GREATER Western Sydney (GWS) Giants Academy member Ethan Matthews has made waves throughout his bottom-age campaign. The smooth moving utility already has VFL experience under his belt and broke through for an Allies debut at this year’s Under 18 National Championships.

A left-footer with terrific skills and poise, Matthews has more recently been turning out for South West Sydney in the AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division. He starred in the Blues’ semi final loss to the UNSW-ES Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon, rounding out his season with a typically efficient outing.

We put Matthews’ performance under the Player Focus microscope.

Allies, GIANTS AcademyDefender/Wing

Ethan Matthews

Height: 185cm

Weight: -

DOB: 04-09-2008

STRENGTHS:

+ Agility
+ Clean hands
+ Decision making
+ Efficiency
+ Poise

SEASON AVERAGES:

2025 Coates Talent League (3 games):
21.0 disposals, 3.7 marks, 3.0 tackles, 4.0 rebound 50s

2025 Victorian Football League (5 games):
14.4 disposals, 75.8 disposal efficiency, 2.6 marks, 3.6 intercepts

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PLAYER FOCUS

AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division: Finals Round 2
UNSW-ES Bulldogs 17.10 (112) def. South West Sydney Blues 9.10 (64)

#4 Ethan Matthews (South West Sydney Blues)
Stats: 32 disposals, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 3 inside 50s
+ 24 uncontested possessions, 87.5% disposal efficiency

FIRST QUARTER:

Matthews started out in defence and watched as Giants Academy teammates Bailey-Dean Latanis and Kohan Prenter combined for the game’s opening goal. The young gun would then directly assist the Blues’ second major, delivering a long kick inside 50 on the end of a flowing counterattack.

It was the kind of play Matthews looked to emulate all day, reacting quickly to find the space when South West Sydney won the ball, and linking up to move efficiently in transition. He showed great poise to baulk opponents and identified targets quickly before hitting passes by hand and foot.

From the get-go, Matthews exhibited his ability to both contribute to slow kick-mark play, or flick the switch to turn defence into attack. He was a constant outlet and made great supporting runs on the overlap, seemingly knowing his role well and showing high IQ with his off-ball movement.

SECOND QUARTER:

For all his productivity in the attacking phase, Matthews needed a kickstart on the defensive end. His chase to shut down an early shot could perhaps have been better, along with some of his marking as UNSW-ES began to get a run on. In a good sign of his resilience, he quickly fixed up.

Matthews applied an important lock-up tackle inside defensive 50, then caught an opponent holding the ball at half-back to prove he could impact going both ways. Along with that, he continued to be a key accumulator for the Blues, distributing the ball just as neatly as he handled it.

THIRD QUARTER:

The third term was a shootout, with the Bulldogs piling on six goals to South West Sydney’s four. The free-flowing style of the game suited Matthews, as he continued to track well on the outside to be an outlet for teammates either when exiting packs or looking for a switch kick.

The 17-year-old was a weapon in transition, covering good ground to get ahead of the ball and rack up uncontested possessions. His disposal execution was continually on point and he even added an intercept element to his game, marking strongly in the defensive 50 hole.

In each instance, Matthews looked to move the ball on quickly – a method he would have leant on during his VFL experience. He had the skills to back it up, too, fanning the ball wide with long kicks or playing the percentages with shorter options. Either way, his ball retention was excellent.

FOURTH QUARTER:

It may not have shown on the scoreboard, but Matthews and the Blues ran out the game strongly. His running capacity was a highlight in the closing stages, racking up bulk possessions in end-to-end passages and hardly wasting a touch. It was a massive quarter from the youngster.

He showed great intent with an early gather and cut through traffic, going on to bring the play forward with similar urgency. Matthews ensured there was nothing left in the tank by following up each of his disposals, dictating the play with poise and creativity beyond his years.

He continued to get into all the right spots in a riotous period of play, making himself an option on the attack and sparking countless forays as the ball often found its way back to his area. His positive instincts and connectivity were easy on the eye in what ended up being a heavy loss.