Kitchin Leaves His Mark at the Lions

Leigh Kitchin will hang his boots up this weekend as one of the most loved and successful players in the Club's history. The decision is not unexpected from the 34 year old, with signs that this year may be his last, handing over the captaincy he had held for the previous five years to Greg Clark at the start of the year.

Despite, his age, Kitch has continued to be a solid contributor on the field in 2024, inputting through half foward with stints on the ball and inserting himself into the game when it was on the line.   

2024 brings to a close Kitch's decade of dominance at the Lions, with him joining the club from Frankston as a 24 year old. His impact was immediate and he formed one of the most powerful midfields in recent WAFL history alongside Kyal Horsley and Chris Phelan. 

"When I started at Freo and was playing for Peel, facing Subiaco's midfield was the scariest thing in the WAFL because you knew they were going to towel you up" said current Subi Player Stef Giro. 

The Club won a flag in 2015, with Kitch winning three others in 18, 19 and 2021.

Horsley, Phelan and Kitch had an interesting dual throughout their careers as the Club's best mid, with the trio all winning two Outridge Medals between 2015 and 2021. 

With Horsley career coming to an end, Kitch was the obvious choice as captain due to his leadership and onfield prowess and took the reigns in 2019 holding it for five seasons.  

"Leigh is a Champion of our club. His performance record speaks for itself – Premierships, Outridge Medallist. His legacy will be his tenaciousness. The ultimate competitor on and off the field, Leigh is someone who has got the optimal from himself. His desire to learn and improve he has never wavered and later in his career he has supported the youth in our club on and off the field with his leadership and work opportunities. His resilience and consistency with availability on-field is testament to his preparation and work ethic. An In and under, contested player, his strength belies his stature. A Club and State Captain – the boy from Frankston who made Subiaco home." said Lion's Coach Beau Wardmen. 

Kitch will retire with 183 games, 2 BNF's, 4 Flags and a rare milestone of Captaining the WA State Side to a win over the Big V.  Not sure if many other Victorians have done that. 

In his later years, Kitch also become a champion of the Club's up and coming players giving them jobs, coffees and pastries - all perks through his role as State Manager of Dimattina Coffee and his new cafe venture Crumbs in the Wall in Osborne Park. 

To catch Leigh's last game in the Maroon and Gold, head to Sullivan Logistics Stadium this Sunday at 12.30pm as we take on the Tigers.