Matthew Lokan

[Hoggy]

This youngen has come to the mighty Collingwood Football Club.

Has anyone got any info on mighty Matty Lokan?

[Bert]

Damn damn damn. Another loss along with Rhino and Eugene .

I see we picked i up O'Loughlin and Funky (Good grief ) but still need a class ruckman, key forward and ball getting midfielder to improve AT ALL.

Has anyone heard if Evans and Bond are returning?

[dreamkillers]

He attended the draft camp back in 2000.....this was his description back then...........

Matthew Lokan Port Magpies (SANFL)
DOB 20/11/82
Height 185
Weight 91

Strong and aggressive left footer who can play forward or back, has excellent hands which he displayed in representing SA U18’s. From St Michaels College he played both U19’s and Reserves with the Magpies this year.


This was from an article the SANFL had on him earlier this year.....


LOKAN LOVIN’ PLAYIN’ FOR PORT
BY MARK McKAY

“I DON’T MIND HELPING OUT AT ALL. IT’S EXPECTED OF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER AND EVEN THOUGH I’M
NOT FULL-TIME YET I’M GLAD TO BE PART OF IT. THE SUPPORT STAFF ALL HELP OUT FOR NOTHING SO I CAN’T
SEE WHY I CAN’T.”

It rarely happens in League football these days where
players can grow up to eventually play for the team that they’ve loved all their life. But it seems to happen frequently down Port Adelaide way.

Strongly-built forward Matthew Lokan is the latest in a long line of homegrown Magpies brought up to see
their football in degrees of black and white.

While results in the seniors have been hard to come by
thus far for the Maggies, Matthew has progressed
through his junior football with honours. Teal Cup
representation in 2000 earned him an invitation to the AFL draft camp that year (along with then teammates Alan Didak, Shaun Burgoyne and Scott Thompson) and
while not picked up, an invitation to train with the Power was a great start to 2001.

And of course, the talented 19-year-old is hoping for some good news about the big league later this year.
For now though, the affable teenager is looking to
increase his own presence within the Magpies senior lineup, and in turn, help Port turn around a patchy season and grab a spot in the major round.

Injuries to Bryan Beinke and Cain Ackland played a
part in Matthew garnering a position at the goalface
earlier in the year, where he impressed many judges with his ability around the big sticks particularly in
Round 3 when he kicked the winning goal against North Adelaide at Prospect.

“I guess it’s every boy’s dream (to kick the winning
goal) and to do it in my second League game was a
personal thrill, ” says Matthew. “But I’ve got to thank ‘Browny’ (teammate Tony Brown) - he was egging me on hard! If we hadn’t have got that one things would have been even worse for us.”

The former St Michael’s student is currently studying
at university to become a primary school teacher, and
relishes the opportunity that both careers can afford and
the way they can dovetail together in such programs as
Auskick and junior development.

He also has a mature outlook on his responsibilities at the club. Matthew finds himself in an unusual environment at Port - struggling for cash and struggling for wins - and relishes the opportunity to work hard for the club he has followed all his life.

“The financial difficulties haven’t filtered right through to us as yet, but we are aware of the challenges facing the club and pitch in whenever we can,” he says. “I don’t mind helping out at all. It’s expected of a professional footballer and even though I’m not full-time
yet I’m glad to be part of it. The support staff all help out for nothing so I can’t see why I can’t.

“As far as on-field goes, I see ‘Fiegs’ (Nigel Fiegert) and ‘Carts’ (Stephen Carter), they’re used to winning premierships and not used to being out of the five.
It fires me up, but we’ve just got to deliver as a team. The supporters expect it from us.”