Leigh Montagna

Leigh Montagna is an elite AFL midfielder and is an integral part of St Kilda's engineroom. Since establishing himself in the St Kilda side, Montagna has been one of St Kilda’s best and most consistent players not just week to week, but also season to season. Underlining this, the only two Saints to finish in the top 10 of St Kilda’s past five best and fairests are Leigh Montagna and Sam Fisher, with both players recording three top three finishes during this time.

In recent seasons Montagna has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the competition in terms of the number of possessions he can accumulate, as well as the damage he can cause to the opposition with his ball carrying ability and skillful disposals.





Draft and Debut
At the time of being drafted in 2001 a few weeks after turning 18 Montagna was 178 centimetres and 72 kilograms, having been recruited from Balwyn/ Northern Under 18s. The profile for Montagna in AFL 2002 the Official statistical history of the AFL said “Extremely quick and talented wingman who reads the play well and has great vision. A superb raking kick for goal on the run in the Peter Matera mould, Montagna has immense potential and is touted as a 100 game player.”

Montagna commenced the 2002 season in the VFL and after being named as an emergency for St Kilda in Round 4 and 5 made his debut in Round 6 against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. Montagna was back playing for Springvale in the VFL the following week, and three weeks after making his AFL debut he broke his ankle whilst playing for Springvale to join St Kilda’s ever mounting injury list. The injury kept Leigh on the sidelines for the remainder of the 2002 season.

2003 Season
Leigh was named an emergency for the first two rounds of 2003, in Round 3 he played for St Kilda against West Coast and after coming off the interchange bench he was in St Kilda’s best players with 12 kicks, nine marks, five handballs and two goals. In his next three matches Montagna had a total of only four disposals and in Round 7 was dropped to the VFL where he spent the next eight weeks.

Upon being recalled to the St Kilda side in Round 15 Montaga had at least 10 disposals in his next four games and kicked a total of six goals during this time. Montagna retained his position for the rest of the season to make it eight consecutive games for the Saints.

Throughout 2003 Montagna played mainly as a forward and twice kicked three goals in a game, against the Kangaroos in the Round 16 five point victory and against Carlton at Optus Oval. Montagna had 11 kicks and eight handballs against Carlton in Round 20 to receive a Rising Star nomination and his first Brownlow Medal vote. Montagna was the third Saint to receive a Rising Star nomination in the 2003 season, following Luke Ball in Round 2 and Brendon Goddard in Round 7. Later in the decade Montagna, Goddard and Ball would all play over 100 games for St Kilda and would be selected in at least one All-Australian team.

Joey was very accurate around goal, kicking 12 goals, three behinds, and also averaged just over a score assist per game. Due to his light build Montagna only averaged 78 minutes per game during the 2003 season. Even though Montagna was not able to establish himself permanently in the St Kilda side it was apparent that he had explosive speed, was highly skilled and just needed to develop physically to become permanent fixture in the Saints best 22.

Montagna played 12 games in 2003 and was named an emergency for the remaining 10, he averaged 6.1 kicks, 4.3 handballs and 2.5 marks per game with a disposal efficiency of 77.6%. In four games during 2003 Leigh had at least 17 disposals, he also made an impact on the scoreboard kicking a total of 10 goals during these four matches with multiple goals on each occasion. In his eight other games for the season he was restricted to a total of only two goals. Consistency was an issue for Montagna, and whilst he was named in St Kilda’s best players several times during 2003, he made little impact in several other games, five times having less than eight disposals.

2004 Season
Off-field issues had a detrimental impact on 20 year old Montagna’s performances early in the 2004 season. Leigh played in the Saints pre-season Premiership side, however he struggled to break into the St Kilda side during the home and away season, only playing two matches in the first 15 rounds, both times as a late replacement for the injured Xavier Clarke. Montagna played six straight games from Round 16 to Round 21, but was dropped for Round 22 only to again be a late replacement, this time for Robert Harvey who had a light hamstring strain. It was to be Montagna’s last match for the year as he missed the Saints three finals due to an injured hamstring.

In back to back games in Round 17 and Round 18 Montagna kicked three goals in each game against Geelong and Essendon. Montagna had a very similar output to the previous season in his nine games, averaging 6.4 kicks, 4.8 handballs and 3.1 marks per game with a disposal efficiency of 80.2%. Montagna almost doubled his tackling, from 1.5 per game in 2003 to 2.8 per game in 2004, whilst he had been able to play nine matches and kick nine goals as a small forward he had been unable to improve on his performances from the 2003 season.

2005 Season
Montagna again had hamstring issues at the start of the 2005 season and it wasn’t until Round 6 that he played his first VFL match of the season. After five matches in the VFL Montagna made his first 2005 appearance for the St Kilda in Round 13 against Essendon but was quite, with only five disposals and he returned to VFL affiliate Springvale the following week.

After three matches at VFL level Montagna was on the cusp of senior selection, being named an emergency for Round 17 and 18. He came into the Round 18 side against Melbourne as a late replacement for Cain Ackland who missed with a knee injury. Montagna made the most of his call-up having 12 kicks, five marks, five handballs and kicking three goals against Melbourne.

After playing only one match in the first 17 rounds Montagna kept his position in the St Kilda side for the last seven games of 2005 including both finals, playing mainly as a wingman he elevated his game to a new level, having more than 10 possessions in each of his last seven matches including four games with at least 17 disposals. In Round 21 against Fremantle at Subiaco Montagna played his best game of the season, having 16 kicks, 6 handballs, eight marks laying four tackles to receive one Brownlow Medal vote.

Montagna played eight matches in 2005, averaging 9.8 kicks, 5.4 handballs and 4.4 marks per game with a disposal efficiency of 81.0%. Montagna increased his average possessions per game by 36% from 11.2 in 2004 to 15.2 in 2005, in his fourth season of AFL football he had increased his body strength, and was better conditioned to the rigours of AFL football, enabling him to average 93 minutes per game in 2005, up from 82 minutes in 2004.

2006 Season
Montagna had a breakout season in 2006, as not only did he establish himself firmly in St Kilda’s best 22, but after being an emergency for Round 1 he played all remaining 22 matches and finished ninth in St Kilda’s best and fairest. Even though 2006 was Montagna’s first full season in the midfield he had became a very important part of it, especially with Lenny Hayes seriously injuring his knee in Round 9 and missing the rest of the season. Other Saints to miss most of the season due to injuries were Aaron Hamill and Justin Koschitzke who played only 16 games between them. To compound matters, centre half back Matt Maguire broke his leg in the Round 18 match against the West Coast Eagles at the Telstra Dome. Whilst Hamill and Koschitzke returned to the St Kilda side late in the season, they were not at their best and the injuries to these two players along with Hayes and Maguire took a serious toll on a St Kilda side that finished sixth at the end of the home and away season and was then beaten by 18 points in an Elimination Final against Melbourne at the MCG.

In 2006 Montagna played 22 matches, averaging 12.3 kicks, 6.9 handballs and 4.8 marks a game with a disposal efficiency of 73.9%. Montagna led St Kilda for inside 50s with 110, 23 ahead of Jason Gram, ranked second. Montagna was also ranked third at St Kilda for tackles and hard-ball gets, being behind Nick Dal Santo and Luke Ball in both categories. In three g matches during 2006 Montagna had at least 24 disposals, Round 2 vs Brisbane (24), Round 17 vs Richmond (34) and Round 21 vs the Western Bulldogs (28), in each game Montagna received a Brownlow Medal vote and St Kilda were victorious.

Each of the first five times that Montagna polled at the Brownlow Medal he had received one vote, a trend he broke with a brilliant start to the 2007 season, having 17 kicks, seven handballs, five marks and laying seven tackles in the 31 point Round 1 victory against Melbourne to receive three Brownlow Medal votes.

2007 Season
Montagna “had the most possessions of any Saint in 2007 (502), including a purple patch between rounds 10-13 where he averaged 32 possessions.”2 Montagna had proved very effective in the St Kilda side on a wing where he could use his pace and skills to damaging effect. Joey, amazingly missed only one game in Round 9 after breaking his jaw the previous week against Hawthorn. Montagna’s average game time reduced slightly from 104 minutes in 2006 to 101 minutes, however this was largely due to clubs wanting to rotate their midfielders more.

Despite being mainly considered as an outside midfielder Montagna was ranked third at St Kilda for hard-ball gets with 51, behind Hayes with 64 and Dal Santo with 63. Montagna led St Kilda for inside 50s with 94, five ahead of centre half forward Nick Riewoldt, and was ranked second for loose-ball gets with 69, 14 behind Dal Santo.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Mid-season in 2007 Montagna gave football fans a taste of what to expect in future years as “between Rounds 10-16 there weren’t too many better midfielders in the competition than Montagana. He ranked No. 1 in AFL kicks and effective kicks, second in uncontested possessions and third in disposals during that seven-week period.”3 Leigh polled five Brownlow Medal votes during this time, receiving three votes for 35 disposals, five marks and a goal against Richmond in Round 13 and two votes for 33 possessions and nine marks against the Kangaroos in Round 11. Montagna finished the season with nine votes, ranked third at St Kilda behind Nick Dal Santo and Nick Riewoldt who polled 16 and 14 votes respectively.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">During 2007 Montagna continued his significant improvement, finishing third in the Saints best and fairest behind key forward Nick Riewoldt and defender Sam Fisher. Montagna was the highest placed midfielder finishing ahead of more experience teammates Nick Dal Santo (4th), Lenny Hayes (5th) and Robert Harvey (7th). In 2007 Montagna played 21 games, averaging 16.1 kicks, 7.8 handballs and 5.1 marks per game with a disposal efficiency of 76.7%.

2008 Season
During a 2008 season in which Montagna finished sixth in St Kilda’s best and fairest he played 25 matches, averaging 15.5 kicks, 7.2 handballs and 4.7 marks per game with a disposal efficiency of 73.2%. In 2008 Montagna led the AFL in kicks, and was ranked third at St Kilda for hard-ball gets and tackles, and first for inside 50s. For the first time in his career Montagana did not miss a game all season, playing all 25 including three finals and kicking 12 goals to equal his career best.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">On all five occasions that Montagna had at least 28 possessions he featured in the Brownlow Medal votes including a best afield performance in Round 17 against Port Adelaide with 22 kicks, six handballs, six marks and five tackles during the eight point victory at the Telstra Dome.

2009 Season
The profile for Montagna in the AFL Prospectus 2009 said “he gained the most metres with his kicks of any player in the competition last year and also ranked No. 1 in the AFL in long kicks as well as inside 50s and rebound 50s combined.”4 Montagna was rewarded for his outstanding 2008 season by being selected in the Australian International Rules team. For the second straight year Montagna received nine Brownlow Medal votes to be the third highest polling Saint.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In 24 games during 2009 Montagna averaged 16.6 kicks, 11.3 handballs and 5.1 marks per game with a disposal efficiency of 70.9%. Montagna almost doubled his tackling from 3.3 per game in 2008 to 6.3 per game in 2009 and he averaged the second most contested possessions per game at St Kilda with 8.3 behind Lenny Hayes with 8.9. Montagna was ranked third in the AFL for total kick metres gained. For the second straight season Montgana had 20 goal assists and at least 34 score assists.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Montagna’s best performance for the 2009 season was during the 20 point win at Subiaco Oval against West Coast in Round 15 when he had 23 kicks and a career best 20 handballs and 43 disposals, Montagna received 3 Brownlow Medal votes and polled votes in six other games during the season.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Montagna was rewarded for an outstanding 2009 season with third place in the St Kilda best and fairest, he also received 13 Brownlow Medal votes to finish equal 14th. Leigh’s speed, hard-running and ball-winning ability well and truly placed him in the AFLs elite, earning him a position in his first All-Australian team on a wing. During 2009 St Kilda had one of the most dominant home and away seasons in VFL/AFL history and four of Montagna’s teammates joined him in the All-Australian team with Lenny Hayes being named along side him in the centre, Nick Riewoldt was selected as cente-half forward and Brendon Goddard and Nick Dal Santo were both named on the interchange bench.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">There is more to being a midfielder then just racking up possessions and during the 2009 home and away season Montagna also used the football very effectively to be “ranked equal No. 1 in the competition for effective kicks, second in loose-ball gets, fourth in kicks, fifth in tackles and inside 50s, eighth in disposals and equal eighth in score assists.”5

2010 Season
For the second time in his career Montagna was one of four Saints along with Jason Blake, Sam Gilbert and James Gwilt to play every match in 2010. It was the second time in three seasons that Montagna had played every game and during that period he missed only one of St Kilda’s 76 games, Round 19 2009 against Hawthorn at Launceston.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium in Round 10 2010 Montagna played the greatest game of his career to date, dominating proceedings to have 20 kicks, 18 handballs, five clearances, two score assists and kicking a career best five goals. Such was Montagna’s influence that by the time he was resting on the bench at the 15 minute of the first quarter he had already kicked three goals, with two of them being from long range. Such was the magnitude of Joey’s performance that he also received a very rare perfect 10 votes in the Age Football of the Year award. Leigh received 3 Brownlow Medal votes for the first of three times in 2010, the later times being Round 15 vs Brisbane and Round 21 vs Richmond.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Leigh Montagna’s speed and hard running stood out against Melbourne in Round 14 as he had 35 possessions including seven contested, took seven marks and kicked two goals in another dominant midfield display at Etihad Stadium to earn 2 Brownlow Medal votes.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In Round 15 vs Brisbane Montagna had 33 possessions, five clearances, laid seven tackles, kicked a goal and had a goal assist. One of Montagna’s greatest strengths is his hard-running ability, particularly late in games. Montagna is able to run at the same intensity in the last quarter as the first, and his 20 possessions in the second half against Brisbane were critical to St Kilda gaining the ascendancy on their way to a 14 point victory after trailing by 16 points at half-time in the comeback match for both Nick Riewoldt and Jason Gram.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">During the first quarter against Richmond in Round 21 Montagna had the ball on a string to have 16 possessions, the most of any player in a quarter during the 2010 season. By the final siren Montagna had notched up 27 kicks, 15 handballs, seven marks, four inside 50s, and a goal. Montagna won a game-high 14 contested possessions and was also able to find space with his reading of the play, endurance and speed.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In the Preliminary Final against the Western Bulldogs Leigh Montagna had a game-high 33 possessions including 12 in St Kilda’s dominant third quarter, he had a team-high 16 contested possessions and laid five tackles in the Saints 24 point victory.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In 2010 Montagna played 26 matches, averaging 102 minutes, 16.5 kicks, 12.2 handballs and 4.3 marks a game with a disposal efficiency of 70.3%. Montagna was runner-up in St Kilda’s best and fairest and polled 16 Brownlow Medal votes to finish equal ninth overall and be the second ranked Saint, behind 2010 best and fairest winner Lenny Hayes who polled 19 votes. Montagna led St Kilda for kicks, handballs received, inside 50s, hard-ball gets and loose ball gets and was ranked third for handballs and tackles, sixth for goals with 18, the highest tally of his career, his previous best was 12 goals in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Montagna was rewarded for his outstanding season with selection in his second straight All-Australian team, Brendon Goddard was the only other Saint selected in the team after Lenny Hayes was controversially overlooked. During the 2010 home and away season Joey was ranked second in the AFL for kicks, first for inside 50s and third for disposals.

2011 Season
The profile for Montagna in the AFL Record Season Guide 2011 said “Montagna sits comfortably alongside the AFL’s elite midfielder after another steller season. Sets an example for his teammates with his work rate, running himself to the point of exhaustion”6

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Against Brisbane in Round 5 Montagna was also able to provide drive with his hard running and penetrating kicking to have 22 kicks, 11 handballs and take eight marks, Leigh was outstanding with the ball in dispute, having 10 clearances and winning 15 contested possessions.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Montagna received a one match suspension for his bump on Carlton’s Ed Curnow who had injured his shoulder earlier in the Round 7 match. The Saints fought back from a 20 point deficit at half-time to hit the lead during time-on of the last quarter, however an Andrew Walker goal minutes later denied St Kilda a much needed victory.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">The following week with Montagna on the sidelines the Saints got out of the blocks well to kick the first five goals of the match to lead by 32 points at quarter time. Hawthorn dominated after the first break with 14 goals to five to win by 30 points.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">St Kilda started the season very slowly and after 15 rounds were languishing in 15th position with one win, a draw and five losses. The Saints had made the finals in six of the past seven years however many football observers had grave doubts that the Saints would be able to bounce back to make the 2011 finals and there is no doubt that St Kilda were at their lowest ebb since Montagna established himself in the St Kilda side during 2006.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In his return from suspension in Round 9 against Melbourne Montagna was brilliant, with a highlight being taking a well judged contested mark against Jordan Gysberts 50 metres out from goal from a Brett Peake pass and quickly playing on to kick a goal on the run at a critical stage in the third quarter to extend St Kilda’s lead to 10 points. Montagna gave a consistent performance, having at least eight possessions in every quarter and finished the match with 22 kicks, 16 handballs, six marks and two goals. Montagna had a disposal efficiency of 82% against Melbourne, nine inside 50s and laid an equal team-high six tackles.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In St Kilda’s first two victories of the 2011 season, Round 5 vs Brisbane and Round 9 against Melbourne Leigh Montagna received the three votes from True Sainters members.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In Round 11 against Collingwood Montagna injured his knee which forced him to miss the Round 12 match against the Western Bulldogs. Leigh returned to the Saints line-up in Round 13 against Geelong but was substituted off the ground in the third quarter. The Saints Round 14 Bye came at the ideal time for Montagna to regain fitness and contribute to St Kilda’s surge up the ladder in the second half of the season.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In the Round 17 victory against West Coast at Etihad Stadium 27 year old Leigh Montagna was back to his best amassing 17 opening term possessions to set a St Kilda record for the most disposals in a first quarter. In a best afield performance Montagna finished the match with 19 kicks, 15 handballs and four goal assists to be a standout in this category as no other Saint had more than one goal assist. Leigh also kicked a set-shot goal himself from a tight angle during time-on of the last quarter to extend St Kilda’s lead to 10 points.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">With classy finishing against Collingwood in Round 21 Montagna kicked a game-high three goals, two were on the run from outside 40 metres and he kicked a first quarter goal from a 45 metres set-shot on a tight angle. Montagna had 19 kicks, five handballs, seven marks laid six tackles and had four clearances in a complete all round game playing in the midfield. Despite being under intense pressure from Collingwood Montagna retained his composure to have an 83% disposal efficiency and didn’t commit any clangers, he also had 10 inside 50s and one goal assist.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">In the first 21 Rounds of the 2011 season Montagna has played 17 matches, averaging 82% game-time, 15.9 kicks, 8.5 handballs and 5.6 marks a game with a disposal efficiency of 70.1%. Montangna is ranked second at St Kilda for kicks, fourth for disposals, equal fifth for goals, fifth for tackles, third for contested possessions and second for clearances behind Nick Dal Santo.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;">Montagna at selection 37 looks an absolute steal now and is one of only ten players from the 2001 draft to be selcted in an All-Australian team with two of the others being fellow 2001 St Kilda draftees Nick Dal Santo and Luke Ball. St Kilda did a magnificent job with their first five selections from the 2001 National Draft, all five have played over 100 AFL games and remain on AFL lists, although three of these players left St Kilda at the end of the 2009 season with Matt Maguire and Xavier Clarke going to Brisbane and Luke Ball being drafted by Collingwood.