“I still do” | Leigh Matthews says grand final loss will “haunt” Collingwood staff forever

Leigh Matthews says Nathan Buckley and his coaching staff will be haunted by this year’s narrow grand final defeat for the rest of their life.

The AFL great said little things, like whether it was a mistake not to play another tall defender, would bug them.

“They will be haunted for the rest of their lives about what could we have done that MIGHT have made a difference,” Matthews explained.

“They’re all hypothetical because nobody knows what would change.”

Matthews, who says Collingwood should have been awarded a free kick in the lead up to Dom Sheed’s match-winning goal, said it was the “controllable things” and not umpiring calls that left you asking questions as a coach.

He cited the aerial dominance of the Eagles on grand final day.

“I’d be saying to myself – should have I have played Ben Reid, instead of say, James Aish?” the four-time premiership winning coach said on Sportsday.

“Should I have played another tall defender, rather than a small.

“They’re the things that haunt you.

“There’s no right or wrong answer. There’s no definitive answer.

“But when you lose a close game, especially a grand final…”

Leigh was then asked how often he thought about Brisbane’s loss to Port Adelaide in the 2004 grand final.

“I still do,” he said.

Click PLAY below to hear more of Leigh’s thoughts