Percy Rowe

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer and coach}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}

{{For|the Canadian politician|Percy John Rowe}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Percy Rowe

| image = Percy Rowe 1922.jpg

| caption = Rowe in 1922

| fullname = Percival Henry Rowe

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1896|1|4}}

| birth_place = Rutherglen, Victoria

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1976|8|27|1896|1|4}}

| death_place = Armadale, Victoria

| originalteam = Lake Rovers, Rutherglen

| height = 183 cm

| weight = 87 kg

| position =

| years1 = 1920–1923 & 1927-1928

| club1 = Collingwood

| games_goals1 = 96 (37)

| coachclub1 = Northcote

| coachyears1 = 1929–1934

| coachgames_wins1 = 136 (100–33–3)

| coachclub2 = Fitzroy

| coachyears2 = 1935

| coachgames_wins2 = 18 (8–9–1)

| coachclub3 = Carlton

| coachyears3 = 1937

| coachgames_wins3 = 18 (11–7–0)

| coachclub4 = Coburg

| coachyears4 = 1945–1946

| coachgames_wins4 = 42 (33–9–0)

| statsend = 1946

| careerhighlights =

}}

Percival Henry Rowe (4 January 1896 – 27 August 1976) was a player and coach in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Victorian Football Association (VFA).

Rowe initially played for Christmastown in the Chiltern & District Football Association, then in 1915, he played for Lake Rovers Football Club{{cite web |title=1920 - A Rutherglen Boy |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/268629398 |publisher=Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser (Vic) |access-date=18 December 2023 |pages=2 |date=24 September 1920}} in the Ovens and Murray Football League grand final when Rutherglen defeated Lake Rovers.{{cite web |title=1915 - O&MFA Grand Final match review. |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129460178 |website=Trove Newspapers |publisher=Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser |ref=24th August, 1915, page 3.}}

In 1924 Rowe coached the Albury Football Club.

Rowe coached the Wangaratta Football Club to the 1925 Ovens and Murray Football League premiership.{{cite web |title=1925 - O&MFL Grand Final scores |url=https://www.omfnl.com.au/grand-finals-1920s/ |website=Ovens and Murray Football League |publisher=O&MFL}} Wangaratta Football Club were runner-up to St. Patrick's Football Club in 1926 under his coaching.

He then returned to Collingwood Football Club and played in their 1927 and 1928 VFL premierships.

Rowe is most notable for his time as captain-coach of the Northcote Football Club, where he oversaw the most successful period in the club's history. He played and coached at Northcote from 1929 until 1933, winning three premierships (1929,{{cite web |title=1929 - Northcote Successful |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4043460 |publisher=The Argus |access-date=18 December 2023 |pages=16 |date=14 October 1929}} 1932{{cite web |title=1932 - Northcote Premiers |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205494706 |publisher=The Age |access-date=19 December 2023 |pages=12 |date=26 September 1926}} and 1933) and finishing runners-up twice (1930–31) in those five seasons.{{citation|title=The Full Points Footy Encyclopedia of Australian Football Clubs|volume=1|author=John Devaney|page=346|year=2008|publisher=John Devaney and Full Points Publications}} Ralph Goullet, took over as captain-coach of Northcote and lead them to a premiership in 1934.{{cite web |title=1934 - Northcote's fine record |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205077386 |publisher=The Age |access-date=18 December 2023 |pages=9 |date=19 December 1934}}

After leaving Northcote,{{cite web |title=1934 - Percy Rowe Retires |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243318587 |website=Trove Newspapers |publisher=The Herald |access-date=18 December 2023 |pages=27 |date=3 February 1934}} Rowe was the coach of the Fitzroy Football Club in 1935{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11014386 |title=FOOTBALL COACHES. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=13 February 1935 |access-date=14 August 2011 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}} and the Carlton Football Club for the 1937 season before he was replaced by captain-coach Brighton Diggins.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11174606 |title=DIGGINS TO COACH CARLTON. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=1 March 1938 |access-date=14 August 2011 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}} He is the father of Des Rowe, who captained Richmond.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22898331 |title=LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS OF 1950 —HALF-BACK FLANKERS. |newspaper=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=1 July 1950 |access-date=14 August 2011 |page=12 Supplement: The Argus Week-end Magazine |via=National Library of Australia}}