Lloyd was Essendon’s leading goal-kicker a record 12 times and three times the League’s highest goal-kicker.
At his career’s end, after 15 seasons at the very top, Matthew Lloyd retired a genuine superstar of the game.
Matthew Lloyd’s game was built around great anticipation, explosive speed off the mark, strong hands and a fierce desire to win. At his peak Matthew Lloyd was the best full forward in the land.
Matthew Lloyd made his debut in round 15, 1995, against Adelaide, and goaled with his first kick. He played five games in his debut season two of them finals.
In 1998 Lloyd kicked 70 goals, the most by an Essendon player in almost 25 years, and won the first of five All-Australian selections. He followed this with 87 goals in 1999, the second highest in the competition.
2000 was a stellar season for both Essendon and Matthew Lloyd. He reached a career high of 109 goals, won the first of three 2000 Coleman Medals and also premiership medal as part of the great 2000 Bombers team.
Lloyd kicked another 105 goals in 2001 and was now clearly the competition’s leading full forward. He appeared unstoppable.
In 2003, Lloyd set a new all-time Essendon goalkicking record when he booted 11 goals against the Bulldogs to reach 579 career goals and eclipse Simon Madden's previous record.
Matthew Lloyd was appointed Essendon captain in 2006, and an inspired Lloyd led from the front kicking 12 goals in the opening two rounds. But a torn hamstring in round 3 wiped-out his season and threatened his career.
He returned in 2007 and kicked the AFL Goal of the Year in round 20 and matched this with the AFL Mark of the Year in 2008, reaching his 250 game milestone a fortnight later. In 2009, Matthew Lloyd kicked his 900th career goal becoming only the eighth player in history to achieve this feat.
In 2009, after inspiring his team mates to a come-from-behind win over reigning premiers Hawthorn, to reach the finals for the first time in five years, Matthew Lloyd drew the curtain on one of the game’s great careers.
We induct Matthew Lloyd as a legend of the Essendon Football Club Hall of Fame.
