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Find your frequency hereTwo-time premiership Cat on flag success, Dons move and more
SEN • August 10th, 2025 12:04 pm
Matthew Stokes is this week’s guest on This Is Your Journey – thanks to Tobin Brothers.
Hailing from Darwin, Stokes began his footy career with the Palmerston Magpies but despite a dominant underage career he was overlooked in the 2002 AFL Draft.
Missing out as an 18-year-old saw Stokes head to the SANFL where he’d play for Woodville-West Torrens and work as a zookeeper at Adelaide Zoo.
After starring in the SA state league, Stokes finally got his chance when Geelong took him at pick No. 61 in the 2005 Draft.
After playing nine games in his debut season, Stokes would find his feet at the right time, kicking 32 goals in 2007 as he’d become an AFL premiership player.
In 2009, he won the hearts of Cats fans forever by pulling himself out of that year’s Prelim win over Collingwood with groin soreness.
That selfless move was repaid a couple of years later as he’d go on to win the 2011 premiership
He remained at Geelong for a further four seasons before being delisted. He then played one more season after signing on with Essendon as a top-up player where he featured 11 times to reach game 200.
Stokes spoke about the ups and downs of his career and much more in this week’s episode.
Listen to Stokes’ full chat with Sam Edmund below.
