Jack Bowes has been christened the ‘Rolls Royce’ of midfielders in the 2016 draft class
JACK Bowes has been christened the ‘Rolls Royce’ of midfielders in the 2016 draft class.
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE life-long dream is becoming very real for Queensland’s Jack Bowes.
The Cairns junior and Gold Coast Suns Academy product is one of 80 hopefuls attending the AFL’s Draft Combine in Melbourne where the next batch of young guns have their skills and physical capabilities tested every which way as well as meeting with club representatives.
Bowes was always going to find himself at the four-day meat market given he has been christened the ‘Rolls Royce’ midfielder in the 2016 draft which will be held in Sydney on November 25.
TOP PICK: BOMBERS TO TARGET AN ELITE MIDFIELDER
DRAFT NEWS: MCCLUGGAGE LIKES WHAT HE SEES AT ESSENDON
He has starred for the Queensland under 18s, the Allies under 18s and the Gold Coast NEAFL side in 2016 when he also collected the best player for the division two national carnival and was the only Queenslander named in the All-Australian under 18 side.
The 188cm-tall Bowes was also chosen for the NAB under 18 All Stars match on grand final eve in Melbourne and had 23 silky possessions.
If he was not all but certain to be snapped up by the Suns as an academy selection, the Cairns Saints junior would be in the conversation about potential no. 1 draft picks because of his clean hands, composure, versatility and ability to push forward and kick goals.
But he is still pinching himself that he is one step closer to becoming an AFL footballer.
“It’s really exciting to be down here because you dream about this stuff growing up. I always wanted to be a part of this,’’ Bowes said.
“You see all the players that have come through these programs and you always wished that it would be you some day.
“I’m confident I can be above average in all of the tests but all I can do is give them my best shot.’’
A host of clubs have spoken to Bowes and made home visits throughout the year but the Suns are expected to pounce on their academy star who moved from Cairns to the Gold Coast.
With a host of draft picks at their disposal, the Gold Coast have plenty of points to cover any bid for Bowes from a rival club. Brisbane could call Bowes’ name out as early as pick no. 2 to force the Suns’ hand.
“The Suns haven’t indicated anything yet. At this stage I’d be happy to get on a list, have a massive pre-season and give myself a chance of playing senior football,’’ Bowes said.
Bowes idolised Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury as a junior while he also enjoys seeing big-bodied midfielders such as Nat Fyfe and Marcus Bontempelli go about their business.
TRADE NEWS: SUNS PRIMED FOR HUGE TRADE RAID
AWARD SEASON: THE SUPERFOOTY END-OF-SEASON AWARDS
At 78kg, he knows he needs to pack on the muscle before he can hope to emulate his role models.
“You look up to those guys and take bits and pieces from their games but I still want to be my own player,’’ he said.
Originally published as Jack Bowes has been christened the ‘Rolls Royce’ of midfielders in the 2016 draft class
Why your trade outrage means nothing to Gold Coast
The footy world is bewildered at the Suns paying top dollar – in this case at least pick 6 – for Daniel Rioli. However, CALLUM DICK writes, the Suns’ priorities are different to most clubs.
Trading places? How the biggest AFL deals will get done
Almost every AFL club is poised to get busy this trade period. See who your club is looking at, who they should be chasing and how they will get their deals done in our ultimate guide.