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Sport Nation
Trade talk: How Pies could get Rowell deal done without 2025 first-rounder
SEN • June 20th, 2025 11:55 am
Some alarm bells would be ringing at Gold Coast as Matt Rowell still remains unsigned beyond the end of this season.
With both Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs among Victorian teams vying for his services, AFL Media’s Riley Beveridge says that the Rowell decision could be the one that allows the dominoes to fall ahead of the trade period.
Given Rowell still remains unsigned as Gold Coast returns from their Round 14 bye, Beveridge says that some sources believe the Suns would be beginning to get worried that he could seek a trade home to Victoria.
“This is the real one that a lot of players and a lot of dominoes are waiting to fall,” Beveridge said on SEN Breakfast.
“I had a conversation with a few people a couple of weeks ago and they were saying, ‘Well, Gold Coast would start getting a bit worried if it got to the bye and he hadn't signed’, but they're back from the bye this week and he hasn't signed.
“I'm sure that'll be raising a few alarm bells at the Suns now that he's not done yet.
“He's got the two-year offer to stay to take him through to free agency and I'm sure they'd offer him longer term if he wanted it, and he saw his future at the club longer term.
“But there's a number of clubs in Victoria that are watching this situation and waiting, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs among those keen."
While Collingwood doesn’t have their 2025 first-round pick after giving it up in the Dan Houston trade, Beveridge explained how the Magpies could still get a deal done provided that Rowell picks the Magpies as his club of choice if he leaves the Suns.
“You'd want a couple of first-rounders, and you're exactly right that it would be difficult for them to get it done, given they don't have a first-round pick in this year's draft,” Beveridge said.
“But of course, what you can do now, and how this opens it up a little bit, is that you can trade two years in advance.
“So, Collingwood might not have their first-round pick this year, but they've got first-rounders in 2026 and 2027, which they can offer for Matt Rowell.
“It gives the clubs a lot more levers to pull in negotiations, and it might actually help out a side like Gold Coast, who's got a couple of Academy players coming through the door this year.
“So, they might be saying, if Collingwood had pick 18 in this year's draft, it wouldn't be any value to them because it would just get eaten up by those Academy bids. So having picks in the future in stronger drafts might actually be more beneficial to Gold Coast.
“But of course, there's still a lot of water to go under the bridge before Matt Rowell gets to Collingwood.”
Rowell, who finished eighth in last year’s Brownlow count, is averaging 24.5 disposals, 8.2 tackles and 7.3 clearances a game in 2025.
