Henry moved their family back to the Moonee Ponds/Ascot Vale area, but there would always remain a link to the Peninsula (not least because Caroline's younger sister Emily would also marry a Stone, which will be the subject of another post). 

In 1921 Caroline's son Ernest Henry Froggatt Stone married Agnes Catherine Busbridge, and sometime during the 1930s moved from Essendon to Frankston. Agnes Busbridge was the sister of Bill Busbridge, who at the time was regarded as one of the finest footballers to have played for Essendon, playing 103 games from 1904-1912. He was 'renowned as the best centre half back in the game... also a superb ruckman, combining great aerial prowess with superb anticipation and great dash.' (https://australianfootball.com). Bill was a member of Essendon's 1911 premiership team and represented Victoria in 1908.

Left: Caroline Stone nee Davenport

Right: Lorna Stone (mother of Leigh Matthews) in 1941

Ernie and Agnes had two children, Lorna Margaret and Bruce Henry. Bruce was apparently a decent footballer, but it was Lorna who would be responsible for delivering the best of the genes! Lorna married Ray Matthews in 1946, the couple settling in Langwarrin and later Chelsea, and had three surviving sons. Leigh Raymond Matthews and Kelvin John Matthews, the two youngest, would become VFL footballers, having begun their careers at Chelsea, which at the time was part of Hawthorn Football Club's recruiting zone. Debuting with Hawthorn in 1969, Leigh would go on to carve out one of the most distinguished careers in the game, his 'physical' style of play earning him the nickname 'Lethal' Leigh, as well as the occasional suspension, and in one regrettable instance, deregistration from the league (the infamous 'Neville Bruns' incident in his final year, 1985). That being said, consider these for achievements:

• 332 games (1969-1985) (currently equal 30th on all time list)
• 4 premierships (1971, 1976, 1978, 1983)
• Hawthorn Captain 1981-1985 (premiership captain 1983)
• 8 Hawthorn best-and-fairests (club record) (1971-72, 1974, 1976-78, 1980, 1982)
• 915 goals (currently 9th on all time list)
• 1975 Coleman Medal (VFL leading goalkicker)
• 6 times Hawthorn leading goalkicker (1973, 1975, 1981-84)
• 14 appearances for Victoria (1971-1982), including as Captain
• Member of Hawthorn and AFL Teams of the Century
• Hawthorn and AFL Hall of Fame 'Legend'

The accolades didn't end with his playing career though. Five years later, Leigh would coach Collingwood to a flag in 1990 (burying the 'Colliwobbles' after their 32 year premiership drought), before then taking the Brisbane Lions to a triple premiership run in 2001-02-03 (the first team to 'threepeat' in nearly half a century).

My connection to three champions of the VFA/VFL

Kelvin Matthews' career does tend to pale in comparison, but certainly was nothing to sneeze at! He played 155 games, 97 for Hawthorn (1972-1978) and 58 for Geelong (1978-1982). He was a member of Hawthorn's 1976 premiership team, and represented Victoria once in 1974. In one game against Fitzroy in 1977, Kelvin kicked 8 goals and Leigh 6 - that must have been a proud day for Ray and Lorna!

Kelvin Matthews from his Geelong days

Growing up in the 1970s in a family of Essendon supporters, I started following Hawthorn. I am not 100% sure why, but I put it down to going to a school with a brown and gold uniform, which was visited by Hawthorn players for footy clinics (Burwood was on the edge of Hawthorn's zone and therefore many of my classmates were Hawks fans). The fact that they were a successful team at the time probably didn't hurt. But perhaps also there was just something in the genes - whatever the reasons, I was happy to claim vindication after this discovery!

Yours truly with the great man in 2013. I had him sign my copy of his autobiography,

'Happy Birthday Cuz'

Footnote:

The Davenport family have one other link (by marriage) to Australian Rules football royalty, albeit from a very long time ago. Alfred Davenport, grandson of John Davenport and nephew of Caroline Stone, married Lily Mary Marmo. Lily was the daughter of Joe Marmo, who was considered one of the greatest players in the VFA, playing for Geelong (1891-95) and Footscray (1899-1910), where he won three premierships (1899, 1900, 1908) and captained the side (1905). In between those stints, he played in Western Australia, for West Perth (1896-97) for one premiership, as well as the goldfields' club Hannans in 1898. He played until he was almost 40, then umpired for three seasons. He was a 'powerful and fearless' centre half back, and was described as a 'great specimen of an athlete' who played a 'big man's game with the fleetness of a rover' (https://australianfootball.com).

 

Joe Marmo (left) and Bill Busbridge