Futures of Matt Rowell and Oscar Allen uncertain as rival clubs circle stars

The long-term deals signed by Darcy Fogarty and Noah Balta have set the standard in the key-position market, with clubs likely to need six or seven-year offers to keep their stars around.

Matt Rowell will hold off contract talks until early next season amid intense Victorian interest as he assesses Gold Coast’s improvement after another second-half fadeout.

And West Coast free agent Oscar Allen will attract interest from rival clubs as the Eagles hold off on a long-term deal after being burnt on a series of expiring contracts for veteran players.

Gold Coast is supremely confident Rowell believes he is part of their long-term future but he is in no hurry to re-sign entering his sixth season at the club yet to play finals.

He would transform the midfield of a variety of clubs including Collingwood in coming years but has never shown an inclination to properly test the market given his loyalty to the Suns.

This time he will get through the pre-season and potentially the early rounds of the season before considering a new deal after three huge seasons for the Suns.

Matt Rowell will weigh up his future in the off-season. Picture: Getty Images

Rowell, 23, has played every game in the past three seasons and averaged 6.0, 7.7 and 7.1 clearances a game across that time as well as 7.2, 8.3 and 8.0 tackles.

He could sign a two-year deal to free agency in 2027 or a long-term deal like his great mate and former junior teammate Noah Anderson did early last year.

While Rowell takes his time the Suns are not far away from a new contract for star defender Sam Collins, who this year won his second club best-and-fairest.

The reliable stopper had opened early discussions before heading overseas during the off-season and now the 2025 free agent is back it is expected a deal will take shape before opening round.

Collins, 30, has been a lock at full back in the last five years and has not missed a single Suns game since round 15, 2021, a playing streak that has stretched to 76 matches.

ALLEN WANTS LONGER DEAL FROM EAGLES

Eagles star forward Allen and West Coast will recommence contract talks now that the trade and draft period is over.

But at this stage their offer is not longer than five seasons even though Allen is only 25 years old.

Allen would like a six or seven-year contract as a star free agent after Adelaide’s Darcy Fogarty signed a six-yearpre-free agent deal and Richmond’s Noah Balta was locked in for seven more seasons after giving away his free agency rights.

Allen is back in training after playing the last 10 games after a 14-week spell out with a knee injury and while he will have to manage that knee for the rest of his career is confident he can play well into his 30s.

Oscar Allen was able to have an impact in the back-end of 2024. Picture: Getty Images

But at this stage West Coast is still cautious on the kind of long-term deals that saw them lock in Andrew Gaff for six seasons as he played only five games in his final year.

The club was able to extricate itself from the last year of Jack Darling’s long-term deal by trading him to North Melbourne for a late pick.

But the Eagles signed Nic Naitanui for two more years despite knee issues in 2022 and he did not play another game, retiring halfway through the contract.

So West Coast will have to weigh rival interest and continue negotiations with Allen’s management, aware it could open them up to him leaving for a club prepared to risk his injury history with a long-term deal.

Originally published as Futures of Matt Rowell and Oscar Allen uncertain as rival clubs circle stars