Charlie Rowbottom

Last updated

Charlie Rowbottom
Personal information
Born (2003-01-22) 22 January 2003 (age 22)
Melbourne, Victoria
Original team Oakleigh Chargers (NAB League Girls)
Draft No. 1, 2021 draft
Debut Round 1, 2022 (S6), Gold Coast  vs. Greater Western Sydney, at Great Barrier Reef Arena
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Gold Coast
Number 8
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2022 (S6)– Gold Coast 51 (4)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2025.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Charlie Rowbottom (born 22 January 2003) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Gold Coast in the AFL Women's (AFLW).

Contents

Early life

Rowbottom grew up in Melbourne and first played Australian rules football in year eight at Loreto Mandeville Hall. [1] She proceeded to play junior football for the East Malvern Knights of the South Metro Junior Football League, and shortly thereafter accepted a position in the Oakleigh Chargers girls teams. [1] She is the younger sister of professional men's footballer James Rowbottom, who plays for the Sydney Swans. [2] Her uncle is former AFL player and current Channel 7 AFL commentator Brian Taylor. [3]

Football career

Under the rules of the AFL Women's draft in 2021, Rowbottom was permitted to nominate the state of her choice for selection by an AFLW club. Despite growing up in Victoria, Rowbottom nominated Queensland, stating that although it would be "a shift in my life, it is all very exciting". [4] Gold Coast had the first overall pick in the draft, and so selected Rowbottom with the number one pick. [4] [5] [6] She played her debut match in round one of 2022 season 6 against Greater Western Sydney, and recorded 11 disposals. [7] The following round she was nominated for the AFL Women's Rising Star award, in the Suns' 13-point win against West Coast. [8] [9] She missed out on winning the Rising Star award by one vote to Carlton's Mimi Hill, though she did win the equivalent award as judged by her peers at the Players Association MVP Awards. [10]

Rowbottom won the Gold Coast Club Champion award the following season as her club's best and fairest player. [11] [12] She missed her chance at her first finals appearance when she underwent ankle surgery late in the 2023 season, [13] [14] though her third campaign was successful enough to earn Rowbottom her maiden selection in the 2023 All-Australian team.

In week 3 of 2024, Rowbottom set a new personal record of 42 disposals in a draw against Greater Western Sydney. [15] Fresh off of her second All-Australian selection at just the age of 21 in 2024, Rowbottom re-committed to the Suns, signing a two-year contract extension. [16] She also won her second Club Champion award. [17]

Following a 2025 season in which Gold Coast claimed the wooden spoon, Rowbottom won her third best-and-fairest. [18]

References

  1. 1 2 Sarah Black (26 July 2021). "Who is Charlie Rowbottom? Meet the Swan's sister set to go No.1". womens.afl.
  2. ↑ "AFLW: An historic night as two Swans get drafted". Sydney Swans. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Will Rowbottom be Roaming BT's ticket to Swans' rooms?". AFL Media. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Gold Coast Suns take Charlie Rowbottom with AFLW top draft pick". ABC News. 28 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Matthew Sullivan (28 July 2021). "Gold Coast Suns take Charlie Rowbottom as AFLW No. 1 draft pick". news.com.au.
  6. ↑ Michael Whiting (21 December 2021). "Out of lockdown, into the sun: No.1 pick hopes 'big leap of faith' pays off". womens.afl.
  7. ↑ "Charlie Rowbottom - Player stats by-season". Australian Football.
  8. ↑ "West Coast WFC vs Gold Coast WFC". Australian Football. 16 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Marnie Vinall (31 January 2022). "What we learned in Round 4: Fremantle and Adelaide are the teams to beat". ESPN.
  10. ↑ Kate O'Halloran (6 April 2022). "Emily Bates voted AFLW player of the year at AFLPA awards, as Daisy Pearce, Kirsty Lamb, Charlie Rowbottom also recognised". ABC News.
  11. ↑ "Charlie Rowbottom wins maiden AFLW Club Champion". Gold Coast Suns . 5 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Loss will spur Suns on". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Nationwide News Pty Ltd. 7 November 2022. The 19-year-old midfielder, in just her second campaign in the elite women's competition, was named the Gold Coast's club champion at an awards ceremony on the weekend in a season which took the orange and red outfit from cellar dwellers to top eight dark horses.
  13. ↑ Whiting, Michael (5 November 2023). "Surgery ends gun Sun's season on eve of finals". afl.com.au.
  14. ↑ Whiting, Michael (31 October 2023). "Suns gun Rowbottom ruled out of do-or-die clash". afl.com.au. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  15. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (18 September 2024). "The extraordinary numbers pushing star Sun into rare air". afl.com.au. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "Rowbottom, D'Arcy & McLaughlin commit to the SUNS". goldcoastfc.com.au. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  17. ↑ "Charlie Rowbottom becomes two-time SUNS AFLW Club Champion". goldcoastfc.com.au. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "Charlie Rowbottom reigns as Gold Coast SUNS Club Champion". goldcoastfc.com.au. 7 November 2025.
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