AFL Draft 2020: No.1 pick Matt Rowell offers his advice to this year’s crop
Matt Rowell set the AFL alight before injury cruelled his debut season. Here’s what he learned and his advice to this year’s draft talent.
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Last year’s No.1 draft pick Matthew Rowell has urged this year’s draftees not to be afraid to push outside of their “comfort zone” in timely advice ahead of the national draft.
As the Gold Coast Suns young gun prepares to hand over the reins to a new No.1 selection in Wednesday’s national draft, Rowell told this year’s crop of budding new stars to be ready to try new things and seek advice to make the most of their first year in the AFL.
Like Carlton’s No.1 draft pick Sam Walsh the year before him, 19-year-old Rowell made an instant impact at AFL level after making his debut in Round 1 before he was cruelly struck down by shoulder injury five games into the season.
“I reckon the main thing is just take everything in your stride and ask a lot of questions and don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and just try new things,” Rowell said.
“From what I found in my first year, I just learned so much – just little things, asking a lot of questions.
“You can learn a lot in your first year and mine has been a bit of a different year getting injured and COVID but even when I was injured I was asking questions and learning new things.
“So just be ready to try new things all the time and make the most of everything.”
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Rowell was considered a runaway favourite for the Rising Star award after the big-bodied teenager set the league alight in his opening games.
He averaged more than 21 disposals in his first four games, polling nine Brownlow votes in three consecutive games for the Suns between Rounds 2 to 4 before the season-ending shoulder injury against Geelong.
Rowell, who returned for the start of pre-season training on light duties on Monday, said “staying in the moment” had helped him get through the injury setback in his debut season.
“In your career there are going to be a lot of ups and down and I’ve learnt that this year with a big injury,” Rowell said.
“You’ve just got to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead and just take things day by day I guess.
“And have a good balance, so you can take yourself away from the game a bit and then work hard when you are in the game.”
While he acknowledged the AFL was “another level” up, he felt he had been well prepared for the transition.
“It’s a harder level from the juniors to AFL, but I think the club at Gold Coast they prepared me really well in the pre-season and I felt really good in my going into those few games that I played and was able to play some good footy which I was very proud of,” Rowell said.
“Obviously the bodies are bigger, they hit harder and it goes up another level. But I think I was pretty prepared.”
Reflecting on the night his AFL dream became a reality, Rowell said it was the happiest moment of his life.
“It’s an amazing feeling and one I will never forget when they read my name out,” he said.
“As a junior you train and play for many years and you are always working to that goal to get drafted to an AFL club. It’s just a really good feeling and you put all that hard work in and it’s paid off.
“It’s one of my happier moments, probably one of the happiest moments of my life and it was just a really good feeling.”
BE LIKE BONT: HOLLANDS HOPES TO EMULATE DOGS STAR
- Chris Cavanagh
In some ways, Elijah Hollands considers himself lucky.
He did not feel that way when he went down with a dreaded ACL injury at training in late February, but AFL clubs have been quick to point out the silver lining during interviews with the highly-rated draft prospect.
“It was funny speaking to a few of the clubs who said they’ve never seen anyone not miss a game of footy with an ACL,” Hollands said.
“That was one way to look at it.”
Hollands had been blessed throughout his underage football, a rolled ankle which saw him miss one game his only previous injury.
After this year’s NAB League season was postponed and his Murray Bushrangers side never made it on the park, that record still stands.
The recovery from the injury has not been easy, but Hollands was overwhelmed by the support he received, including a “left-field” message from Essendon midfielder Zach Merrett.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Hollands said.
“I hadn’t spoken to Zach prior to that, so for him to reach out and send a message of support was pretty humbling.
“He’s one of many people who have shown me support that I’m very grateful for.”
Hollands resumed running in early October and is now building his training, which has been “pretty smooth sailing” to date.
While a setback, the injury is unlikely to hurt the dynamic player’s draft prospects, with Hollands still widely considered a top-five selection.
“Some clubs might be put off by the fact he’s had a knee injury, but knowing Elijah it’s just a setback that will make him even more determined,” one recruiter said.
“He’ll do the work, he’ll come back, he’ll be fine. He’s an exciting talent.”
Hollands played primarily as a forward who had spells in the midfield in 2019 and featured in every game for Vic Country at the under-18 national championships.
Seen as an elite runner with serious top-end speed who is a good kick on either side of his body, he also shone brightly in the Under-17 All Stars match on the MCG on AFL Grand Final day with 24 disposals, five clearances and two goals as captain of Team Brown.
“I was reasonably happy with the way I was able to play last year,” Hollands said.
“But it’s just a good underage year. It’s not a good AFL year yet. So that’s what I’m trying to build towards now.”
The 18-year-old’s father, Ben Hollands, spent time on the lists of Sydney, Richmond and Port Adelaide before carving out a successful career with West Adelaide in the SANFL.
That meant Elijah spent his first nine years growing up in Adelaide supporting the Crows, before the family moved back to Wodonga in country Victoria.
After finishing school at Caulfield Grammar last year, Hollands has been working four days a week at his father’s advertising agency and has interest in a post-football career in the field.
But his focus for now is on becoming an elite big-bodied midfielder-forward in the AFL in a similar mould to Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli.
“I want to solidify myself as more of a mid-forward than a forward-mid,” Hollands said.
“Bontempelli is someone I love watching because he’s got a few similar traits to what I think I’ve got.
“He’s got that height, good balance of being able to win his own footy and he’s got really clean and poised skills.
“Then also having that ability to roll forward and be a marking target is something that I have been able to prove over the last couple of years.”
HENRY HOPING TO JOIN BROTHER JACK AT GEELONG
The youngest of three brothers, Oliver Henry would regularly come away from backyard football battles worse for wear.
“I was always looking to impress, but more often than not the young one usually comes running away a bit injured or something,” Oliver said.
However, Henry learnt plenty from those backyard battles and still learns plenty to this day from older brothers Jack and Tom.
Jack now plays AFL football for Geelong, while Tom was a national-level athlete and senior footballer in the Geelong Football League before more recently turning his focus to becoming a teacher.
“Jack and Tom pretty much taught me to play footy from an early age, so it’s always been a passion of mine to play,” Oliver said.
“With Jack now being in the AFL system, he has given me an insight of what it takes to be an AFL player and how to train like one and what work ethic they have.
“So Jack’s been a good role model for me to learn off, not just footy skills but a lot of life skills he’s taught me.
“He’s been one of my biggest role models, along with my older brother Tom.”
Like his brothers, Oliver grew up doing athletics alongside football and the family backyard also included a high-jump mat, which got plenty of use.
It is therefore little wonder the mid-sized forward has a good leap on the football field, with speed and power at ground level to match.
“I try to use my athletic background to my advantage,” the 18-year-old said.
“I’d say jumping and taking a mark and also kicking goals and intercepting in the backline are the things that I’m better at.”
Oliver played 15 games for NAB League side Geelong Falcons as a bottom-age player last year – averaging 10 disposals, 4.4 marks and 1.2 goals – and AFL recruiters view him as a player with enormous upside.
“He’s a very good player,” one recruiter said.
“He’s an athletic, exciting forward.
“He can play backline as well, so he’s got that versatility and his athleticism is fantastic.”
Oliver grew up a Geelong supporter and trained with the Cats – including his brother Jack – during pre-season.
“Jack being there helped as a bit of reassurance, but in that week nothing really went wrong and I didn’t have to rely on Jack for support or anything because the club did such a good job making everyone feel as one,” Oliver said.
The Cats would be a dream destination come the AFL National Draft and have shown interest in Oliver, but whether he ends up playing with or against his brother remains to be seen.
“It is exciting. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Oliver said.
WHAT SEPARATES MACRAE FROM BROTHER JACK
Finlay Macrae had to switch football teams when he was 11.
He started out a Hawthorn supporter, but when his brother Jack Macrae started playing for the Western Bulldogs in 2013 he had no choice but to swap colours.
It was a somewhat regrettable decision as the Hawks went on to win three-straight flags.
But when Jack and the Bulldogs broke through to claim the 2016 premiership, Finlay could not have been happier.
“I missed some premierships but was lucky enough I got the 2016 one,” Finlay said.
Finlay and Jack are half-brothers, sharing only the same father.
But they grew up closely together and were regular sparring partners for backyard sporting battles.
“Jack went to Carey Grammar and we lived just around the corner so he spent most of his time with us,” Finlay said.
“We had a lot of fun growing up playing backyard footy, backyard cricket and all that.”
When Jack was drafted to the Bulldogs at the end of 2012, Finlay was too young to fully appreciate it.
But seeing his older brother grow into a premiership player and Bulldogs star in more recent years has helped inspire the younger sibling to follow his path.
“The last couple of years I’m more understanding of what he’s been able to achieve and it does make you want it a little bit more,” Finlay said.
“This year he’s been up at the hub but we’ve spoken a fair bit on the phone and he’s said it’s about controlling what you can control as much as I could.”
Finlay shone brightly in the Under-17 All Stars game last year and stepped up for NAB League side Oakleigh Chargers when it counted during their finals campaign, logging 22 disposals and a goal in a preliminary final.
Recruiters like the midfielder’s stoppage craft and believe he has good football IQ but warn Finlay is no clone of his brother — something that he will also tell you.
“I’d like to think I can kick a bit further. He (Jack) is not the longest kick,” Finlay said with a laugh.
“Also having that opposite side of my body is something I pride myself on a fair bit and I’m pretty happy to use it as well.”
Finlay has maintained his fitness levels while adding about 3kg of muscle to his light frame this year as he strives to improve his inside game, having largely played on a wing or across half-forward in the past.
He has spoken to the Bulldogs, but is not expecting to join his brother at Whitten Oval given the club will have to match a high bid for star Academy prospect Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
“I don’t think it’s looking too great,” Finlay said.
“Especially with Jamarra, I don’t think they’ll have too many picks after that.”
QUEENSLAND TEEN INSPIRED BY LION BROTHER’S RESOLVE
– Nick Smart
The last time exciting Queensland teenager Blake Coleman played a game of Aussie rules with Brisbane Lions player Keidean, the two brothers were running around at the Wynnum Vikings.
They may soon be doing it in the big time with the younger Coleman a chance to join his older brother at the Lions next week through the AFL national draft.
The speedy forward/midfielder is a Brisbane academy member and the Lions have the rights to match a bid for him should one come.
He has been linked to Collingwood, so it remains to be seen exactly where he might end up.
While he’d love to stay in Brisbane and join the Lions, Coleman said he was prepared to go anywhere.
“It would be good if they (Brisbane) did (draft me), but where ever I land wouldn’t bother me,” he said.
“I just want to get the opportunity to live my dream, so whichever club wants to take me I’m more than happy to go.
“If I were to play with him (Keidean) it would be really cool.
“I played with him a couple of times throughout juniors at Wynnum, so it would be good if it happened.
“I’m actually pretty excited (about the draft) more than anything, I’m not really nervous, at least not yet.”
Coleman was born in the Northern Territory, spending his first few years in Barunga, a small community outside of Katherine.
When he was about seven, it was decided the family would move to Brisbane.
“It was just to get a good opportunity with school and a good education and also for footy, because we love footy,” Coleman said.
“It’s always been a dream for me because I grew up watching it and I’d get excited watching it on TV.
“I just always wanted to be on the field and play like them as well.”
The Indigenous talent – who grew up a St Kilda supporter and loved Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewoldt – said watching his brother realise his AFL dream made him believe even more.
Keidean Coleman, who played five senior games for the Lions this year, was not selected in the 2018 draft but was taken a year later.
“I was really proud of him because he worked really hard and he was overlooked the first year, but he kept at it and had another crack,” Blake said.
“He showed he was talented enough and deserving enough to make it.
“It had a big impact on me because I’ve been with him my whole life, so I believe anything he could do I could also do.
“Him making it has helped me believe.”
Coleman had a strong year, playing every senior game for Morningside – minus his academy commitments – and helping the Panthers claim their 10th club QAFL premiership.
He was one of Morningside’s best players on grand final day, kicking two goals and taking a spectacular final quarter mark in a scintillating display.
As a Lions academy member, the 18-year-old also got the chance to train with the senior squad early in the year.
“I feel like I could get used to that and fit into that environment.”
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