Michael Mattingly won the best-and-fairest when Kyabram claimed the 2025 GVL premiership.
Kyabram’s off-season has begun, and one story to certainly track is Michael Mattingly’s return from injury.
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Mainly because the Bombers’ standout from their 2025 flag is unsure about going again in 2027.
“I'm telling most people that I'm just going to do my rehab, give myself the best shot of returning, and then make the call on the other side about what I do,” Mattingly said.
You understand Mattingly’s hesitancy when you hear a quick summary of his recent injury history.
April’s ACL rupture against Rochester was the second time his left knee had given way — the other being in 2021.
Like this year, Mattingly had to enjoy a sideline view during 2024 after a bad tear to his back ruled him out.
“I've had a few years of getting knocked down and getting back up and knocked down and back up again,” he said.
Mattingly turned 30 this year as well. His younger self may have shrugged off the setbacks.
But for any athlete, the older you get, the harder it is to return.
The 2025 best-and-fairest has also taken a little longer with his rehabilitation this time around.
The choice was get early surgery and focus on recovery or travel to North America to watch the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup — not a hard decision for Mattingly, a big fan of the round ball game.
“I didn’t end up getting surgery until August,” he said.
“I didn’t want to do it before that trip because it’s one I’d been looking forward to for a while.
“We were over there a month, so I didn’t get the surgery until I was back.
“That alone might have pushed back the recovery timeline a little bit and could make next year tough.”
Despite the delay, Mattingly said he was feeling good about his rehab, which was roughly eight weeks in.
Should he return, Mattingly will also come back to a bit of a different Bombers set-up.
Corey Carver was replaced by Darryl Wilson at the end of August.
Any new coach wants to start on the right foot, and when you’ve got an injured star at your disposal, it’s probably logical to reach out and see how he’s travelling.
“I've had conversations with Darryl, and it's exciting to have such a credentialed coach in charge of the boys,” Mattingly said.
“Corey did an amazing job; we had pretty much a full reset from our last flag in 2019 and to win it again with a new group in 2025 was awesome.
“He did a great job, but I think it’s a great time for a new coach to come in and lead this group, and I think we’ll have a bit of a refresh of the list again, which should be exciting for the boys.”
Mattingly was best-on when the Bombers beat Rochester in the 2025 grand final.
Any club talks itself into optimism once the off-season begins.
But Kyabram had to contend with a few other outs alongside Mattingly this year, along with key players Rhys Clark and Kaine Herbert battling niggles.
It doesn’t mean the Bombers would’ve been as good as Echuca and Shepparton Bears — though is relevant when discussing a team only a year removed from a flag and which finished a win away from the grand final.
“The boys did an amazing job to get where they got,” Mattingly said.
“I think everyone in the competition knew those two teams were probably a few goals better than anyone else.
“We also battled through a few different injury issues.
“Those finals wins the boys had were awesome, but I think we’ve got a bit of catching up to do to catch those two.”
The Bombers are clearly aware of the gap, if their early recruitment is anything to go by.
Nick Holman has come back straight from AFL retirement, his brother Tom — a previous Ky flag winner — joined him, and 2025 star on-baller Archie Watt has also returned.
The support awaiting Mattingly for a possible return is not bad.
The decision seems to rest entirely with him, and there’s no doubt Kyabram would happily welcome one of its 2025 heroes back with open arms.
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