Doco footage shows Gold Coast Suns’ Matt Rowell’s emotional hug after round one knee injury

The Gold Coast Suns' Matt Rowell burst onto the scene in 2020 but it’s been revealed how deeply the youngster were hurt by his injury woes.

Matt Rowell's round one injury tugged as we've not seen it before. Photo: AFL and Getty Images

Gold Coast Suns star Matt Rowell has opened up on his devastation after he was wiped out in round one of the 2021 AFL season with a serious knee injury.

The 20-year-old Rowell was the No. 1 draft pick in the 2019 Draft and went to the Suns alongside his teenage teammate Noah Anderson.

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And he lived up to his billing in the early stages of the 2020 season as commentators raved over his performances and labelled him a smokey for the Brownlow Medal.

But in round five, Rowell suffered a dislocated shoulder, went under the knife and was out for the remainder of the season.

So to start the 2021 season, Rowell was desperate to start the season on the front foot and rekindle the form which saw him burst onto the scene.

However, his dream turned into a nightmare when early in the first term, Rowell was tackled from behind, landing heavily on his knee.

A brutal aftermath for an innocuous tackle. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images

It was revealed that it was a Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) injury and is most commonly associated with car accidents when the knee hits the dashboard.

While the football world saw Rowell on crutches, Rowell kept his emotions in check.

But in the AFL’s new documentary season ‘It’s Up to Us’, the Suns’ in-house production which followed the side for the 2021 season for the league’s AFL On Demand streaming platform, Rowell reveals his devastation after the horror injury.

“Obviously not the best way to start the season,” Rowell said. “I just remember going over to Perth to play West Coast, remember going there and being excited to play on that stadium. Remember it being a really good atmosphere and it was very hot that day as well.”

Rowell’s mum Louise said she knew something was wrong after he “just kept limping, had a little run and then ran off”.

“We were just watching and it seemed to take a million years and he just didn’t come out of the race. He went down and he didn’t come back and he didn’t come back and all you think is ‘how is he? is he okay’?”

Rowell did walk off the field but the behind the scenes showed Rowell with the doctor and trying to lift his leg but clutching it in pain.

A clearly distraught Rowell seemed to know it wasn’t just a niggle.

The moment Rowell realised it was more serious. Photo: AFL

“I remember when I went down to the rooms after, saw them and that was probably the toughest moment, just seeing them, mum was a bit emotional so was dad,” Rowell said.

“It was good having them there too because I remember when I did my shoulder the year before, we were in the hub and went straight to NSW and I didn’t see mum and dad for a while, which was tough. So it was nice having them there but it was a bit emotional.”

Louise gave Matt a long hug in the sheds.

Rowell did eventually return for the end of the season and played 12 matches last season but the Suns were already 4-7 for the season when Rowell returned and the club ultimately finished the season 7-15 in 16th.

Oleg Markov, who is another focus of the doco, said he didn’t realise that Rowell was out until halftime when saw Rowell in a knee brace.

The sad hug says it all. Photo: AFL

“It’s disappointing I guess, it’s the harsh reality of football,” he said. “We do have soldiers that can fulfill voids and I just felt really disappointed and quite frustrated that his last year looked the way it did and then it started off in such a way. It’s going to be quite a hard time for this kid, I did feel for him then.

“It's almost like come on footy gods, let the kid play, just let him enjoy what he’s enjoyed his whole life.”

While Rowell struggled at the back end of last season following his injury woes, Kangaroos great David King said had now doubt the 20-year-old could get back to his best.

“He played banged up last year after getting injured in 2020, Matt Rowell was best on ground in his second, third and fourth AFL game, we’re talking about Fyfe taking 21 games, Martin taking 26 and Danger taking 43, this kid did it in his second, third and fourth game,” King said on SEN recently.

“He’s a clearance beast.

“He played injured last year, it was almost unfair what he had to do last year.”