Heath Shaw signs on as KFC SuperCoach AFL ambassador for 2021

Matt Rowell’s debut season was cut short after five games but KFC SuperCoach assessors have slapped on a premium price tag. Should he be in your Round 1 team.

Gold Coast Suns young gun Matthew Rowell says he will “definitely” be ready for Round 1, despite still not being in full contact training after shoulder surgery last year.

The Suns have held back Rowell over the summer following surgery on his right shoulder last July, but are planning to ease the 19-year-old back into full training in coming weeks.

“I’m really happy with it, personally. It’s feeling back to normal,” Rowell told the Herald Sun when asked about his shoulder.

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“They (the club physios) just want to be really cautious with it and make sure it’s 100 per cent before I get into full contact. I’m just still doing a few contact progressions. Not full contact yet, but I’m slowly building into it.

“I’ll definitely be available for Round 1 if it stays the way it’s going at the moment. I’m really looking forward to the season starting and I can’t wait to get back on the park.”

Rowell — a midfielder in KFC SuperCoach this year with a price tag of $495,100 — logged nine Brownlow Medal votes and helped lead the Suns to three wins from just five games last season before going down with the injury.

The remarkable start to his career has seen sponsors circle, with official AFL ball supplier Sherrin the latest to sign up Rowell as an ambassador for the brand and their new local footy apparel range, which is available to local football clubs around the country.

Matthew Rowell has been signed up as a Sherrin ambassador. Picture: Getty Images

The No.1 draft pick in 2019, Rowell said he was ready for any closer attention opposition sides throw at him this season, including potential tags.

Already a midfield bull last season, Rowell said he had only “got stronger in the gym” since his surgery.

“I might get a bit more attention,” the 2021 Rising Star favourite said.

“But I can’t worry about it too much. I’ve just got to go out there and play my footy how I do.

“I had a few tags going through my junior days so I have dealt with it a little bit. It’s just something that you have to deal with as a footy player.”

Rowell has a personal collection of more than 50 Sherrin footballs which have been gathered throughout his childhood and are among his most prized possessions.

“The collection’s grown over the years since I was a kid when I got my first footy,” Rowell said.

“I’ve never thought I could have enough.”

Ex-Pie turns up heat on KFC SuperCoach players

Get your skates on.

After being a super player for 16 seasons at Collingwood and GWS, Heath Shaw is ready to dominate in KFC SuperCoach.

Shaw, who retired at the end of last season, was a popular selection in Australia’s biggest and best fantasy game and one of the few players to score more than 200 points in a game (against the Bulldogs in 2016).

Now he’s ready to school thousands of fantasy coaches, and pass on some expert advice to today’s AFL guns (tip 1: there’s no shame in stepping out of the goalsquare to score some extra points from a behind kick-in).

Shaw, and former Brisbane Broncos star Corey Parker, will be the faces of KFC SuperCoach AFL and NRL in 2021, calling on all footy fans to take on their friends and family in a bid to win $50,000 cash and other great prices.

“I’m rapt to be taking the mantle as the new KFC SuperCoach AFL ambassador. As the old saying goes, he who dares, wins,” said Shaw, who has signed with local footy side East Keilor for this season.

“The top prize for each code is $50,000. That’s 50,000 very good reasons to play. And just as many reasons why you wouldn’t want to lose. I’m already thinking about all my dares when I beat my mates.”

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One of the 50,000 reasons Heath Shaw doesn’t want to lose in KFC SuperCoach.

NRL ambassador Corey Parker said he was “pumped to be back on board for a second year with KFC SuperCoach”.

“It’s always good fun to be a part of, and hopefully with a more regular season I can start creating my team now, and begin planning the stitch-ups for all those people I’m going to beat,” he said.

News Corp Australia national sports editor Matt Kitchin said more than 400,000 Australians signed up to play KFC SuperCoach AFL and NRL last season, despite a disrupted football calendar.

“The KFC SuperCoach platform is the most popular and richest fantasy football game on offer in Australia,” he said.

“Expect KFC SuperCoach to dominate pub banter and water cooler conversation as we head back to workplaces this season.”

Heath Shaw was a star on the field for 16 seasons. Picture: Phil Hillyard

New features for 2021 include an “optimise” button to select the best team each week from your squad based on predicted scores; a player injury page; fresh design changes to make the game easier to play; and improvements to KFC SuperCoach Draft including new finals system options for league commissioners and adding an average draft pick for each player.

Participants can also gain access to a new world of stats and extra features via SuperCoach Plus — which covers all four games: SuperCoach AFL, NRL, Racing and BBL.

Register now and start picking your team at supercoach.com.au.

SUPER PLAYER TO SUPER COACH

Heath Shaw career games: 325

Career KFC SuperCoach average: 92.5

Best season: 2015 — av 112.6

Worst season: 2005 — av 72

Best game: 203 points v Western Bulldogs, 2016

Worst game: 20 points v Richmond, 2019