DOB: 24 August 1936
Debut: Round 3, 1958 against North Melbourne at Arden Street
Last Game: Preliminary Final 1963 against Hawthorn at MCG
From: Birregurra
Number: 2 (1958-1963)
Honours:
Premiership Player - 1959, 1960
Best First Year Player - 1958
Life Member - 2023
Games: 70
Goals: 90
Career Statistics
Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
49 | 1 | 20 | 70.00 |
Recruited after winning the best and fairest award for the Polwarth League, centreman "Darkie" Rowarth's clearance to the Demons was initially opposed by Geelong, who demanded the league investigate whether he was residentially bound to them. They claimed he had signed with them previously but could not locate the form.
After the matter was resolved in Melbourne's favour Rowarth played 10 games in his first season before coming to prominence as 'decoy' full-forward in 1959 when Athol Webb was injured. He'd missed two games early in the year after suffering a depressed fracture of the cheekbone and a broken nose against Collingwood, but was a regular when he returned. He also played on a wing and half-forward flank, and at the end of the year played in his first premiership side. He got another flag the year after.
Rowarth's last two seasons were destroyed by injury and he played just eight games in each. Despite this his services were highly sought after when he left the Demons, with Mildura, Wangaratta, South Bendigo and Bentleigh all vying for his services. He chose Mildura, joining them in 1964.
His cousin Ern had played 20 games from 1945 to 1947.
Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
1958 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
1959 | 17 | 42 | 0 |
1960 | 15 | 22 | 0 |
1961 | 12 | 11 | 0 |
1962 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
1963 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
Lists
Family
Media
Age - 05/03/1958
Age - 27/03/1958
Age - 08/01/1964
Age - 13/04/1964
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