Gold Coast Suns general manager Wayne Campbell on why Matt Rowell talks are OK

Gold Coast Suns understand the changing landscape of AFL player movement as much as any club and its why the club’s general manager is calm about Matt Rowell speaking with rivals.

Gold Coast Suns general manager Wayne Campbell will not criticise rival clubs for speaking to star midfielder Matt Rowell amid the changing landscape of AFL movement.

It was revealed Rowell met with four clubs — Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Essendon and Collingwood — ahead of his final year under contract as a Sun.

Rowell is not a free agent so would need to request a trade from the Suns despite being out of contract at the end of 2025.

Campbell held any scathing advice to competitors who had spoken to his players, conceding it was shrewdly done by every club including his own.

“We’ve done it, I won’t say it’s wrong for those four clubs to do it because good on them,” Campbell told SEN.

“I think the NRL do it, there’s a window of six months where they can’t do it (talk to players), I’d be open to that.

“But at the same time I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world either, it gives people an opportunity to talk about different parts of the game.

“I think those clubs and we would prefer it didn’t get out and I think 80 per cent of the times when you meet with a player it doesn’t get out.

“The news today that he’s met with another club, it’s sort of not news to us, that doesn’t really change anything for us.”

Gold Coast Suns midfielder Matt Rowell has met with four rivals ahead of his final year under contract.. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Campbell says the Suns will check in with Rowell to see where he sits but never want to be in discussions with a player every day.

“You have a chat to say ‘how are you going, what are you thinking’ and everything like that,” he said.

“You can become worried or scared or whatever but ultimately you have to have the discussion to say is there anymore we can do for you, we love you.

“Then there’s discussions between list managers, managers and stuff like that but after that you certainly don’t want to be talking every day, every week, every month.”

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is one of the astute minds behind the change in timing of conversations with players.

He drew disapproval from St Kilda coach Ross Lyon for making contact with Saint-turn-Hawk Josh Battle in the early stages of 2024.

The criticism came again when he was spotted at new recruit Tom Barrass’ wedding, chatting to young Eagle Harley Reid.

Mitchell played with Barrass in his final season of football, and was an assistant coach at the Eagles before moving back to Hawthorn.

Harley Reid and Sam Mitchell joke at Tom Barrass' wedding

Mitchell said “the landscape has changed” in player movement and it was now the club’s job to make the list as strong as it can each year.

“I think we all recognise that the landscape has changed a bit and there’s player movement happening on a more regular basis each year,” Mitchell said.

“I think it’s incumbent on all of us to try and build the best list we can to create success for your club.

“Getting players from the draft, getting players through free agency or through trade is all part of that.

“It makes sense that huge professional organisations would do as much due diligence as they can and that’s not unrealistic to do that between October and October.”