Collingwood AFLW player Sarah Rowe joins Central Coast Mariners

Triple-code sportswoman Sarah Rowe is back for a second stint in the A-League’s Women’s, but she may not be last AFLW switching codes. She explains why inside.

A new clause in the AFLW bargaining agreement has reopened the door for triple-code sportswoman Sarah Rowe to sign a deal with A-League Women’s club Central Coast Mariners.

Rowe, 29, previously played three games for Melbourne Victory as an injury replacement back in 2022-23.

Before that she hadn’t played football for eight years and instead focused on Gaelic football and the AFLW, where she most recently had a stint with Collingwood.

Under the AFLW’s CBA, which was signed last year, players are contracted all year around but there are exceptions that allow them to play a second sport in the off season.

The ALW is one of the approved options.

Central Coast Mariners’ new signing Sarah Rowe has played in the AFLW and represented Ireland in Gaelic Football. Picture: Central Coast Mariners.

CODE HOPPING

Rowe said she wouldn’t be surprised if more AFLW players looked to live as dual-code athletes, especially because the calendars aligned so perfectly.

The ALW runs from October to May, while the AFLW pre-season starts in May and the competition is played from August to November.

She isn’t the only code hopper in the ALW. Casey Dumont is playing goalkeeper for Perth Glory after a stint with Hawthorn in the AFLW and NRLW player Sheridan Gallagher has signed with Newcastle Jets.

“There are so many things I think about the different sports but I love the challenge of having to transition, and I love how much it builds more and more resilience in me every time I do it,” Rowe said.

“So much of sport is about your mindset and how you apply that. It is the challenge that drives me.”

Rowe’s decision to make the move back to football was sparked by her personal trainer, who also works with the Central Coast Mariners men’s team.

She started to research coach Emily Husband and how the Mariners reached the semi-final in their first season back in the league.

Sarah Rowe in action for Collingwood in 2020. Picture: AAP

“I was extremely impressed by her and what Central Coast has done in the last two years,” Rowe said.

“I knew if I was to go back to soccer I would need a great coach and that was what appealed to me.

“It was a chance to get out of my comfort zone and get back to playing a sport that is essentially in my DNA.”

As she has spent so much time playing the sport in the past, Rowe said the transition was fairly simple and it “comes back quickly enough”.

The key was making sure her body was physically ready for the changes.

“It is a different type of load because soccer is so much more about acceleration, deceleration, and the load you put through your hips, glutes and groin is different to what you do in AFLW,” Rowe said.

“It is about the small intricate movements that you need to manage in the first week.

“Then you have the tactical and technical side of it but I’m getting my head around the system Emily is trying to play.

“It is a lot of new information to take in but it comes down to being diligent, consistent and persistent with everything you do.

“I never shy away from hard work.”

Collingwood’s Sarah Rowe is tackled by the Swans’ Sarah Grunden. Picture: Phil Hillyard

KEY DIFFERENCES

Rowe has been with the Mariners for just a week but has already noticed some key differences between the set-ups at AFLW and ALW clubs.

Unlike the AFLW, ALW players are on nine-month contracts and many have to work a second job during the season.

AFLW players are now on 12-month contracts and the minimum salary will increase to $67,337 next season. ALW’s minimum is $25,000.

“I would say the ALW seem to have a lot less time together, it is very efficient with their time,” Rowe said.

“You get in, get your training done, get your gym done, your meetings. Everything is prompt. We’re in at 7am and done by 11am.

“Whereas AFLW we have a lot more hours on the clock together.”

Like the ALW, the AFLW does not have full-time staff but does have a very long pre-season – from May to August – compared to the six weeks for ALW players.

Sarah Rowe pictured playing Gaelic football for Mayo.

SETTLING IN

Rowe, who plays as a right winger or right back, is eager to hit the pitch.

However, the Mariners are yet to confirm if the new signing will be on the roster this week.

“I love playing with the round ball,” Rowe said. “Being so far from Ireland, playing soccer feels like home for me again because I grew up playing it.

“It just sits deep within me and I can’t wait to play.”

Rowe saw one familiar face when she arrived for her first session, having played with rising star Jessika Nash during her time at Melbourne Victory.

“I have been the new girl on the block this week, making all the mistakes, but I’m embracing it all,” Rowe said.