Sam Rowe

Originally from Walla Walla in the New South Wales Riverina, Rowe played his junior football for the Walla Walla Football Club in the Hume Football League, before playing TAC Cup football for the Murray Bushrangers in northern Victoria in 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/126524/default.aspx|title=Rowevember reign|first=Tony|last=de Bolfo|date=24 Nov 2011|access-date=26 Nov 2011|publisher=Carlton Football Club}} A tall (198 cm) and solidly built player, Rowe played his junior career predominantly as a ruckman and key forward.

Rowe was recruited as a rookie by the Sydney Swans with its eighth round selection in the 2006 Rookie Draft (No. 60 overall). He spent two seasons on the rookie list with Sydney, but failed to gain AFL selection, and was delisted at the end of 2007. He later commented that, as an eighteen-year-old, he wasn't well prepared for his first attempt at AFL football.

In 2008, Rowe moved to Adelaide, and joined the Norwood Football Club in the SANFL. Rowe played four seasons with Norwood, playing 86 senior games and kicking 112 goals for the club.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?player=Sam%20Rowe&action=PSTATS&pID=190810149&client=1-3289-0-103282-10028550|title=Player statistics for Sam Rowe|access-date=26 Nov 2011|publisher=Sportingpulse}} At the same time, Rowe completed an apprenticeship in carpentry.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/blues-pick-forward-sam-rowe-12-months-late/story-e6frf9jf-1226205394960|title=Blues pick forward Sam Rowe 12 months late|first=Matt|last=Windley|date=24 Nov 2011|access-date=26 Nov 2011|newspaper=Herald Sun}}

Rowe was recruited back to the AFL by the Carlton Football Club in the 2011 AFL National Draft with its second round selection (No. 44 overall). Carlton had approached Rowe the previous year with the view to recruiting him as a rookie, but Rowe rejected that offer to complete the final year of his apprenticeship. He was given guernsey number 17.{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/126659/default.aspx|title=New Blues have the numbers|publisher=Carlton Football Club|date=29 Nov 2011|access-date=29 Nov 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331160100/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/newsid/126659/default.aspx|archive-date=31 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}

Early in the 2012 season, Rowe was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He had an operation to remove the lump in late April, and underwent chemotherapy in May and June.{{cite news|title=Carlton recruit Sam Rowe diagnosed with cancer|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/carlton-recruit-sam-rowe-diagnosed-with-cancer/story-e6frf9jf-1226345723829|newspaper=Herald Sun|first=Mark|last=Hayes|date=3 May 2012|access-date=3 May 2012}} He made his return to training in October 2012,{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/rowe-debut-motivation-for-carlton/story-fndv8f7j-1226614018371| title = Rowe debut motivation for Carlton| first =Bruce | last =Matthews | work =Sunday Herald Sun | date =7 April 2013}} and he made his AFL debut at age 25 against {{AFL Col}} in Round 2, 2013.{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/magpies-give-buckley-the-rights-to-brag/story-fnca0u4y-1226614468263 | title =Magpies give Buckley the rights to brag| first = Courtney| last = Walsh | work =The Australian | date =8 April 2013}}

After being selected irregularly as a forward during 2013, Rowe had a breakout season in 2014 when he earned a regular place in the Carlton team as a permanent tall defender – a position he had never previously played.{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2014-05-13/sams-the-man-in-the-back-six|title=Sam's the man in the back six|date=13 May 2014|access-date=18 May 2014|author=Tony de Bolfo|publisher=Carlton Football Club}} His performances were strong enough for him to finish fifth in the best and fairest,{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2014-09-17/gibbs-wins-2014-john-nicholls-medal|title=Gibbs wins 2014 John Nicholls Medal|date=17 September 2014|access-date=18 September 2014|publisher=Carlton Football Club|author=Loretta Johns}} and was elevated to the five-man leadership group in the 2015 season,{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|location=Melbourne, VIC|date=3 December 2014|page=51|title=Murphy captain in Carlton's downsized leadership group}} and was a key member of the Carlton backline over the following years. He earned another top-ten performance in the club's best and fairest with a sixth place in 2016.

Rowe suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Round 9, 2017, and missed the remainder of the 2017 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-22/blue-blow-sam-rowes-season-over-after-acl-tear|date=22 May 2017|access-date=22 May 2017|publisher=Australian Football League|author=Nick Bowen|title=Rowe blow: Season over for key Blue after ACL tear}}

At the conclusion of the 2018 season, he was delisted by Carlton.{{Cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2018-10-18/four-list-changes-made|title=Four list changes made|website=carltonfc.com.au|access-date=2019-03-15}}

In March 2019, Rowe was signed by {{AFL StK}} as a pre-season supplemental selection.{{Cite web|url=http://www.saints.com.au/news/2019-03-15/saints-sign-sam-rowe|title=Saints sign Sam Rowe|website=saints.com.au|access-date=2019-03-15}} Rowe played his 100th and final AFL game (as well as his only game for St Kilda) in round 23, 2019.

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{{2006 AFL rookie draft}}

{{2011 AFL national draft}}

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Category:Australian rules footballers from New South Wales

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:Murray Bushrangers players

Category:Norwood Football Club players

Category:Carlton Football Club players

Category:Sportspeople from Wodonga

Category:Northern Bullants players

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen