Geelong midfielder Jack Bowes says he won’t persuade Matt Rowell to join the Cats
Jack Bowes played several seasons with Matt Rowell at the Suns before joining Geelong. He sheds light on his connection to the No.1 pick and whether he will attempt to lure him to the Cattery.
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Geelong utility Jack Bowes says he won’t try to convince former teammate Matt Rowell to make the same move to Kardinia Park.
The Cats have been linked to the 2019 No.1 pick who is out of contract at the end of 2025,
Rowell was asked on Triple M Gold Coast Breakfast on Tuesday whether he would be at the club in 2026 and he replied: “Yes”.
Bowes joined Geelong from Gold Coast in 2022 but his situation was markedly different to clearance king Rowell.
The Suns Academy graduate was forced out of Gold Coast in an infamous salary dump trade that saw the Suns part with Bowes and pick seven to get his money off their books.
Bowes, 27, said he would leave Rowell’s decision in his hands.
“I do get along really well with Rowelly. I haven’t reached out to him or anything like that,” Bowes told this masthead.
“Obviously that’s a decision for him to make and I’m not going to try and persuade him or anything like that.
“He is a very good player and players like that are obviously going to get attention from other clubs.
“I think obviously we have spoken to him. Rowelly I’m sure, as he is, he’s going to be focused hard on his season up there at the Suns and yeah, he is a really good player.”
Bowes isn’t the only Suns connection at the Cats with assistant coach Steven King spending three seasons with Rowell.
King said last week that he and Rowell still touch base with each other and that any club would explore the possibility of the inside midfielder joining their club.
Rowell finished equal eighth in last year’s Brownlow Medal count and would address a glaring need for the Cats if they can land him.
Geelong regularly gave up significant differentials in contested possessions and clearances last season and captain Patrick Dangerfield – who played a half as a pure forward in their match simulation on Monday – enters the last year of his contract in 2026.
The barnstorming Sun ranked second in the competition for tackles, fifth for contested possessions and seventh for clearances in 2024.
Bowes has trained primarily as a midfielder this pre-season despite the arrival of boom recruit Bailey Smith, with the former Sun showing significant improvement last season on the inside and impressing in their match simulation against Hawthorn.
He is happy to play anywhere in Chris Scott’s side and has been working on his contested ball-winning, strength and high speed running this season.
“I see myself as a pretty flexible player just being able to play inside, on the wing, halfback, wherever the team needs me. So I’m happy to play anywhere and play a role in helping the team win,” Bowes said.
“Obviously each year you’ve got to find something to improve on each pre-season, so that’s really motivated me this pre-season to get better.”
Originally published as Geelong midfielder Jack Bowes says he won’t persuade Matt Rowell to join the Cats
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