Rowell defeats school mates to claim Brownlow
The Gold Coast SUNS might have missed out on playing this weekend’s grand final after losing to Brisbane last week but the club is still celebrating after star midfielder Matt Rowell capped off a stunning year for the club by claiming the Brownlow Medal.
Rowell is the second Gold Coast Sun to the win the AFL’s highest honour for a player. AFL superstar Gary Ablett Jnr won his second Brownlow when captaining the Suns in 2013.
And in year that featured the Suns first ever appearance in the AFL finals series and its first finals win, captain Noah Anderson also featured in the running for the Brownlow.
Anderson finished in sixth place on 25 votes, 14 votes behind Rowell and only seven votes behind Brownlow pre-count favourite Nick Daicos, who finished in second place.
What is remarkable about the result is that Rowell, Anderson and Daicos all played together when they were three of the four mid-fielders in the Melbourne-based high school team Baptist Grammar School, which took out the premiership in 2019.
The fourth midfielder in that school team was Ben Jepson, who debuted for the Gold Coast Suns this season.
In his acceptance speech Rowell said he could not believe that he had won the award.
“I think a lot of boys could be standing up here tonight, so I feel very humbled and very honoured to be up here,” he said.
Rowell also paid tribute to Anderson.
“It is kind of cool going through the whole journey with him,’’ Rowell said
: I think I might have pinched a few votes off him that he should have got.
“Just to go through the whole journey with him and go to Carey and to be drafted together was cool. It made it a lot easier, I guess, to transition into the AFL.
“But, yeah, I love playing with him, but I love him as a mate as well. That friendship means a lot to me, and it is not very often that you get to go to an AFL club with your best mate.
“We want to go on that journey together, like winning the premiership in Year 12. We would love to do that at an AFL club … I love playing with him and I love him as a bloke.”
As one of seven Gold Coast players to play every game in 2025, Rowell finished the season as #1 in the AFL for clearances, #2 for centre clearances and tackles, #3 for contested possessions as well as sitting inside the league’s top 10 in inside 50s, total handballs and total disposals.
He also became a first-time All Australian, joining captain Noah Anderson as the first pair of SUNS players to earn All Australian blazers in the same season.
Coach Damien Hardwick congratulated Rowell on the achievement.
“He has stepped up into our leadership group for the first time this season, and alongside taking his personal game to another level, has played a key role in seeing us take some big steps forward as a football club,” Hardwick said.
“He polled well at last year’s count and it’s no surprise to those who have worked closely with him that he’s gone even better this season.
“He just wants to continue improving and learning, and it is a privilege to have him at our football club.
“He’s now played more than 100 consecutive games and given his absolute all in every single one of those – he’s an absolute joy to coach and I know he’s the kind of player every player wants standing alongside them.”
Gold Coast SUNS CEO Mark Evans congratulated Rowell on becoming the club’s second Brownlow medallist.
“Not only is this an incredible personal achievement for Matt, but for everyone who has played a part in his journey along the way,’’ Evans said.
“Congratulations first and foremost to Matt’s family; Mum Louise, Father Dave and sisters Maggie and Jess for everything they have done to help him get to this position.”
“It has been a pleasure seeing Matt develop as both a player and a person, and most recently a leader, over the past five seasons.
“His name will now forever sit alongside some of the game’s greats as a Brownlow Medal winner, and just the second for our club.”
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