"Lethal" Leigh Mathews earned his moniker in many ways.
Considered the greatest player of all time in Aussie rules football, he scored, he dominated, and he was feared because he could put you to sleep. He then went on to coach two different teams to a combined 4 premierships, the super bowls of Aussie Rules.
This youtube tells you all you need to know, and is part of the folklore of my hometown game.
Breaking a wooden goal post by running into it, as Australian as you can get
If you'd like to know if Aussie rules is as tough as is suspected, check the following youtube from the same week of games (circa 1982), specifically the Hawthorn / Essendon game which were notorious for their vigor.