AFL: Matt Rowell continues to feel the love

Footy freak Matt Rowell continues to wow the AFL world, surging into Brownlow contention and earning praise from former legends.

James Matthey

@jamesmatthey

2 min read

June 28, 2020 - 1:42PM

Matt Rowell is in a league of his own.

It’s fitting Matt Rowell plays for the Suns because he’s the hottest talent in the AFL.

Last year’s No. 1 draft pick hasn’t wasted any time making his mark in senior footy and he was on fire again during Gold Coast’s 10.4 (64) to 8.3 (51) win over Fremantle on Saturday night.

Rowell is a big reason the Suns are second on the ladder, winning all three of their games since the season restarted after the coronavirus break.

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The teenager has kicked two goals and tallied at least 20 touches in each of his past three matches and has now surged into contention in the Brownlow Medal betting market.

He’s fourth favourite to win the award for the league’s best player and if the midfield bull can continue his run of form against Geelong next weekend, facing gun opponents like Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood, then his star will only rise.

Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes said teams are giving Rowell too much space, not showing him the respect he deserves. But he may soon find himself tagged as other sides take notice of the damage he can cause.

“Clearly he doesn’t have the respect from the opposition that he will get. You saw that goal then, there was no opposition near him,” Cornes said on the Sunday Footy Show.

“The next challenge for him will be the tag. How do you think he’ll cope with that?”

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said if he was at Geelong, he would send Cameron Guthrie to tag Rowell as he heaped more praise on the 18-year-old sensation.

There’s no stopping Matt Rowell.

“Matthew Rowell, he’s the story. I know everyone’s probably sick of hearing everybody say ‘Rowell, Rowell, Rowell’, but he might have nine (Brownlow) votes in the last three weeks,” Lloyd said.

“I didn’t expect he could become the goalkicker that he’s become. He is kicking two every week.

“In Geelong this weekend, if he can stand up and be in the best two or three again, you would say he’d be pretty hard to stop.

“We’ve never seen anything like it. He’s in top five of favouritism for the Brownlow, which is unheard of (for a rookie player).”

Nothing was stopping Rowell against Fremantle — not even one rival’s cheeky act. The Suns star wears his shorts up high and tucks his guernsey into his pants and Dockers player Matt Taberner thought he’d try to unsettle Rowell by messing up his look.

Sadly for the West Australians, it didn’t do anything to limit Rowell’s effectiveness.