St Kilda emerged as serious contender for Matt Rowell before he re-signed at Gold Coast
Matt Rowell signed a big new Gold Coast contract this week. But the Victorian clubs were set to come with their monster offers – including St Kilda, who emerged as a serious contender.
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Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell ignored monster deals from Victorian clubs including St Kilda to stay at the Suns, who emerged as a serious contender for his services.
Rowell was largely uninterested in the vast sums rivals like St Kilda and other clubs were prepared to offer.
While the Saints did not lodge an official offer, it is understood that they indicated how much they might pay him, which would have been similar to the $1.7 million-per-season offers for Carlton’s Tom De Koning and GWS mid Finn Callaghan.
The Melbourne-raised midfield star signed for two seasons at the Suns in a deal announced on Thursday.
While it had been reported Rowell met with Essendon, Collingwood, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda was just as keen.
Rowell took the interest from St Kilda seriously given he is aware of what the club is attempting to build under Ross Lyon.
Callaghan rebuffed the St Kilda offer, while De Koning is considered likely to accept that seven-season deal.
But clubs never lodged offers, given Rowell was yet to make up his mind about his future and has never been defined by money across his career.
The two-year deal would likely see him receive up to $1.2 million from the Suns per season but the financial discussions only started last Thursday.
Rowell is desperate to win a premiership on the Gold Coast and while he will be richly rewarded finances are never front of mind when it comes to making decisions on his football future.
Rowell took his time to kickstart those discussions but was finally ready to commit in a deal the Suns admit would likely have gone another way in recent years.
Instead their own path to success is clear, with Rowell prepared to pass up millions to stay for a premiership tilt.
Coach Damien Hardwick admitted he had been nervous about Rowell’s meetings with rival coaches even as the club chases its own off-season targets.
“We’ve got some really exciting players we are talking to that we are really excited at the prospect of coming,” he said.
“It’s not something any coach feels overly comfortable about, but we are all big boys.
“Anytime you are an interstate club and he’s a Victorian boy and he’s got the overtures at home, it will come calling,” he said.
“What Matt sees, he’s very close to the playing group. He can see what this club will eventually become. We’ve got some work to do, but he sees the possibility of what may be.”
He quipped about his own $2000 fine for a flipped bird in the coaches box, delivering a two-fingered salute as he said: “It’s a two year deal.”
Then as he flipped his fingers around he laughed as he delivered his punchline: “Oh shit, how am I going.”
Originally published as St Kilda emerged as serious contender for Matt Rowell before he re-signed at Gold Coast
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