AFL 2020: Bob Murphy pleads for the Suns not to rush Matt Rowell development
Matt Rowell has taken the AFL by storm, but one great is begging his team to not push him to hard too early in his career.
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Matt Rowell is set to be a genuine superstar of the AFL for years and years to come.
The top overall pick from the 2019 AFL Draft took the game by storm when the season restarted following the coronavirus enforced shutdown.
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Rowell recorded three straight games with 20 or more disposals and kicked two goals in every game.
His star exploded and saw his name floated with the Brownlow Medal contenders. But in round five against Geelong his season came to an end courtesy of a shoulder injury.
Since then Rowell has shifted to an on the bench role as he looks to continue his development in the AFL, but it’s that move that hasn’t sat well with one AFL great.
Western Bulldogs legend Bob Murphy believes the club need to give Rowell some time off and allow the youngster to be a kid again.
“My First Crack is Matty Rowell and the headphones,” Murphy said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.
“This is not a crack on Matty Rowell, it’s Stewy Dew and maybe even Mark Evans.
“We’ve loved everything that Matty Rowell has brought to his first season in the AFL. What he has done on the field, the way he handled the injury, they’ve obviously given him the responsibility, put the headphones on him.
“It’s clear to the whole world he is so invested to this club and the whole group for the next 10 years, but over the last week I’ve found myself thinking ‘can we just let him be an 18-year-old kid now?’”
Murphy believes the Suns aren’t making it easy on the young star by making him an offer to be on the microphone.
“If he wants to do it, absolutely of course. But if it’s a coaching saying ‘hey Matt would you like to wear the headphones again?’ There is only one answer to that,” he added.
“He now knows how the ropes work and he can see the game through Stewy Dew’s lens. It’s an incredible experience, but I just want to let this 18-year-old kid be a kid now.
Former Geelong premiership star Cameron Mooney backed up the thoughts of Murphy and said Rowell should be with teammates in the stands.
“I’m with Bob, let him sit in the stands with the other boys and watch the game,” he said.
“I didn’t mind it for a couple of weeks and maybe in a couple of weeks do it again. But have a break.”
Originally published as AFL 2020: Bob Murphy pleads for the Suns not to rush Matt Rowell development