1. Matthew Rowell was born on 1 July 2001 and is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League.
22 Facts About Matt Rowell
1. 2.
Matt Rowell was nominated for the 2020 AFL Rising Star award in round 2 of the 2020 season.
3.
Matt Rowell was born in Sydney, New South Wales to a mother from Victoria and a father from Queensland.
4.
The family moved to Melbourne when Matt Rowell was a child and he began playing football when his father took him to Mont Albert to participate in Auskick.
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Matt Rowell played majority of his junior football with the Canterbury Cobras and was touted as a future AFL player as early as the under 10 level.
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Matt Rowell showed his worth by dominating for Victoria Metro at the AFL Under 18 National Championships and playing a pivotal role in Oakleigh's NAB League premiership season, including a Grand Final performance against the Eastern Ranges in which he recorded 44 disposals and two goals.
7.
Matt Rowell was voted best on ground in the NAB League Grand Final and awarded U18 All-Australian selection.
8.
Matt Rowell made his AFL debut against Port Adelaide at Metricon Stadium in round 1 of the 2020 AFL season.
9.
In round 3, Matt Rowell produced another 20 disposals and two goals in Gold Coast's 53-point win over the Adelaide Crows in another best on ground performance.
10.
Round 4 saw Matt Rowell collect another 20 disposals and kick two goals against the Fremantle Dockers, in another best on ground performance.
11.
Matt Rowell opted for surgery in order to repair his shoulder, a choice which caused him to be sidelined for three months.
12.
Matt Rowell was considered by Gavin Wanganeen at the time to be a potential contender for the Brownlow Medal.
13.
Matt Rowell returned from injury in round 1 of the 2021 AFL season, playing against the West Coast Eagles at Perth Stadium, on Sunday 21 March 2021.
14.
Early in the first term, Matt Rowell was forcefully tackled by Zac Langdon, landing heavily on his left knee.
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Matt Rowell limped to the bench and was assessed in the medical rooms, following which he was substituted out of the game and replaced by Nick Holman.
16.
On 20 April 2021, it was reported that Matt Rowell was on track for a mid-season return in round 14 against the Port Adelaide Power at Carrara Stadium.
17.
On 10 June 2021, it was reported that Matt Rowell would be selected to play against Fremantle in round 13.
18.
Matt Rowell played out the rest of the season, however played injured and looked "noticeably out of sorts", averaging just 14.1 disposals in the 2021 season, well below his output before his 2020 injury.
19.
Matt Rowell played all 22 home-and-away season games for the Gold Coast in 2022 at an average of 19 disposals.
20.
Matt Rowell signed a contract extension following the season, committing to the club through to the end of 2025.
21.
Matt Rowell had another brilliant season in 2023 in which he played 23 out of 23 possible matches for the Gold Coast Suns.
22.
Matt Rowell received 12 Brownlow votes in 2023, including two 3-vote games and polled the 2nd-most votes for the Suns, only behind fellow young superstar Noah Anderson.