TRUE BROMANCE
THEY APPEAR SET FOR THE SUNS AND THESE MATES HAVE LONG BEEN DESTINED TO BE TOP DRAFT PICKS
NOAH Anderson once gave Matt Rowell a rose for his birthday.
“It sounds a bit romantic, doesn’t it?” Anderson says. It wasn’t meant that way – 18-year-olds Anderson and Rowell are best mates and Rowell is a keen gardener fond of roses. While Rowell is tipped to be the No.1 pick and on his way to the Suns in the AFL national draft starting Wednesday, the midfielder and contested-ball beast knows exactly what career path he would go down if football was not to work out.
“I’d probably be in the garden. A bit of landscaping, maybe. That’s what interests me,” he says. “Ever since I was young I’d always be out in the garden with Dad, planting roses and other things.”
Rowell’s backyard has not only been used for planting flowers over the years.
It has also been the location of many a backyard cricket battle between himself and fellow draft hopeful Anderson. Rowell recalls Anderson nicking a ball one day while he was batting, which was caught by the keeper. But Anderson vehemently denied he got near it until confessing hours later that it did clip his bat. “He likes to win, but sometimes not fairly,” Rowell says of Anderson.
“He did go on to make a few more runs. I think he went on to make a good score there which made it even worse. “Even when we’ve played Uno a few times he’s cheated and given himself a few extra draw fours. So those are some of the things he does.” Anderson, expected to be taken at No.2 in the draft and join Rowell at Gold Coast Suns, has his own stories. “Rowelly is very competitive,” Anderson says. “We’ve had plenty of little things, whether it’s Wii Golf or goalkicking competitions at footy. Sometimes there’s not much communication between us for a few hours once I usually win in our little games. But that’s all right. He’s learning.”
The banter between the two Victorians has been built from years of friendship.
The pair played junior football with and against each other, won a basketball club championship together, live only a few minutes apart in Melbourne’s inner eastern suburbs and completed Year 12 studies together at Carey Grammar this year.
They had one mutual class this year – physical education.
“I helped him (Anderson) through that,” Rowell says.
“You can’t put that in, that’s outrageous,” Anderson replies.
‘AFL READY’
FORMER Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara believes Gold
Coast would be “mad” not to select Rowell and Anderson with the first two picks in this year’s national draft and must play the pair in Round 1.
The Suns are widely tipped to take the duo not only as a retention strategy but also given the pair complement each other so well.
Rowell is the inside midfielder likened to Geelong captain Joel Selwood, while Anderson – who has been compared to Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli – is more of an outside onballer who can also go forward and hit the scoreboard.
“Gold Coast would be mad if they didn’t take them,” Buckenara says.
“They’re midfielders, they’re mates and they’re from the same club.
“They (the Suns) would also be mad if they didn’t play them in Round 1 next year. There’s no point trying to develop them in the NEAFL.”
HERE ARE TWO YOUNG KIDS FROM THE SAME AREA WHO GREW UP PLAYING ALL THEIR FOOTY TOGETHER WHO ARE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP GETTING DRAFTED TO A PROFESSIONAL TEAM TOGETHER.. I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE BLOODY RARE JY BOND
Suns young gun Jack Lukosius, who this week extended his stay until the end of 2022, told the Bulletin Rowell is up for the AFL challenge.
“I have spent a bit of time with Rowelly. Hopefully we pick him up next week (in the draft),” he said.
“I did a bit of stuff with him at under-15 Australian schoolboys. I know him and he has had a great year and is a great player.
“He just loves his footy. He is very professional and a very good player who most clubs would love bringing in. Hopefully that is us.”
‘BLOODY RARE’
OAKLEIGH Chargers talent manager Jy Bond has taken Rowell and Anderson for a recent round of golf, another sport the pair has a passion for.
“It’s just funny watching them,” Bond says.
“Rowell is such a thinker
and now he’s determined to practise his golf. The kid will not rest until he’s good at something, which is a good trait to have.
“They’re competitive kids. A couple of nights at training I’ve looked out there and the lights are out and they’re still kicking goals and tackling each other.”
Sporting pursuits aside, Bond has also seen another side of Rowell and Anderson develop over recent years.
“Their football’s obviously really good and they’re on that pathway,” Bond says.
“But it’s good to watch their personalities and their characters develop as young men. That’s the rewarding part. They’re just really good kids.”
Bond could not be happier the pair are set to stick together on a new adventure at the Suns.
“Here are two young kids from the same area who grew up playing all their footy together who are probably going to end up getting drafted to a professional team together. I would say that would be bloody rare,” he says.
OUT of the classroom, Rowell and Anderson played in Carey’s premiership this year in what both list as their favourite football memory.
“Our school had only won one previously and it had been a goal of Rowelly and mine and a few other boys in that Year 12 group for a very long time,” Anderson says.
“So to actually tick that off and make so many people happy and build those relationships and memories was just awesome.”
An Oakleigh Chargers premiership in the NAB League topped off a football year to remember for Rowell and Anderson, with the latter also celebrating a Richmond premiership as a supporter from the stands of the MCG on September 28.
“I was at the 2017 grand final and the 2019 grand final and they were awesome,” Anderson says.
“Before 2017 I probably regretted being a Richmond supporter, but the last three years have been pretty good as a fan.”
Anderson’s allegiance to the Tigers comes despite his father Dean having played in two premierships for Hawthorn – 1989 and 1991 – before crossing to St Kilda to finish a 150-game AFL career.
Anderson says his father has not been short of advice this year.
“The big thing has probably been just to keep things balanced,” Anderson says.
“Obviously footy’s a big aspect this year but I’ve also got school and relationships and social life and stuff.
“So it’s just about having that balance, which probably improves your footy a bit because when you are doing training you’re more focused on it, it’s not taking up your whole life.
“The other piece of advice would be ‘just enjoy it’.”
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