A team of seven scriptwriters headed by Ray Kolle were responsible for the creation of Matt. They met in an office on the Pacific Highway and discussed what Matt's personality and stories should be. Popular cast member Jason Donovan who played Scott Robinson had recently departed the series. Producers wanted Matthew, or Matt as they decided to nickname him, to fill that role. Matt was also created at a time the show was planning new characters to revamp the show. At that time, Callan stated the show had a hard working cast and "we have to challenge them by introducing new characters who test them in different relationships."