AFL legend Leigh Matthew has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments as a player and coach during his time in the AFL.
Back in 1999, when Fremantle played Brisbane in the annual Len Hall Game, the Fremantle Dockers provided a different kind of career highlight.
In an interview with the Sunday Mail to wrap up the 1999 season, Matthews said the Len Hall Game stood out.
“One of the most memorable moments wasn’t even during a game. We were in Perth to play Fremantle on Anzac Day…pre-game Fremantle did the most magnificent Anzac celebration,” Matthews said.
“It was a highlight just to be there – to be part of the occasion, just the emotion of it.
“Funnily enough, it was one of the things from the whole football year that really sticks in my mind. The players were in getting changed and I was able to stay out and watch it. It was a whole half-hour ceremony – it was fantastic.”
The 1999 Len Hall Game was the fourth in a long-standing tradition for Fremantle.
It’s a little-acknowledged fact that Fremantle’s Anzac Day tradition is as long-standing as the Essendon v Collingwood game, which also began in 1995.
In 1995, Fremantle marked their game closest to Anzac Day with a ceremony commemorating the upcoming 50th anniversary of VJ Day on 2 September.
This sparked something for then event coordinator David Zampatti, which led to the first Len Hall Game in 1996.
The 2020 season was set to mark the 25th Len Hall Game, but due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 25th game will now be played in 2021 in round six against North Melbourne on Saturday 24 April.
The game is named after Hall, who was a Gallipoli veteran born on 9 May 1897 – a day after the first ever round of VFL games.
Hall played a crucial role in three great battles during World War I.
He was a machine gunner at Gallipoli, he rode in the Light Horse Brigade of the Desert Mounted Corps in the capture of Beersheba, Palestine, in 1917 and rode with Colonel Thomas E Lawrence - known as Lawrence of Arabia - to liberate Damascus in 1918.
He was also a massive footy fan and the perfect person for Fremantle to honour with the clash, with Hall attending the game in 1996.
Over the years, Fremantle have played a number of exciting clashes.
The most recent is one that will linger long in the memories of Fremantle fans, when David Mundy was one of the heroes against the Western Bulldogs in his 300th AFL game.
Three Len Hall Games have been decided by less a point, with Fremantle defeating Adelaide 58-57 in 2007, losing to Geelong 88-89 in 2008 and defeating Richmond 81-80 in 2013.
In the most recent Len Hall Game against North Melbourne, Fremantle won in the final minute thanks to a Shane Kersten goal that put Fremantle up by five with 10 seconds to play.
Tickets are now on sale for the Len Hall Game and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.
Sections of this story were taken from Les Everett’s book The History of the Fremantle Dockers.
