Matt Eagles Biography

Brisbane delist five players including Matt Eagles, Sam Skinner, Jacob Allison, Corey Lyons, and Toby Wooller.

Archie Smith, Sam Skinner, Corey Lyons and Matt Eagles all delisted by Brisbane but have been told by the club they will be re-drafted on either the primary or rookie lists.

Brisbane applies to the AFL to retain key defender Matt Eagles – 2016 winner of reality TV show The Recruit – as a Category B rookie for a fourth season in 2020.

League rules typically permit clubs to keep players as Category B rookies for a maximum of three years, but the Lions believe Eagles' path to the AFL makes him an exceptional case.

Matt Eagles signs a new one-year deal with Brisbane to remain at the club in 2019.

"When the club said they wanted to extend my contract for another year, it was overwhelming," Eagles said.

"I'm obviously really happy and I look forward to putting in more hard work."

General manager of football David Noble praised the defender's work ethic.

"Matt has continued to improve and his strong performance at AFL level made it an easy decision to offer him a contract,” Noble said.

"He's a really popular player amongst the group with a great work ethic to match."

Matt Eagles is set for surgery for an ongoing abdominal/groin injury and will miss the rest of the 2018 season.

Eagles first inflamed the area in the Lions' round 10 loss to Sydney and has continued to feel pain despite the club exhausting its non-surgical options.

After making his AFL debut with 11 disposals against Collingwood, Matt Eagles reflects on the unique path he's taken to fulfilling his dream via a reality television show.

"It's been a bit of a challenge, but I've loved every moment of it," he said.

"The pathway is a lot different, so you feel a bit isolated when you come in.

"You've got to build connections with players, earn their trust, and that of the coaching staff.

"I felt there was a lot more pressure on me, a lot of people (were) watching.

"I worked really hard on the show, very grateful for it, but once I got to the club it made me realise how much work I had to do.

"Since then I put my foot down, working as hard as I could."

Matt Eagles makes his AFL debut for Brisbane at the Gabba with 11 disposals (7 kicks and 4 handballs) and 4 marks in a 7-point loss to Collingwood.

From reality television to the AFL, Matt Eagles will make his AFL debut for Brisbane this week.

"The dream has come true for him. It's come true because he's worked hard," Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said.

"At the first training session he turned up to, the number of times he got falconed and missed kicks and missed handballs, I was thinking 'this is going to test me out a little bit'.

"From that day forward he's continued to improve in all elements; skill, game understanding, diet, fitness, the lot. He's come a long, long way."

Matt Eagles says he is growing in confidence after being told he will be retained by Brisbane as a category B rookie in 2018.

"I came in as a ruckman and forward at the start, but I struggled a little bit with all the new structures and being in the (AFL) environment all the time," Eagles said.

"But they put me in the backline, which was new to me, and I just adapted to that quite quickly and started getting some form halfway through the season and really jelled with the boys.

"I've surprised myself and I like the direction the club's going. Getting another pre-season under my belt will help."

Reality TV show winner Matt Eagles may earn new deal after an impressive NEAFL Grand Final performance.

Eagles was a longshot as recently as mid-season to remain beyond this year, but a purple patch of form, capped by a dominant NEAFL Grand Final performance, has given the Lions something to think about.

He amassed 18 disposals (11 contested), 11 marks, 17 intercept possessions – the equal-most in any NEAFL match this season – and five rebound 50s in the three-point triumph at the SCG.

"He'll admit it took him a little while to adjust to the step up in footy from where he's come from," Eagles' manager Peter Blucher said.

"But he's come a long, long way and has worked incredibly hard and done a phenomenal job. He was not a bit-part player in the finals – he was a very important player.

"He got an opportunity in an unusual way, but he's made the most of it. Given how far he's come in one year, I'd love to see where he gets to with another year and a full pre-season."

Brisbane sign up winner of The Recruit Matt Eagles as a Category B rookie.

The 199cm ruckman edged out Daniel Cox (second) and Jordan Treloar (third) to win the second season of the show.