Matt Geyer

Matt Geyer
Geyer while playing for Melbourne in 2008
Personal information
Full name Matthew Geyer
Nickname Boofa
Born (1975-09-05) 5 September 1975
Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 91 kg (14 st 5 lb)
Position Wing, Fullback, Centre, Five-eighth
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1997 Western Reds 6 0 0 0 0
1998–08 Melbourne Storm 262 113 105 0 662
Total 268 113 105 0 662
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2002–06 City Origin 2 0 1 0 2
1999 New South Wales 3 2 0 0 8
Source: NRL Stats

Matt Geyer (born 5 September 1975 in Blacktown, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he played his club football primarily with the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League competition, winning the 1999 and 2007 grand finals with them. He also represented City Origin and played for the Western Reds, making him one of a handful of first-grade players to never have played for a New South Wales, Queensland or New Zealand club. Geyer is also the younger brother of rugby league personality Mark Geyer.

Playing career

Geyer started his career in 1997 for the Western Reds in the Super League competition where his older brother Mark was captain. Upon the club's dissolution at the end of 1997 he became one of the foundation members of the Melbourne Storm when they started their first season in 1998. Since then, Geyer has become the most capped Melbourne Storm player, also holding the record for most tries for the club. Most of his career has been played at wing, but he has also played a large utility role at the club, including fullback, centre, five-eighth, halfback and hooker. While with the Storm he played for the Norths Devils in the 1998 Queensland Cup.[1]

He became the first Storm player to lead the NRL's point-scoring for the season (1999).[2] That season he also played in all three State of Origin matches for New South Wales, scoring two tries.

Geyer played at five-eighth in the 1999 NRL Grand Final and kicked the winning conversion to earn the Storm a premiership in only their second year in the NRL competition (in which he was the leading pointscorer for the season). He replaced Craig Smith, who had been knocked out (resulting in the Storm being awarded a penalty try). Geyer became the Storm's first player to make 200 appearances, against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Melbourne's Olympic Park in 2006. That season he was only remaining player from the 1999 grand final squad to also be a part of the Storm's 2006 NRL Grand Final loss to the Broncos.[3] In 2007 Melbourne again reached the grand final and won against the Sea Eagles.

Matt Geyer with his daughter celebrating the 2007 Grand Final

During the 2008 season, Geyer had been playing off the interchange bench as he had for the 2007 finals series. After Will Chambers' season-ending injury, Geyer took up his centre position for the remainder of the season. On 14 July 2008 he became the first Melbourne Storm player to play 250 games.[4] He played in the 2008 NRL Grand Final defeat by Manly[5] and retired at conclusion of the 2008 season.[6] He left Melbourne as the club's all-time top try scorer.

In July 2009, Geyer revealed that he had made himself available for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League.[7] However he ended up retiring in Queensland[8] after playing in the Queensland Cup for the Norths Devils.[9]

Later years

Matt still enjoys success on and off the field. He is active playing Masters rugby league and Old Boys AFL. Matt is regularly consulted on for the identification of talent for development and representative teams.

He currently is involved in coaching junior rugby league at the Currumbin Eagles JRL club[10] where he has enjoyed much success in getting his teams to the Grandfinals and ultimately winning his first premiership as a coach in the 2013 season and backing up again as premiership coach for 2014.

As a result, a large number of Matt's premiership winning team have been accepted into Sporting Excellence programs at prestigious high schools such as PBC (Palm Beach - Currumbin High School),[11] with several of Matt's former and current players going on to gain Queensland Schoolboy representative honours as well as Gold Coast Vikings and SEQ Kookaburra's representation. He now works as a maths/HPE teacher at Marymount College on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia

Statistics

NRL

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2014 season [12]
† Denotes seasons in which Geyer won an NRL Premiership
† Denotes seasons in which Geyer won an NRL Premiership that was later stripped
Season Team Matches T G GK % F/G Pts W L D W-L %
1997 Perth 6 0 0 — 0 0 2 4 0 33.3
1998 Melbourne 11 2 0 — 0 8 7 4 0 63.6
1999† Melbourne 26 20 81 61.4 0 242 18 8 0 69.2
2000 Melbourne 27 14 6 66.7 0 68 14 12 1 53.7
2001 Melbourne 26 14 2 66.7 0 60 11 14 1 44.2
2002 Melbourne 19 3 0 — 0 12 7 11 1 39.5
2003 Melbourne 26 14 5 55.6 0 66 16 10 0 61.5
2004 Melbourne 21 8 0 — 0 32 12 9 0 57.1
2005 Melbourne 26 11 2 100 0 48 14 12 0 53.8
2006 Melbourne 27 11 8 66.7 0 60 22 5 0 81.5
2007† Melbourne 25 8 0 — 0 32 23 2 0 92.0
2008 Melbourne 28 8 1 100 0 34 19 9 0 67.9
Career totals 268 113 105 62.50 0 662 165 100 3 62.13

State of Origin

[13]
Season Team Matches T G GK % F/G Pts W L D W-L %
1999 New South Wales 3 2 0 — 0 8 1 1 1 50.0
Career totals 3 2 0 — 0 8 1 1 1 50.00

References

  1. ↑ Round 19: 25, 26 July queensland.rleague.com
  2. ↑ http://www.titanmanagement.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=307&Itemid=73
  3. ↑ Fuller, Mark (2 October 2006). "Grand final a Hill too far". The Age. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
  4. ↑ "Cooper Cronk notches up 250 games with Melbourne Storm". TV NZ'. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Grand final: As it happened". Fox Sports. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  6. ↑ "2009 NRL Player Movements". NRL Live. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  7. ↑ Badel, Peter (26 July 2009). "Gold Coast Titans haven't ruled out using shock signing Matt Geyer in finals". Fox Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  8. ↑ "Three minutes with Matt Geyer". The Reporter. Australia: APN News & Media Ltd. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
  9. ↑ http://www.qrl.com.au/display.php?pg_id=4816
  10. ↑ Currumbin Eagles JRLC
  11. ↑ Palm Beach Currumbin High School
  12. ↑ Matt Geyer's player profile at Rugby League Tables
  13. ↑ Matt Geyer's Representative player profile at Rugby League Project
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