Matt Rowell sheds light on why he signed new deal to stay with the Gold Coast Suns

Fresh off signing a new two-year extension with the Gold Coast Suns, Matt Rowell has revealed the reasons why he opted to reject rival offers and stay on the Glitter Strip.

Matt Rowell of the Suns runs with the ball during the round 11 AFL match between Euro-Yroke (Saint Kilda Saints) and Gold Coast Suns at Marvel Stadium, on May 25, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Matt Rowell is determined to lead the Gold Coast Suns to a maiden finals series after he inked a new two-year deal to stay at the club until 2027 this week.

Rowell received interest from several clubs but said he was always likely to stay on the Glitter Strip with several factors leading to him staying with the club, including the team’s rise under Damien Hardwick and the chance to continue to play alongside close friend Noah Anderson.

“I think whenever you’re out of contract, you think through things and I wanted to take my time but I’m really happy with the decision I’ve come to,” he said.

“It wasn’t just one thing, it was a group of things, I love this playing group, love running out with them each week - it’s my favourite part of the week.

“The people that we’ve got at the footy club and I think we’re on the verge of success so I’m really excited for that.”

Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson during a Gold Coast Suns AFL training session at Austworld Centre Oval on May 01, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The Suns’ growth under Hardwick made the decision for Rowell to extend much easier.

“Dimma coming in was really exciting last year and I think as a team from our first year with Dimma to this year, I think we were just trying to wrap our heads around the game plan last year and we showed some good signs,” Rowell said.

“No we’re really starting to show some good signs of becoming a good side.”

Rowell will also continue to play alongside one of his closest friends in Noah Anderson with the pair both drafted to the club in 2019 after spending time together in school and at junior level.

“(I’m) always excited to play with Noz (Anderson), we played a lot of footy together,” he said.

“Now that he’s skipper, I just love running out beside him every week and we’ve got a really special connection to keep on playing with him.

“I’ve got a lot of strong connections at this footy club and Noz is one of those.

“I feel really connected to this group and I think we can build something really special here.”

Rowell was one of the standout players for the Suns in their breakout start to the season where they won eight of their first 10 games.

However, Gold Coast has now lost its last three games and fallen outside the top eight for the first time this season, making the next month of fixtures all the more crucial for the club in its quest for a maiden finals appearance.

The Suns will face the Melbourne Demons at home on Saturday in a bid to return to the winner’s circle and the top eight.

“I think everyone in the group is really excited to put their best foot forward at home,” Rowell said.

“We’ve had a few losses (in) previous weeks but I feel like we’ve still been playing our way and playing good footy so we’re really keen to put that into a good result tomorrow.”

The 2019 No. 1 draft pick will have the chance to cement his own legacy on the Gold Coast as one of the star players in the club’s history with this new deal.

However, while the allure of creating a legacy would be tempting for some, Rowell admitted he is solely focused on the present and performing his best every time he steps onto the field.
“To be honest, I don’t look that far ahead, for me I look week-to-week mainly and getting better each week so I haven’t thought about that too much,” he said.