New Adelaide Crows cult hero James Rowe’s long journey to the AFL
After being overlooked in three drafts, James Rowe all-but conceded, beginning life as a carpenter last year. 12 months later, he lived out his dream. This is his story.
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Matthew Nicks was taking out some equipment before training when he noticed James Rowe with the biggest grin on his face.
There were only a couple people out at West Lakes that morning, some players would have been still waking up.
Yet Rowe was there with a beaming grin that could not be wiped off his face, prompting Nicks to ask the 21-year-old why he was so happy.
Looking at the nearby developments popping up at West Lakes, Rowe explained that he was one of those people working on a building site in 2020 but now he was preparing for training as an Adelaide Crow — the team he grew up supporting.
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Rowe was smiling as he thought just how lucky he was to be living out his dream.
A fairytale might be a strong way of describing Rowe’s journey to the AFL.
But in modern day footy, it is pretty darn close.
Passed over in three previous drafts — with constant knocks about his height (173cm) and athleticism — Rowe last year was in the first year of an apprenticeship at Custom Carpentry.
While he hadn’t completely given up his dream of playing AFL, he was pretty content with playing for Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL.
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“Rowey just loves his footy and Rowey, to me, is someone, I’ve only coached him for a year but he didn’t seem like someone who was highly strung up about getting drafted,” Eagles coach Jade Sheedy said.
“He started an apprenticeship last year and that’s just the thing, whatever the kid does he just loves it.
“He loved his carpentry, he loved going to work and he loved the boys that he worked with and it is the same with his footy.”
Rowe still works at Custom Carpentry — co-owned by Scott Mcgurk and Sam Byles — one day a week to keep his apprenticeship ticking over.
Mcgurk said Rowe, the footballer, still loved the tradie side of his life.
“I think he had it in his head (last year) that he needed something to fall back on but as the year went on and he played some good footy he started to realise he might be a chance of having another crack so I’m really happy for him,” he said.
COMPELLING CASE
Playing for the Eagles, Rowe made it almost impossible for recruiters to ignore, especially with Victorian prospects not playing, sharing the Ken Farmer Medal for leading goalkicker in the SANFL as a damaging small-forward — at one point kicking 18 goals without a miss.
And then in the Eagles’ victorious finals campaign, he kicked five goals in the preliminary final to further dispel any doubts AFL clubs might have over him — eventually being selected by the Crows with Pick 38.
Rowe signed with a manager two days before the 2020 draft, and, on the night itself, took his Custom Carpentry trailer back home.
“We offered to take the trailer off him on the night of the draft and he didn’t want to change anything in his life just on the chance he didn’t get picked up,” Mcgurk said.
“So he took the trailer home with him and got picked up by the Crows and then had to drop the trailer off at 6.30am in the morning at the site.”
Sheedy said Rowe fully deserved his chance in the AFL.
“There were lots of discussions last year about how is he not on an AFL list and I was his coach so I’m a bit biased but he looked a step above the SANFL competition last year,” Sheedy said.
“I think every week he did something special and he kicked a lot of goals but he just does things on the footy field that others couldn’t.”
Crows fans saw this last Saturday in the stunning upset win over Geelong.
As Adelaide’s first ever father-son recruit to play in an AFL game — with foundation Crow and Norwood premiership winning dad Stephen in the radio booth for FIVEaa — Rowe had a debut to remember.
He finished with two goals, 16 disposals, three tackles and lit up the crowd with energy and excitable celebrations.
“When we are few down on the bench, we were questioning whether he was spending too much energy celebrating but I will never have a go at someone celebrating,” Nicks said.
PASSION PLAY
Brenton Phillips coached Rowe when he was in the South Australian Under 18 squad in 2017.
He said he shared the same passion for the game during his stint with the state junior side.
“He’s not your prototypical AFL footballer,” Phillips said.
“But you can’t teach footy intelligence. He is a really bubbly sort of person who is just really fun.
“We can’t lose that fun he brings to the game.”
Sheedy said Rowe would have gained the love of thousands of people on the weekend.
“Rowey’s greatest attribute is to be a great teammate and play his role and that’s what got him drafted,” he said.
“I saw it on the weekend for the Crows, the way he celebrated his and teammates’ goals and the energy he brought and, when he kicked his goals, how much it meant to him, that is why Rowey is much loved.
“And now loved by thousands of supporters after one game because that’s who is he is as a kid and he just cares about people.”
Interestingly, those who know Rowe say his best position might be still on-the-ball, despite starring in the SANFL and coming to Adelaide as a small-forward.
“He is a very smart footballer,” Sheedy said.
“He knows how to find the footy and he knows where the goals are, he’s playing a little bit higher at the Crows it looks like, but his ability to win possession and distribute it to teammates looked really good.
“He has attributes to be an on-baller, his awareness around the contest and ability to find space is as good as I’ve seen at SANFL level.
“He is more than just a small-forward, he can get up the ground and deliver to his teammates and find good space and he is a good user of the footy.”
HARD YARDS
South Australia’s Under 18 team in 2017 boasted a star line-up.
Names included Darcy Fogarty, Charlie Ballard, Callum Coleman-Jones, Stefan Giro, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and bottom agers Jack Lukosius, Connor Rozee, Izak Rankine and Jackson Hately.
They all got picked up in their draft years.
Rowe has taken a less conventional path but has now finally joined them.
“He has done it the hard way,” Sheedy said.
“A lot come through the draft as 18-year-olds... that’s all they focus on and he has had to do it a little bit different than most.
“He has played in the SANFL, been told a lot of the time that he is too small or too slow, gone out and got a job but he’s just got other attributes that he can bring and I’m just really happy for him.”
Team news: Injury ravaged Crows turn to brand new signing
- Matt Turner
Nick Murray was playing as a forward for the quirkily named country NSW side Ganmain Grong Grong Matong six months ago.
On Saturday, Murray will return to his home state to play on the SCG in the Crows’ defence after being named to debut against Sydney.
New rookie Murray, who has only been on Adelaide’s list for two-and-a-half weeks, is one of three changes to the side coming off an upset Round-1 win over Geelong on Saturday.
He will replace Jake Kelly (concussion), while veteran David Mackay returns for Luke Brown (achilles).
Adelaide’s third change is undisclosed and will be its medical substitute, covering for Mitch Hinge (shoulder).
Crows coach Matthew Nicks said Murray had overcome an ankle injury and was a bit surprised to find out of his selection after training.
He’s one that doesn’t hide his emotion … he enjoyed it, the boys got around him,” Nicks said.
“It’s a good chance to get his family over, so it’s an exciting time for him.”
Nicks said Kelly, who was knocked out, concussed and stretchered off on Saturday after a heavy bump from Patrick Dangerfield, had recovered well.
“Probably 48 hours he struggled for … but he’s had a couple of sessions with the group and is well on his way to get through (concussion) protocols,” he said.
Nicks said the club and Hinge, whose shoulder popped out twice against the Cats, would soon decide whether the Brisbane recruit would have surgery or play out the season.
“It’s a big decision for him,” he said.
“If he decides to go have that operation done, we’ll be well and truly working with him to get back and perform late this year, if not into next year.”
Nicks was hopeful Daniel Talia (knee) and Brown would be available next week.
With Swans superstar Lance Franklin set to return for his first game since 2019, Nicks said it was great to have ‘Buddy’ back, but he would not reveal his Crows opponent.
One option would be newly re-signed Jordon Butts, who helped quell Tom Hawkins last week.
Nicks said Butts, who inked a new two-year contract on Thursday, had come a long way.
“For two years (in the squad) he would admit himself he didn’t feel that close to playing a senior game but it’s incredible how quickly it turns,” he said.
“He came back (from off-season) bigger, stronger, fitter and so he deserves everything he’s getting.”
BUTTS LATEST CROW TO COMMIT TO CLUB
- Matt Turner
Crows full-back Jordon Butts has continued his positive start to the season, signing a new two-year contract.
Butts held Coleman medallist Tom Hawkins to two goals in the Crows’ upset win over Geelong on Saturday and impressed against Port Adelaide’s Charlie Dixon in the trial matches.
Saturday was just the third game at the top level for the 21-year-old, who helped cover the absence of injured veteran Daniel Talia.
Another Crow re-signs in latest coup
Butts, who Adelaide rookie-listed at the end of 2018, was coming out of contract after this season.
Adelaide list manager Justin Reid said the Victorian had all the attributes to become a long-term key defender for the club.
“Jordon has trained hard and applied himself to improving every part of his game since we drafted him,” Reid said.
“He has added size and strength to be able to compete with some of the best key forwards in the competition, he reads the ball fantastically well … so we are very happy to secure him for at least another two years.”
Butts is the sixth Crow to ink a new deal this month.
The others are Rory Laird (until the end of 2026), Reilly O’Brien (2025), Shane McAdam (2023), Andrew McPherson (2023) and Josh Worrell (2023).
“I’m stoked to be on board and it gives me a lot of confidence to keep improving,” said Butts, who made his debut against Geelong in Round 13 last season.
“The past few years have been great and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
“I’m looking forward to where the footy club is going, we are all hungry to get better and I’m excited to see what’s ahead.”
Butts may get the job on Sydney superstar Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin this Saturday.
TEX’S ‘OVERWHELMING’ MOMENT A CAREER HIGHLIGHT
– Liz Walsh
Adelaide’s rejuvenated veteran forward Taylor Walker says the Crows have now entirely invested in coach Matthew Nicks’ game plan, which will give the young side the pride and belief to lift them off the bottom of the ladder.
Walker said the Crows’ thrilling 12-point win over 2020 grand finalists Geelong, was built on the back of a clear understanding of the strategy and level of pressure required.
“We’re not reaching for things now, we’re understanding the footprint for how we want to play and the boys can now feel it and see it,” Walker said.
“So now if we get challenged or if it’s not going our way we can just go back to exactly the way we played on the weekend.
“I had so many text messages from past players saying they just absolutely loved the way the Crows played, it made them so proud. We just need to keep doing that now.
“We’ll … make it crystal clear to the guys that this is the way we want to play.”
In his 14th season at the Crows, the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, was among the best on ground in Adelaide’s surprise victory over the Cats, kicking five goals while also picking up 18 touches, taking seven marks and getting in two clearances.
Next up, the Crows fly to Sydney to take on the Swans at the SCG on Saturday, but will do it without defender Jake Kelly who is sidelined for 12 days under the AFL’s new concussion protocols.
Kelly was concussed after a head knock from former teammate Patrick Dangerfield, who has been referred to the tribunal for the incident and could face a lengthy suspension.
Walker said Kelly was still not 100 pet cent, but the club was hopeful he would be up and running again soon.
Walker didn’t see Dangerfield’s bump, but said he’d watched it on replay: “I didn’t know what happened at the time, I obviously saw the replay and one of those things in footy, it’s a contact sport, these things happen”.
Walker said at least two or three spots would need to filled for the clash against the Swans with Kelly (concussion) unable to play and clouds hanging over Luke Brown (sore Achilles) and Mitch Hinge (shoulder).
He expected the likes of Fischer McAsey and Josh Worrell to be in selection contention after strong performances in the SANFL.
As the third-oldest person on the list (behind David Mackay and captain Rory Sloane), Walker said he’d learnt how to keep his body in good nick.
“My body’s in great condition, it’s healthy and I know that if I do that and stay proactive with my body I can get myself out there and play some good footy like I did on the weekend.”
And fatherhood has worked wonders for him too.
The 30-year-old ran onto Adelaide Oval on Saturday carrying his sons Hugo, 1, and newborn Louis and he said it was one of his proudest moments of his footy career to be able to do so.
“It was just such an overwhelming experience that I was able to bring my family into the footy club … COVID last year meant the boys couldn’t run out with (myself and Sloane) us our (200th) milestone game. Sloaney was able to organise it and the club were outstanding.
“It was awesome.”
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