Meet Matt Rowell
The 2019 No.1 draft pick and Gold Coast’s resident green thumb is our new Sherrin Ambassador in 2021, so we thought we’d get to know him a little better.
PROFILE
- NAME: Matt Rowell
- NICKNAME: ROWELLY
- DOB: 1/7/2001 (19 years old)
- RECRUITED FROM: Canterbury/Carey Grammar/Oakleigh Chargers
- DRAFT: No.1 pick in 2019 AFL Draft
- POSITION: Midfield
- GAMES: 5
- HEIGHT: 180cm
- WEIGHT: 78kg
Matt, it’s great to have you on board as a Sherrin Ambassador, what does it mean to you?
It is such an honour to be able to partner with Sherrin because it is such an authentic brand, and a brand that has been so close to me throughout my footballing career. I feel as though we are a match made in heaven really, given I have been collecting footballs my whole life.
On that … how many Sherrins do you have in your collection?
My collection is at 52 at the moment, but it’s growing!
Being drafted was a childhood dream of yours, when was the moment you realised you wanted to pursue a career as an AFL player?
There were many key moments, but it was the weekly walk down with Dad to Auskick that was always the highlight and made me discover my passion for AFL footy. With a Sherrin in hand, being able to kick the footy with my mates was the best feeling!
It wasn’t the AFL debut season you probably had imagined for yourself. After a stellar start, you dislocated your shoulder against the Cats in round five and didn’t play again in 2020. What was the biggest learning from the year?
The biggest learning was just taking one day at a time, as you never know what the future holds. Especially through both my injury and COVID-19, every day was different as we were often left adjusting to whatever the day or week threw at us.
There’s one thing every footy fan wants to know, are you on track for round one?
Ha yes, my recovery is on track! As a group we are really looking to improve on last year and show the rest of the competition what the SUNS are all about. We have a really young, energetic and enthusiastic group and we are collectively ready for season 2021 and we want to make big strides and turn a few heads.
Just days after being drafted, you move out of home and head straight to the Gold Coast, what’s been the best part of being at the Suns?
I think being a part of such a young and enthusiastic group. I was fortunate enough to get drafted with a childhood mate in Noah Anderson, so that definitely made the transition from Melbourne to Gold Coast a lot easier as well.
And finally, we know you’re a real student of the game, we’ve seen you with your notebook at games, scribbling away furiously, but what do you do to switch off from footy?
Funnily enough, I do love my gardening. If I’m not gardening, I am either playing a round of golf or having a swim.
