Matthew Leuenberger
Matthew Leuenberger (born 7 June 1988) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the AFL for the Brisbane Lions and Essendon. He grew up in Western Australia, played for East Perth, and represented Western Australia in the 2006 AFL Under 18 Championships, earning All-Australian recognition as a ruck.
Drafted by Brisbane with pick No. 4 in the 2006 national draft, Leuenberger made his AFL debut in round 14, 2007 against West Coast. His early years included 19 games in his first two seasons and the start of 2009 with several knee problems. After knee surgery, an infection limited him and led to a loss of about 11 kilograms.
In 2010 he played every game, and in 2011 he had 22 games and 724 hitouts, the second-most in the league after finals. A tendon issue in 2012 kept him out after a round-three re-injury. He returned in 2013 but battled ongoing injuries. He re-signed with Brisbane in June 2013, keeping him at the club.
A highlight came in the 2013 QClash against Gold Coast, where he earned the Marcus Ashcroft Medal after 20 disposals, 7 tackles, and 29 hitouts. He played four games in 2014 before tearing his meniscus, ruling him out for at least three months, then returning for the final round.
In 2015 he was the backup ruck to Stefan Martin. He left Brisbane as a free agent, joining Essendon, with the move officially announced on 15 October. He went on to play 29 games for Essendon and 108 for Brisbane, totaling 137 AFL games and 31 goals.
Leuenberger retired from AFL after the 2018 season, despite being offered a new contract for 2019. He is 202 cm tall and weighed about 105 kg during his career.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:41 (CET).