GVL Hall of Fame Inductee: Matthew O'Sullivan

 2024 GOTAFE Goulburn Valley League Hall of Fame Inductee 

Matthew O’Sullivan

When looking through the list of top footballers in the GVL you come across many who not only succeed at football, but excel in other sports as well. The GVL now inducts such a person who would have to be regarded as the best all round sportsman at 
Seymour Football Netball Club

Matthew O’Sullivan is a part of a well-known Seymour family who have produced top sports performers as well as taking on important roles as administrators and supporters.

Matts football life began as many Seymour players have, as a junior at St. Marys junior football club in the under 10s. After juniors, he was elevated into the Seymour 3rds in 1983 where he played under the coaching of Robin Gardener.

He took to the game with gusto and it was no surprise when he became a member of his beloved Seymour Lions senior team in 1985 after playing 6 reserves games. Peter Gorski was the coach.

Matt relished the opportunity to play with top players and in his second season in 1986 he won the Seymour Best player award. By 1987 he was the senior captain of the Lions. He settled in to the team as a top player and guided the Lions during their team building towards the ultimate prize which came in 1991 when the Lions defeated Tongala by 9 points to become GVL premiers.

Then there were some lean years during the nineties when Matt played his heart out in a club which was struggling to play finals.

He was selected to represent the League on 7 occasions and loved the opportunity to be involved in Interleague games and enjoyed wearing the purple and gold GVL jumper. He appreciated the friends he made and the opportunity to play with top players in the League. He also won the Shepparton News Award selected by the News football writers.

He took the opportunity to accept a coaching role with the Broadford club in 1995 & 6 then returned to the Lion’s Den. At the end of the nineties, he decided to retire on 199 games. However, he was talked into returning to play 2 years later to notch up his 200th game. This gave him a qualified Life membership of the GVL to add to his Life membership of Seymour. In 2000 he was named in the Seymour Team of the century.

Following his playing days, he remained highly involved with the club. He was president of Seymour in 2001 and 2002 and then was a selector on the match committee for the premiership years of 2005 & 6.

Matt also supported junior football as coach of St. Marys under 16s from 2009 – 2011 and moved on to coach the Seymour 3rds from 2012 to 2014 which was a grand final year. He coached the Reserves in 2016 & 17 and also spent more time on the match committee. What a wonderful commitment to Seymour.

In the year 2017 only 2 players in the Seymour senior team had not been coached by Matthew. It is also important to note that Matt did not receive any money from the Seymour club either as a player, an administrator or a coach. His commitment was voluntary.

As mentioned, Matt has also excelled in other sports. He was amongst the best performers in the Seymour Cricket Association, he is a champion lawn bowler, and plays golf off scratch.

With that wonderful sporting record and an example of what a dedicated player can do for a club he loves. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Matthew O’Sullivan as a member of the GVL Hall of Fame.

Seymour FNC News

By Mitch Itter August 17, 2025
Janelle Puppa Real Estate UNDER 18s Seymour 3.8.26 def by Tatura 10.5.65 Best: D Davis, R Powell, L Sainsbury, A Nash, H Sullivan Goals: D Davis 2, L Sainsbury O'Keefe's IGA Seymour Reserves Seymour 18.12.120 def Tatura 2.2.14 The Lions came out eager to continue their strong form with finals just around the quarter and they did not disappoint. Seven first quarter goals set the game up for Seymour, doing well to keep Tatura scoreless for the entirety of the first half. Following the main break the Lions let their foot off the gas but were still able to emerge with a solid 106 point win ahead of a tough test against Shepp Bears coming this weekend. Taiten Thomas was a livewire up forward, taking some strong marks and combining well with Dale Short as both finished with four majors to their names. Joel Durham kept up his big effort in the ruck with another consistent performance, working with Curtis Powell and Cooper Lubeck through the middle of the ground. The win means the Lions will finish in fourth spot following the final game of the home and away season. Best: T Thomas, J Durham, C Powell, D Short, C Lubeck Goals: D Short 4, T Thomas 4, J Davey 3, C Lubeck 3, C Osmond 2, D Davis 1, J Mann 1 Seymour Club Seniors Seymour 22.19.151 def Tatura 6.2.38 After a big win last week over United, the Lions were looking to repeat the feat against Tatura and were able to come away with a 113 point win. Some inaccurate kicking in the first quarter saw the Lions fail to capitalise on all the play but they were able to make amends in the final three quarters of the game, kicking seven, five and seven goals to round out a great performance. Riley Mason showed yet again why he’s the best player in the competition with a dominant performance including nine goals. The tally could’ve been much higher if not for some unselfish play throughout the game. The midfield group dominated around stoppages with Nathan Beattie, Jack Peris and Jack Murphy all in the best alongside Dylan Cook who reinvented himself as a tap ruckman. Other highlights of the day included great debut performances from Jackson Mansfield and Ben McCarthy. Mansfield was a strong target up forward all day with three majors, while McCarthy was busy around the ground and managed to get a goal of his own on the board.  Best: R Mason, N Beattie, J Peris, D Cook, J Murphy Goals: R Mason 9, J Mansfield 3, J Murphy 3, L Lubeck 2, N Beattie 1, D Giles 1, B McCarthy 1, J Peris 1, R Schraven 1
August 17, 2025
Australian Trenching & Excavations UNDER 15s Seymour 23 def by Tatura 28 The early game in Tatura started off quite slow but the Lions came back punching in the second quarter. The girls created many turnovers defensively and were able to convert well. Isabel Meller was responsible for lots of turnovers and provided plenty of talk down the court. Matilda Barry worked well on her timing and made some beautiful passes into the ring. Lily Tippett’s goaling and movement in the ring was great. Inari Sushi Award: Matilda Barry Trawool Shed - Cafe, Cottages & Restaurant UNDER 17s Seymour 44 def Tatura 40 Lilly Kelly worked really hard in the defensive circle, sticking tight to her player and getting some clean defensive turnovers. For four quarters she stayed determined and strong and was crucial to our win. Ella Zotti and Taylah Mason worked seamlessly together in the middle of the court, creating great drive and intensity. The girls worked the ball well from end to end. The 17s had a close four goal win, cementing their spot in the finals where they will be looking to bring the same determination and intensity. O’Sullivan Builders Award: Lilly Kelly O’SULLIVAN BUILDERS B RESERVE Seymour 39 def Tatura 28 The team’s defensive pressure was the best we’ve seen all season. Every player on the court worked hard to keep up the intensity. Tatura challenged the Lions for 60 minutes but the Lions were able to adapt to changes and keep the scoreboard pressure on. Sarah Waite, Ruby Trimble and Grace Barry were fierce. As always, Shona Gesler was steady in the goals. Whistle Award: Grace Barry Seymour Hardware Group B GRADE Seymour 51 def Tatura 29 Seymour got off to a great start in their game against Tatura, never giving up on the contest. The Lions played structured netball to put together a fantastic win. Courtney Aldous, Sophie Rutherford and Andy McKenzie were fabulous in the midcourt, driving forward and creating space for our goalers. Rooks Pizza Award: Georgia Engel Beer Auto Group Seymour A GRADE Seymour 45 def Tatura 42 The first quarter was an even battle across the court, with out goalers working tirelessly to gain the front space. Our defenders in the second quarter got their hands to multiple balls, creating lots of opportunities for the attacking end. Ruby Martin created multiple turnovers. The second half saw Tatura come out with determination, however Seymour kept their composure and calm to hold on right until the end.
By Mitch Itter August 9, 2025
Janelle Puppa Real Estate UNDER 18s Seymour 9.7.61 def United 6.7.43 Best: J Brock, B McCarthy, J Mansfield, A Nash, S Brown Goals: J Mansfield 3, H Murphy 2, A Nash 1, L Sainsbury 1, J Brock 1, B Harris 1 O'Keefe's IGA Seymour Reserves Seymour 21.13.139 def United 2.3.15 It was a one sided contest from the first whistle with United only able to score one goal in each half of the game. The Lions showed why they’re a contender come September with some sensational passages of play. Lachlan Beattie made a successful return after some time away, dominating through the middle of the ground and combining well with Joel Durham in the ruck. The tall timber got the job done at both ends of the ground with Ollie Munro working well across half back and Jack Radford extending his lead at the top of the goal kicking charts with a big bag of seven goals. Curtis Powell and Taiten Thomas played with determination to round out the best players in a fantastic all round performance. Best: L Beattie, J Radford, C Powell, O Munro, T Thomas Goals: J Radford 7, J Davey 3, D Short 3, T Thomas 3, C Lubeck 2, C Powell 1, R Gardner 1, N Davey 1 Seymour Club Seniors Seymour 17.14.116 def United 8.8.56 The Seniors game followed a similar pattern to the Reserves with the Lions dominant from the first contest, leaving the result beyond doubt from very early on. The Lions only took the foot off the gas in the final term, allowing United to add some respectability to the scoreline. Jack Murphy racked up plenty of possessions in the midfield alongside his partners in crime, Nic Quigg and Nathan Beattie who were able to stay focused, dominating their direct opponents. Cooper Holdsworth-Rose again showed why he’s a start of the future with his incredible athleticism and fantastic reading of the play. Riley Mason was a class above with five majors, supported well up forward by Nathan Fowler and a very lively Max McLean, who both kicked three goals each. The Lions will be back on the road next weekend to take on Tatura, looking to put another win on the board. Best: J Murphy, N Quigg, N Beattie, C Holdsworth-Rose, R Mason Goals: R Mason 5, N Fowler 3, M McLean 3, J Peris 1, D Davis 1, N Beattie 1, L Lubeck 1, N Quigg 1, D Giles 1
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