Matt Rowell’s Candid Responses to Umpire Contact Queries Fuel Legal Speculation

Gold Coast Suns midfielder Matt Rowell was reluctant to address his record of contact with umpires following his team’s impressive victory over Essendon, which ended 18.7 (115) to 11.8 (74).

Rowell has faced four reports for umpire contact this season, and the AFL confirmed this week that any player accumulating four or more offences could be subjected to a tribunal hearing.

This week, Suns head coach Damien Hardwick labelled some of Rowell’s fines as “laughable”, suggesting the centre bounce be replaced with a throw-up instead.

Following the match against the Bombers, Rowell was questioned by Fox Footy about whether he had adjusted his style of play.

“I haven’t changed a thing,” he replied succinctly.

When asked if Hardwick had spoken to him about it, Rowell responded briefly again.

“Yeah, nah, just keep doing me.”

In the post-match analysis, former West Coast Eagles coach Adam Simpson speculated that Rowell’s approach was a reflection of Hardwick’s influence.

“Sometimes, I believe you’re an extension of the coach in terms of messaging,” he remarked.

“When it becomes, ‘I’m just going to play my game’, and this includes risking contact in these scenarios, you can tell they’re not pleased with it. They may have encouraged him to play his natural game, even if it means putting himself in potential danger.

“This feels very much like a statement being made. When you hear a player articulate thoughts like that, it typically comes from their coach—a sign of a clear stance being taken on the issue … It seems to have elevated Hardwick’s standing.”

Simpson further noted that the Suns would be prepared on the legal front should a tribunal case arise.

“They’ll definitely have a strategy ready if that situation comes up, for sure. Whether or not it’s legal is a different question,” he said.

“It’s not simply a case of saying, ‘We’ll just complain if it happens’; they are making preparations for when it inevitably occurs, given Rowell’s current approach.”

In the press conference after the game, Hardwick acknowledged that Rowell would need to be “mindful” of contact moving forward.

“However, the reality is that once that ball is in play, he’s a ‘see ball, get ball’ kind of player, and that brings its own challenges,” he explained.

“I mentioned earlier this week that if the ball is slightly off the bounce, he won’t be considering the umpire’s position; his focus will be on reaching the contest. Incidental contact is likely to occur, and I believe the AFL understands that.

“While protecting the umpires is important, we also need to approach this wisely … We don’t want to find ourselves in a situation where top players are at risk of missing games for these incidents.”

Hardwick concluded by expressing uncertainty over whether Rowell could adjust his positioning, stating, “Accidents are inevitable in this game.”