Matthew Dea Biography

Matt Dea is ruled out for the start of the 2019 season with a medial collateral ligament strain that will sideline him for six weeks.

Essendon select Matthew Dea with pick No.25 in the 2018 Rookie Draft.

"Matt is a great person and we know what he can deliver on the field, so we’re really pleased to welcome him back to the Club," Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro said.

"He is a leader and you can’t underestimate the contribution to the culture he made during his time at the Club. Matt is a great clubman and our players are rapt a person of his calibre is back on the list."

Essendon delists Matt Dea who managed 12 games for the club in 2018.

Dea is the last of 10 players the Bombers signed in 2016 after the club was hit by a raft of season-long bans to players for breaching ASADA rules.

"Matt is a quality person and is the ultimate professional, both on and off the field," Essendon football manager Dan Richardson said.

"Even while he was trying to cement his spot in the team, he was prepared to support the younger guys that were looking for the senior opportunity as well, which speaks volumes of his character."

Matt Dea signs a twoyear deal with Essendon as a delisted free agent to remain at the club until the end of 2018.

"The boys have been fantastic and the coaches have been really supportive since the day I arrived," Dea said.

"This season was a massive opportunity for me to develop my game and I'm really honoured to have the chance to continue my career in the red and black."

Bombers coach John Worsfold says he would be open to retaining top-up players James Kelly and Matthew Dea for the 2017 season.

"James Kelly and Matty Dea have been very strong performers all year," Worsfold said.

"Matty Dea is in a prime age bracket. There may be other clubs who have seen how well he's performed for us this year and may be looking at him.

"But we'll certainly look at that as an option without guaranteeing anything and Kelly is a bit the same."

Essendon recruit Matt Dea says he has much to offer at the elite level after he was offered a second chance by the Bombers.

Dea failed to play a senior game in 2015 but won the Tigers' VFL best and fairest, averaging 20 possessions a game.

"I feel like I was playing some good footy last year, it was unfortunate to be let go by the Tigers," he said.

"I definitely feel I’ve got a lot to offer, and I’m keen to keep that going here.

"I’ll just be putting my best foot forward and trying to get around the boys as much as I can and just be ready to go."

Former Richmond defender Matt Dea has earned another AFL chance, signing with Essendon as a top-up player for 2016.

Dea, who won the Tigers' VFL best and fairest last season, put pen to paper on Thursday, potentially extending his 31-game career after the Tigers delisted him at the end of last season.

Winning Richmond's VFL team's best and fairest this year hasn't been enough for Matt Dea to earn another AFL contract, with the defender delisted by the Tigers along with Nathan Gordon.

Richmond has re-signed six players, including versatile defender Jake Batchelor and Ricky Petterd.

Batchelor has inked a deal that will keep him at Punt Rd until at least the end of 2016, while Matt Dea, Matt McDonough, Todd Elton and Petterd have also put pen to paper.

Former Port Adelaide midfielder Matt Thomas has re-signed as a rookie-listed player for a further year as well.

The injuries are over and Matt Dea is now aiming to play every game for Richmond after playing four games last year.

"Those four games gave me another little taste. I couldn't wait for the next season," Dea said.

"I'm confident my body will hold up. It's just a matter of whether the form holds up."

Matthew Dea makes his AFL debut for Richmond at the MCG with 9 disposals (9 handballs) and 3 tackles in a 55-point loss to Melbourne.

Richmond draftee Matt Dea, taken with pick No. 44 in the 2009 NAB AFL draft, has only recently made the switch from basketball to football.

"I played basketball, and made the switch to footy late this year, and I guess it's paid off," he said.

"I only played three TAC Cup games this year, but that was good experience - so not too many, not as many as the other boys, but hopefully it won't show.

"I just started playing with the school side and started really enjoying it, and then the guys at the (Ballarat) Rebels started saying I should have a real crack, and here we are."