Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell has roared back to form with a stunning career-high performance in the Suns’ 27-point win over West Coast on Sunday night.
The No. 1 pick from the 2019 AFL Draft famously burst onto the scene with three Brownlow votes in each of his first three games before a shoulder injury forced him out of the remainder of 2020.
He then suffered an ankle injury in Round 1 of last year, meaning he barely got warm when playing the back half of the year with other body concerns.
Emerging on Sunday with none of the shoulder strapping he wore late in 2021, his dominance on the clash cannot be overstated.
33 disposals (including a whopping 22 contested), nine clearances and six tackles saw Rowell a clear best on ground in his club’s win, and his coach, Stuart Dew, wasn’t surprised with the return to form.
“He does everything possible to get himself in best position, mentally and physically, to play the game, in a brutal way. That's where it begins and ends for Matt,” Dew said post-game.
“Where that takes him, we'll sit back and watch and enjoy. He drags guys along with him.”
His toughness on the footy was epitomised by a contest in the third term, Rowell running back with the flight for a mark before getting bowled over by Willie Rioli coming the other way.
Simply an extraordinary non-decision #AFLEaglesSuns https://t.co/bp94F41AF0 pic.twitter.com/dWBCtO5kUO
— James Mottershead (@mottersjames) March 20, 2022
Curiously, a free kick was not paid for either front-on contact or high contact, but with the youngster getting up and playing out the game, Dew used the footage as a motivator for his players.
“The way he goes about his footy, he'll do anything for the team,” Dew said.
“We showed that clip after the game to say, at times your execution can be off, you can make some mistakes, but in the end, when it is a tight game, it is who has the biggest heart.
"We all know how big Rowelly's heart is when it comes to competing.”
Rioli is likely to incur the wrath of MRO Michael Christian for the incident, which had serious potential to leave Rowell concussed.
The Suns trailed by almost four goals midway through the second quarter but ran away with the game late with seven of the last eight majors.
In a year that is do or die for Dew and his men, he remains optimistic that his side can continue to build on what was their first ever win over the Eagles.
“Our game's profile is starting to lift to where we want it and where we have been predicting,” he said.
“It has been a planned build of the footy club and our list profile, and as that matures, our expectations go up and we look forward to each week.
“The boys have been on the journey and they know. We have been honest with them about where we have been and where we are at and where we want to go.”
The Suns face a tough fortnight coming up, fixtured to play Melbourne and the GWS Giants.