Rowell gets back to his roots to teach next generation of AFL stars
IT was in the school grounds of Mont Albert Primary where Matt Rowell first put his head over the Sherrin and burst through packs with the leather under his arm.
The Suns midfielder was just four years old and those days playing NAB AFL Auskick with his friends form some of his earliest memories of participating in sport.
“It was where I learnt all the basic skills of the game,” Rowell said.
“As a kid I remember going down to the local primary school with all my mates and having fun. (Putting my head over the ball) came pretty naturally. I loved every minute of it and I still do. My love for the game came from there at Auskick.”
Rowell spent part of this week introducing the next generation of potential Australian rules stars to the game, taking a group of junior players through a clinic at the Suns Carrara headquarters, alongside teammate Jack Lukosius.
“It’s really important that you start from a young age, especially with Aussie rules,” Rowell said.
“Getting the skills down pat early is important and having the chance to be part of a team environment and to be able to play with your friends is what it’s about.”
A record number of participants took part in Auskick in 2021 and despite the floods impacting junior football at the start of this season numbers are up by 3 per cent on last year.
For those interested, you can register for Auskick at play.afl/auskick