Back at Albury after the war, Matthews was making a name for himself on the local tennis scene and entered the Australian Championships in 1947. He made the second round of the Men's Singles, beating William Edwards. He was then eliminated 6–1, 10–8, 6–2, by Adrian Quist.[6] He also competed in the doubles, with Max Bonner, but they were knocked out in the first round by third seeds Tom Brown and Bill Sidwell.
One of his best achievements in tennis was winning the Men's Country Championship Singles event on three occasions, in 1950, 1953 and 1954. He also had the distinction of touring New Zealand with a NSW representative team.[7]
As a footballer post-war, he was also a New South Wales representative. He is regarded as having been his state's best performer at the 1947 Hobart Carnival, where he played as a centreman.[8]
Matthews played in the New South Wales state team against Western Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in June, 1949.[9]
At club level he turned out for Albury, in the Ovens & Murray Football League. He captained-coach Albury to a grand final in 1953, which they lost to Benalla. Often seen at centre half-forward, he was the league's leading goal-kicker in 1953 and won four Albury "Best and Fairest" awards, a club record.[10]
