Former Darwin Buffaloes and Melbourne AFL player Matthew Whelan had an outstanding junior career playing in the Buffaloes' 1996/97 Senior Colts premiership and taking the club beat and fairest award after winning the Hunter Harrison Medal playing for the NTFL against an Alice Springs-based Central Australian Football League (CAFL) side at Under 15 level.

A junior representative player at Secondary level (1995) and three times in the Teal Cup (1995,96,97) Whelan made his NTFL League debut in 1996/97 and went on to play 65 Premier League games.

Drafted from South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club Woodville West Torrens to AFL club Melbourne in 1999, Whelan carved out a 10-year, 150-game playing career before injury curtailed his playing days in 2009.  

Using a tough junior rugby league tackling background, Whelan's nickname of 'Whelan the Wrecker' followed him into AFL ranks where the opposition felt the full force of his 80kg frame. 

A nephew of champion Palmerston Hall of Fame member Warren McCoy, Whelan earned selection in the 2003 and 2005 Indigenous All Stars which defeated Carlton and the Western Bulldogs respectively.

Whelan was named in the Darwin Buffaloes Team of the Century in 2017.