Matthews quits as Lions football director

Feb 2, 2017 - 5:19 AM AFL legend Leigh Matthews has quit his role as Brisbane Lions' football director, saying he doesn't have time for the job due to his media commitments.

Matthew resigned as director and deputy chair on Thursday but told the Lions about his intentions last year.

"The board was advised late last year that I would not be the official football director in 2017 as I believed doing that function well was in conflict with both the time commitment and effectiveness of my various media roles," he said in a statement.

"However, I am happy to remain on the board and continue to help out where I can."

Matthews, who took the Lions to three premierships as a coach, was elected to the board in 2013 and became deputy chair two years later.

He has butted heads with the league multiple times over a perceived lack of support to the Lions and AFL in Queensland.

The Lions will look at a replacement football director when the board meets in coming weeks and finance director Andrew Wellington will take over as deputy chair.

Chair Bob Sharpless said the board understood and respected Matthews' decision, and that he would continue to influence the club's football development.

"Leigh is an important figure in the game and has a wide range of media commitments that take time and focus," Sharpless said.

"He will continue to play a major role as we work our way back to relevance in AFL."

Source: AAP