Matthew Primus

Matthew Primus
Personal information
Full name	Matthew Richard Primus
Date of birth	12 January 1975 (1975-01-12)
Place of birth	South Australia
Original team	Norwood (SANFL)
Draft	#2, 1995 National Draft, Fitzroy
Height/Weight	198cm / 109kg
Position(s)	Ruckman
Club information
Current club	Port Adelaide
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1996 1997–2005 Total	Fitzroy Port Adelaide	20 (5) 137 (76) 157 (81)
International team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2002	Australia	2
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
2010–	Port Adelaide	29 (8–21–0)
1 Playing statistics to end of 2005 season . 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2011.
Career highlights
John Cahill Medal 2002 Port Adelaide captain 2001–2005 All-Australian Team 2001, 2002

Matthew Richard Primus (born 12 January 1975) is the current coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club and a former Australian rules footballer, captain and All Australian ruckman.

AFL career

Fitzroy career

Early career (1996)

Primus began his career with the Fitzroy Football Club in what was to be their final season in the AFL. At the end of the season, He had kicked 5 goals and played 20 games and was one of their key players. He signed with the Port Adelaide Football Club as an uncontracted zone player during their AFL establishment in 1996.

Port Adelaide career

Career high (1997–2002)

After finishing 2nd in Fitzroy's 1996 Best and Fairest and 2nd in Port Adelaide's 1997 Best and Fairest, Primus had established himself as one of the game's top ruckmen, but his close losses in the Best and Fairest counts would be a pointer to the bad luck he would face later in his career. As his star rose as a player, Primus was also getting noticed off the field, being voted Cleo Magazine's "Most Eligible Bachelor" in 1998. Primus was promoted to captain of the club in 2001.

Injuries (2003–2004)

In 2003 he was hampered by hamstring and knee injuries, and only played 9 games. The worst was yet to come, however, and in 2004 it would be the ultimate heartbreak for Primus. In his return game in Round 3, he suffered an ACL rupture after his left knee bent the wrong way, requiring a knee reconstruction and putting him out of the game for the rest of the 2004 season. Warren Tredrea took over the captaincy, and after plenty of near-misses in the finals, Port Adelaide would go on to win the premiership that year, with Primus, missing out.

Final season (2005)

In 2005, Primus made another return to the AFL. His form was not indicative of the Primus of old, however, and it seemed Port were playing Primus out of respect that he was the captain. Not only that, but Port Adelaide were not the same strong side they were just a year earlier. While they eventually had a few results go their way and managed to scrape into the finals, Primus injured his knee again in the final round of the home-and-away season. He was expected to miss the finals series at first, but later scans revealed that he would require a third knee reconstruction. The likelihood, would be that he would not be able to play until 2007, at the age of 30 he announced his retirement from AFL.

Coaching career

Port Adelaide (2005–present)

Primus was the assistant coach to Mark Williams from December 2005 to July 2010.

Just over midway through the 2010 season, with the Power's record getting worst week by week, Williams stepped down as coach after Round 15, and Primus was appointed the caretaker coach for the remainder of the 2010 season. As caretaker coach, Primus won his first game in the showdown against the in-form Adelaide Crows and followed it up a week later with a win over the also in-form Hawthorn Hawks. He finished the 2010 season with 5 wins out of 7 games as the caretaker coach and earnt numerous praises from players, staff and supporters for the job in 2011. The club administration had started the search for a new coach and it was believed that the Power would appoint someone who had never been associated with the club before. Nevertheless, Primus was appointed as the senior coach of the club for 3 years.

In Primus' first full-season as Port Adelaide coach, the side only won three games for the 2011 season. Port Adelaide were last coming into the final round against Melbourne, however the Power won by 8 points, in doing so avoiding the wooden spoon.

Personal life

Primus married Melissa Tucker in January 2007. They have two daughters together, Skye Isabella (born April 2006) and Holly Jessica (born July 2007). They had their third child in September 2008.

Honours and achievements

Team:

• Port Adelaide Pre Season Premiership 2001, 2002

Individual:

• All Australian 2001, 2002
• Port Adelaide Second Best & Fairest 1997
• Fitzroy Second Best and Fairest 1996
• Port Adelaide Best & Fairest 2002
• Port Adelaide Best Team Man 2000, 2001
• Port Adelaide Captain 2001–2005
• Port Adelaide Coach 2010–present
• International Rules Series 2002

External links

• Port Adelaide Football Club
• Matthew Primus Profile at The Power From Port (Registration Required)

Sporting positions
Preceded by Gavin Wanganeen	Port Adelaide Captain 2001–2004	Succeeded by Warren Tredrea
Preceded by Warren Tredrea	Port Adelaide Captain 2005	Succeeded by Warren Tredrea
Preceded by Mark Williams	Port Adelaide Football Club coach 2010–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by Warren Tredrea	Port Adelaide Best and Fairest winner 2002	Succeeded by Gavin Wanganeen