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Sarah Rowe
Sarah Rowe
from Wikipedia

Sarah Linda Rowe (born 25 July 1995) is a triple code sportswoman. She currently plays association football for Central Coast Mariners and Australian rules football for Collingwood in the AFLW.

Key Information

She is a former Republic of Ireland women's association football international. In addition to association football, Rowe has also played two other football codes at a senior level. She has played ladies' Gaelic football for Mayo and Australian rules football for Collingwood in the AFLW. At club level, Rowe has played association football for Castlebar Celtic, Raheny United, Shelbourne, Bohemians in the Women's National League and for Melbourne Victory in the A-League Women. Rowe was a member of the Republic of Ireland U19 team that won their group at the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship and qualified for the semi-finals. In 2016, she was also a member of the Shelbourne Ladies team that won a Women's National League/FAI Women's Cup double. In 2023, she returned to association football playing for Melbourne Victory and then for Bohemians.[5] She signed for Central Coast Mariners in 2024.

Early years, family and education

[edit]

Rowe is from Ballina, County Mayo. She is the daughter of Alan and Grainne Rowe. She has two older sisters, Lorna and Fiona. Her grandfather, Paddy Jordan, was a member of the Mayo squad that won the 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Her father is involved with Ballina R.F.C., serving as club chairman and club president. He also works for the family business, Rowear, a clothing company specialising in pyjamas.[4][6][7][8][9] Rowe was educated at The Quay National School[10] and St. Mary's Secondary School.[11][12] She began playing association football aged seven and Gaelic football aged eight. She credits Hugh Lynn, her school principal at The Quay National School, for encouraging her to develop her sporting potential.[6][10] Between 2013 and 2018 Rowe attended Dublin City University on a sports scholarship and trained to be a PE and Biology teacher.[7][10][13][14]

Association football

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Clubs

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St. Mary's Secondary School

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In 2010 Rowe was a member of the St. Mary's Secondary School team that won the FAI Under-16 Schoolsgirls Cup. Rowe scored twice in the semi-final as St. Mary's defeated St. Caimin's Community School, Shannon 2–0. In the final Rowe scored the winner as St. Mary's defeated Moville Community College 2–1.[15][16][17]

Castlebar Celtic

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Rowe played for Castlebar Celtic during the 2012–13 and 2013–14 Women's National League seasons. She was a member of the Celtic team that played in three cup finals, the 2013 and 2014 WNL Cup finals and the 2013 FAI Women's Cup final. On each occasion Celtic finished as runners up.[18][19][20][21][22] While playing for Celtic, Rowe was also named in the 2012–13 WNL Team of the Year.[23][24]

Ballina Town

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In 2014 Rowe was a member of the Ballina Town team that won the WFAI Intermediate Cup. Rowe provided an assist and scored Ballina's third goal as they defeated Douglas Hall 3–1 in the final at Turners Cross.[12][25][26][27]

Raheny United

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Rowe played for Raheny United during the 2014–15 Women's National League season and helped the team win the 2015 WNL Cup.[19][28]

Shelbourne Ladies

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Rowe played for Shelbourne Ladies during the 2015–16 and 2016 Women's National League seasons. She played in the 2015 FAI Women's Cup final but again finished as a runner up. In 2016 she was a member of the Shelbourne Ladies team that won a Women's National League/FAI Women's Cup double.[29][30][31][32]

Melbourne Victory

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In January 2023, Rowe signed with A-League Women club Melbourne Victory, initially on a three-week injury replacement contract for in place of Melina Ayres.[33]

Bohemians

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In February 2023, Rowe returned to her homeland and signed for Bohemians, in the hope of impressing and being selected by Vera Pauw for the national team.[34]

Central Coast Mariners

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In December 2024, Rowe returned to the A-League Women, signing with Central Coast Mariners until the end of the season.[35] Her AFLW club, Collingwood, confirmed that she's still contracted to them too and will return in May 2025 for pre-season training.[36]

Republic of Ireland

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Rowe represented the Republic of Ireland at under-15,[11] under-17 and under-19 levels.[2] Together with Megan Connolly, Savannah McCarthy, Clare Shine and Katie McCabe, Rowe was a member of the Republic of Ireland U19 team that won their group at the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship and qualified for the semi-finals. In the qualification campaign she scored the goal against Turkey that secured their place in the finals.[12][37][38][39][40] On 4 March 2015, Rowe made her senior debut for the Republic of Ireland at the 2015 Istria Cup. She came on as a substitute against Hungary and subsequently provided an assist for Ruesha Littlejohn who scored to earn the Republic of Ireland a 1–1 draw.[41] Rowe was also a member of the Ireland squad at the 2015 Summer Universiade.[42][43]

Gaelic football

[edit]
Sarah Rowe
Personal information
Sport Ladies' Gaelic football
Position Left Half Forward
Clubs
Years Club

2013–2018
Kilmoremoy
DCU
Inter-county
Years County
2012–2018
Mayo

Clubs

[edit]

At club level, Rowe has played for Kilmoremoy and DCU GAA.[6][14][32][44] She has played in two O'Connor Cup finals for DCU, both against the University of Limerick. In 2015 she finished as a runners up. In 2018 she scored 1–3 as DCU won by 2–12 to 0–17.[45][46][47][48]

Inter-county

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Rowe played for Mayo at under-12, under-14, under-16, under-18 and under-21 levels before making her senior debut in 2012, aged 16, against Galway.[6][10][44] Rowe has played for Mayo in three Ladies' National Football League finals, losing in 2013 and 2016 to Cork and in 2018 to Dublin.[49][50][51][52] She also played for Mayo in the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final, losing again to Dublin.[13][53][54][55]

Australian rules football

[edit]
Sarah Rowe
Personal information
Draft Rookie signing, 2018
Debut 2 February 2019, Collingwood vs. Geelong, at GMHBA Stadium
Position Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2019– Collingwood 75 (13)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2025 season.
Source: AustralianFootball.com

In August 2018 it was announced that Rowe had signed a five-month, one season contract with Collingwood in the AFLW.[56][57][58][59] On 2 February 2019 Rowe made her AFLW debut for Collingwood in a 24–23 defeat against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium in round 1 of the 2019 season.[60][61][62][63] At the end of the season, Rowe was named Collingwood's Best First Year Player.[64][65][66][67] She signed a contract to play for Collingwood in 2020, though declined a two-season contract so to ensure she could remain available to play for Mayo.[67][68][69] Rowe improved her output in most statistical areas and was part of the Magpies team that was narrowly eliminated by North Melbourne in the finals series, shortly before the rest of the season was cancelled outright due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She re-signed with Collingwood again for the 2021 season.[70]

AFLW stats
Statistics are correct at the end of the 2024 AFL Women's season.[63]
Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals 
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds 
  H  
Handballs 
  M  
Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2019 Collingwood 7 7 2 2 52 21 73 21 20 0.3 0.3 7.4 3.0 10.4 3.0 2.9 3
2020 Collingwood 7 7 5 1 72 31 103 27 17 0.7 0.1 10.3 4.4 14.7 3.9 2.4 0
2021 Collingwood 7 7 1 2 57 37 94 14 6 0.1 0.3 8.1 5.3 13.4 2.0 0.9 0
2022 (S6) Collingwood 7 11 1 2 135 50 185 30 23 0.1 0.2 12.3 4.5 16.8 2.7 2.1 3
2022 (S7) Collingwood 7 11 2 4 82 27 109 18 20 0.2 0.4 7.5 2.5 9.9 1.6 1.8 0
2023 Collingwood 7 10 1 5 152 27 179 28 43 0.1 0.5 15.2 2.7 17.9 2.8 4.3 0
2023 Collingwood 7 11 1 1 155 52 207 27 47 0.1 0.1 14.1 4.7 18.8 2.5 4.3 0
Career 64 13 17 705 245 950 165 176 0.2 0.3 11.0 3.8 14.8 2.6 2.8 6

Personal life

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From 2018 until 2019, Rowe was in a relationship with Seán O'Brien, the retired Ireland rugby union international. This relationship ended because of long distance.[7][71] She has previously been in a relationship with Aidan O'Shea, who is also a Mayo Gaelic footballer.[12][14][37][38]

Honours

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Association football

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Shelbourne Ladies
Raheny United
Ballina Town
Castlebar Celtic

Gaelic football

[edit]
Mayo
DCU GAA

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Sarah Rowe (born 25 July 1995) is an Irish multi-sport athlete from , recognized for her elite-level performances in ladies' , , and . She began her career in soccer and , representing the internationally in soccer with a senior debut in 2015 and starring as a forward for Mayo Ladies in , where she contributed to multiple semi-final appearances. In 2019, Rowe relocated to to pursue professional opportunities in the (AFLW) league, joining Collingwood and earning the Best First-Year Player award in her debut season while establishing herself as a consistent and respected performer, including a career-high third place in the club's in 2023 and reaching the 50-game milestone as one of the few players to do so. Capitalizing on off-seasons, she returned to soccer in late 2024 with Central Coast Mariners in the , helping the club secure its inaugural championship in 2025 and becoming the first player to win the title. Her ability to excel across codes underscores her athletic versatility and dedication, balancing demanding schedules between , , and professional commitments.

Early life and education

Family and upbringing

Sarah Rowe was born on 25 July 1995 in , . She grew up in the town alongside her parents, Alan and Gráinne Rowe, and her two older sisters, and . The family maintained close bonds, with Rowe later describing her parents' unwavering support as instrumental in her development, despite the demands of her athletic pursuits. Rowe's early environment was steeped in sporting heritage, particularly Gaelic games, which fostered her multi-sport interests from a young age. Her maternal grandfather, Paddy Jordan, had been a key player on Mayo's 1951 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship-winning team, the county's last such triumph to date. Her other grandfather had represented Mayo at the minor level, embedding a legacy of local athletic involvement that exposed Rowe to Gaelic football and association football through family narratives and community participation. Gráinne Rowe, while prioritizing family over personal fitness in her earlier years, contributed to a household environment that valued resilience and communal sports. This backdrop in rural Mayo, known for its strong GAA culture, provided Rowe's initial grounding without formal training structures initially.

Initial sporting involvement and schooling

Rowe attended St. Mary's Secondary School in Ballina, County Mayo, where she participated in competitive association football at the inter-school level. During her time there, she represented the school in the FAI Schools Junior Girls competition, scoring four goals in a match against an opposing team from Ballina, contributing to progression in the tournament. She also featured in national school squads, including the Republic of Ireland team that won the Bob Docherty Cup in 2018, though this overlapped with her secondary education period. Her initial organized sporting involvement began in primary school, where she started playing association football around age seven with local club Castlebar Celtic in Mayo. Concurrently, at age eight, she took up Gaelic football, initially through national school teams before advancing to club and county underage levels. By age nine or ten, Rowe had joined Mayo's development squads for Gaelic football, playing at under-12 and subsequent underage grades, which highlighted her early versatility in handling ball skills and physical demands across both codes. These formative experiences fostered transferable athletic attributes, including speed, , and , evident in her ability to compete effectively in multiple from a young age, setting the foundation for her later multi-code career without early specialization.

Association football career

Club career in Ireland

Rowe began her senior career with Castlebar Celtic in the Women's National League (WNL) during the 2012/13 season, remaining with the club for two and a half seasons until February 2015. Playing primarily as a , her performances at the Mayo-based side contributed to her selection for the U19 squad in the 2013/14 UEFA European Championships qualifiers. In mid-2014/15, Rowe transferred to Raheny United, a prominent club competing at the top level of Irish women's football. She featured in Raheny's run to the last 32 of the 2014/15 , where they were eliminated by Bristol Academy. The team also secured the FAI Women's Cup that season, defeating Shelbourne 3–0 in the final on August 16, 2015, at AUL Complex, though specific contributions from Rowe in the match are not detailed in records. Raheny's merger with Shelbourne at the end of the 2014/15 campaign marked the conclusion of Rowe's time there, amid the domestic league's challenges of limited professional infrastructure and reliance on semi-professional setups. Rowe continued with the amalgamated Shelbourne for the 2015/16 season, helping the club achieve a WNL and FAI Women's Cup double. Shelbourne clinched the league title and defeated Town 2–0 in the cup final on November 6, 2016. She briefly returned to Shelbourne in 2021 for one season but departed afterward. In February 2023, Rowe signed with Bohemians ahead of the WNL season, utilizing an off-season window from her Australian commitments. Over 13 league appearances, she scored 4 goals, contributing to key results such as a 2–0 win over Treaty United where she netted in the 45th minute. Bohemians finished mid-table, reflecting the competitive parity in the league where resource disparities often hinder consistent challenges to dominant sides like Shelbourne. Rowe left the club in July 2023 after expressing satisfaction with her brief return to Irish football.

Professional club career abroad

In January 2023, Rowe signed a short-term contract with Melbourne Victory in the , initially as an injury replacement player. She adapted to a right-back role during her stint, contributing defensive stability in limited appearances amid the club's competitive schedule. However, her time with Victory was curtailed, preventing a full-season commitment as she balanced multi-code demands. Rowe returned to professional soccer abroad in December 2024, joining Central Coast Mariners midway through the 2024/25 season on a contract for the remainder of the campaign. Transitioning to a dedicated right-back position, she provided tactical versatility and defensive solidity, drawing on her international experience to meet the league's professional intensity. Her integration bolstered the Mariners' backline, enabling a cohesive unit that advanced through playoffs undefeated. Rowe played a pivotal role in the Mariners' historic 2025 A-League Women Grand Final victory over Melbourne Victory on May 18, 2025, securing the club's first championship via a 5-4 penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw. Positioned at right-back, she contributed to the defensive resilience that limited Victory's attacks, while her multi-sport athleticism aided in high-pressing transitions. This triumph marked a more settled adaptation compared to her earlier Australian soccer experience, with Rowe crediting team belief and her own growth in professional demands.

International career with Republic of Ireland

Rowe made her senior international debut for the women's national team on 4 2015 during the Istria Cup in , entering as a substitute against . Her introduction prompted the equalizer, with scoring shortly thereafter to secure a 1–1 draw. She featured as a substitute in the remaining Istria Cup group matches, including a 0–2 loss to on 9 2015 and a 2–1 victory over on 11 2015. These three appearances constitute Rowe's complete senior international record, with no goals scored. In 2023, following a period focused on and , Rowe returned to and was added to the standby list for the Republic of Ireland's squad in June, though she did not earn further caps or selection for the tournament.

Gaelic football career

Club career

Rowe began her club-level Gaelic football career with Kilmoremoy, an amalgamation of three clubs from the Ballina area in County Mayo, where she emerged as a star forward. The team advanced from junior to intermediate status during her involvement, though specific championship wins tied to her contributions remain undocumented in primary reports. While studying at from 2013 to 2018, Rowe represented DCU in higher education competitions, including the O'Connor Cup. In the 2015 semi-final against on March 20, she scored 1-7, helping DCU secure a 3-9 to 0-10 victory. DCU reached the 2018 final, defeating 2-10 to 2-8 on March 11, with Rowe contributing a goal amid a closely contested match featuring multiple lead changes. Throughout this period, Rowe balanced club Gaelic commitments with soccer, prioritizing during its primary season and shifting focus to post-September. This dual-code schedule, involving up to 10 hours weekly for Gaelic training alongside inter-county and soccer duties, persisted until her move to for professional AFLW in late 2018.

Inter-county career with Mayo

Rowe made her senior inter-county debut for the Mayo ladies' team in 2012 at age 16, initially balancing it with soccer commitments before prioritizing . She quickly established herself as a forward, scoring a late goal in a 2016 Division 1 match against Monaghan that preserved Mayo's unbeaten run. Her contributions helped Mayo secure Senior Ladies' Football titles in 2015, 2016, and subsequent years, with the team reaching All-Ireland finals in 2016, 2017, and 2019, though falling short against in each. In recognition of her performances, Rowe earned an award in , highlighting her speed and scoring prowess in high-stakes games. She featured in three National Football League finals and the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Championship final, where Mayo challenged for the title but lost by a point. Her role emphasized forward play, leveraging athleticism developed across sports to impact Mayo's competitive edge in provincial and national campaigns. Rowe stepped away from inter-county duty after to focus on professional opportunities abroad, last appearing for Mayo that year. As of May 2025, amid her AFLW pre-season return with Collingwood, she expressed openness to a potential comeback, stating "who knows?" without firm commitment, citing ongoing multi-sport demands. Her absence coincided with Mayo's shift from contention, underscoring the empirical value of her prior on-field impact in elevating team performance during peak years.

Australian rules football career

Draft and debut with Collingwood

In September 2018, Sarah Rowe was signed by the Collingwood Magpies as a rookie ahead of the 2019 AFL Women's season, marking her entry into professional Australian rules football following her relocation to Australia. The signing came after Collingwood identified her athleticism and Gaelic football background as assets transferable to the sport, despite the need to adapt to differences in rules, such as kicking technique and structured play. Rowe expressed confidence in the transition, highlighting overlaps in physicality, tackling, and ball-winning skills from her Gaelic experience. Rowe made her AFLW debut on 2 February 2019, lining up in the forward pocket position during Collingwood's 24–23 loss to at GMHBA Stadium in round 1. In that match, she recorded 6 kicks, 0 handballs, 6 disposals, 3 contested possessions, 177 metres gained, 2 marks, and 1 tackle. Over the 2019 season, which consisted of 7 games for Collingwood, Rowe featured in all matches, averaging 7.4 kicks, 3.0 handballs, 10.4 disposals at 61.6% efficiency, 3.0 marks, and 2.9 tackles per game, while spending 91.4% time on ground. Her early play showcased versatility, rotating between defensive and midfield roles to leverage her endurance and ball-winning ability, though she faced a in refining disposal accuracy and positional discipline compared to the more fluid Gaelic style. These debut-year contributions helped establish her as a multi-positional asset amid the challenges of adapting to the AFLW's professional environment and rule nuances.

Ongoing achievements and role

Rowe has maintained a prominent as a for Collingwood in the competition through the 2024 season and into preseason preparations for 2025, leveraging her multi-sport background to contribute consistently in high-pressure scenarios. In 2023, she delivered a career-high performance, averaging elevated disposal counts and securing third place in the club's award, reflecting her growing influence in midfield rotations and contested ball wins. Her 2024 campaign sustained this momentum, with per-game averages exceeding prior benchmarks in fantasy scoring metrics around 155 points, underscoring adaptations in decision-making under fatigue. The synergies from Rowe's prior and soccer experience manifest in tangible AFLW outputs, particularly enhanced kicking accuracy and aerobic endurance derived from cross-code demands. 's emphasis on physical contesting and overhead marking has directly bolstered her tackling efficiency and aerial presence, while soccer's precision ball-striking has refined her goalkicking and execution, as evidenced by her self-reported skill transfer where AFLW's technical demands amplify rather than conflict with soccer fundamentals. This multi-code foundation enables Rowe to excel in transitional play, where her ability to chain possessions—averaging higher clearances in recent seasons—stems from soccer's off-ball movement patterns and Gaelic's ground-ball scavenging, providing Collingwood with versatile midfield depth amid injury rotations. Collingwood's coaching staff have integrated Rowe into leadership rotations, positioning her as a mentor for younger recruits while contributing to regular-season stability; though the team has not advanced to in her recent tenures, her consistent output—nearing 50 career games by late 2023—has anchored midfield structures against top opponents. Balancing AFLW commitments with off-season soccer duties, including a 2025 A-League Women's premiership win, has not diminished her preseason intensity, as confirmed by her return to Collingwood training immediately post-grand final. This dual-path resilience highlights causal benefits of her athletic versatility, where soccer's tactical sharpens AFLW's interpretive elements without eroding core physical adaptations.

Personal life

Relationships and relocation decisions

Rowe relocated to in October 2018 to pursue a professional contract with Collingwood in the inaugural season, marking a significant shift from her and soccer commitments in Ireland. This move enabled her to establish a base in , facilitating ongoing participation in while accommodating off-season returns to soccer with clubs like Victory in 2022–2023 and a short-term stint with Central Coast Mariners in late 2024. The decision reflected her prioritization of multi-code opportunities over stability, with Rowe describing the transition as a calculated risk driven by the novelty of paid women's AFL at the time. Family support has underpinned these relocations, with Rowe crediting her parents and siblings for providing emotional backing amid the logistical strains of transcontinental travel and seasonal juggling. In a 2019 , she emphasized her father's role in encouraging her pursuits abroad, stating that familial encouragement was essential for coping with isolation and performance pressures. This dynamic has extended to her tolerance for multi-sport risks, as Rowe has publicly noted that her close-knit family's understanding allows her to navigate injury concerns and scheduling conflicts without undue personal sacrifice. On romantic relationships, Rowe revealed in 2021 that she was single following a , enlisting her parents' assistance on the Irish dating show Pulling with My Parents to find a partner compatible with her athlete lifestyle, specifically seeking someone who attends and appreciates her career demands. No subsequent public disclosures indicate marriage or a long-term partner influencing her 2024 Mariners commitment, which she attributed primarily to professional alignment with coach Emily Husband rather than relational factors. Her relocations have strained work-life balance, with Rowe acknowledging in 2023 that maintaining personal connections amid dual-sport seasons in requires constant adaptation, though family proximity visits during Irish national duties help mitigate this.

Honours and achievements

Association football honours

Shelbourne
  • Women's National League (Ireland): 2016
  • FAI Women's Cup: 2016
  • WNL Cup: 2016
  • Women's National League (Ireland): 2021
  • FAI Women's Cup: 2021
Bohemians
  • All-Island Cup: 2023
Central Coast Mariners Rowe contributed as a defender in the 2024–25 A-League Women season, helping Central Coast Mariners secure their inaugural championship via a 1–1 draw followed by a 5–4 victory over Melbourne Victory in the grand final on 18 May 2025. No major international team titles or personal honours in are recorded for Rowe, who earned two senior caps for the in 2015.

Gaelic football honours

Rowe was named to the team in 2016, recognizing her performances as a forward for Mayo in the Ladies' and . She contributed to Mayo's victory in the 2016 Senior Ladies' Football , defeating Roscommon in the final on 24 July 2016 by a score of 2-13 to 0-14. Earlier, Rowe was part of the Mayo team that won Division 2 of the Ladies' in 2012, securing promotion to Division 1. She also represented the interprovincial team, earning senior championship medals in 2013 and 2015. At provincial level, she received the Young Player of the Year award in both 2010 and 2011 for her underage contributions.

Australian rules football honours

Rowe was awarded Collingwood's Best First Year Player honour at the conclusion of her debut season in 2019. That year, she also received the AFLW Multicultural Player of the Year award, recognizing her contributions as an international athlete transitioning codes. In 2020, following a standout performance across 14 matches, Rowe was named the AFLW Irish Player of the Year by Irish media. Rowe achieved third place in Collingwood's award in 2023, earning 77 votes after participating in all 10 games that season. She followed this with fourth place in the 2024 count, securing 70 votes amid consistent midfield play.

References

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