Rowan Bonson

[Ragingbull]

The next Aaron Davey, Andrew Lovett has arrived!
will be drafted this year!

Dreamtime debut in VFL

Saturday, May 28, 2005
Jay Clark

GEELONG VFL recruit Rowan Bonson is among the best Aboriginal footballers ever to come out of the Northern Territory, former West Coast forward Chris Lewis said yesterday.
The two-time premiership Eagle coached Bonson in the NT under-18 team in 2003 and said he was just as good as teammates Richard Tambling (now at Richmond) and Raphael Clarke (St Kilda).

``For raw talent he's up there with the best of them,'' Lewis said of Bonson.

``Certainly back then he was just as important to the team as Tambling, he just didn't have the same work ethic.''

Bonson, an electrifying forward, was named to make his debut in Geelong's VFL team tomorrow at Box Hill after being signed as a top-up player last week.

It has been a rapid rise for the 19-year-old, who two months ago left the outback Aboriginal community of Barunga with eight mates to play football at GFL club Bell Park.

The excitement machine kicked five goals last round against St Albans after reeling in what many have dubbed the mark of the year the game before.

Bonson is cleaner than most at ground level and brilliant in the air, when given space.

So it was no wonder Lewis described his star pupil as a ``deceptive six-footer''.

``He looks tiny and thin, but he'll stand on your head if you give him the chance,'' Lewis said back then.

Geelong and Essendon are keen to swoop on Bonson at draft time but will take a wait-and-see approach over the coming months.

Bonson was touted as a possible high draft pick in 2003 after being selected to play for NT at the national under-18 championships.

Clubs had seen Bonson play up north and were salivating at the prospect of picking the lightning quick forward, despite his lack of representative football.

Just one game was all Hawthorn-mad talent scout Dominic Milesi needed to write him up as having the talent to crack the AFL.

``He could be anything, he could be nothing, we might never hear from him again,'' Milesi wrote.

``But from what I saw he has the raw talent to play at the highest level.''

But Bonson pulled out of the national championships at the last minute, according to mentor Paul Amarant, who drove him 400kms from the Barunga community to Darwin airport.

``I was able to get him in the vehicle but he just froze up when we got to the airport,'' Amarant said.

``He was a bit frightened and a bit ashamed I think because he was going down there with just the shirt on his back.

``He didn't have money or the clothes.

``People have just got to understand he's got a completely different background, coming from an outback community, that is completely different to all other Aboriginal players that have made it.''

 

[footyman]

It is very interesting, read an article about this earlier in the week as well.

Not sure when I'll see Geelong in the VFL next, but the likes of Bonson and Ed Darcy are adding plenty of interest to the competition.

 

[theorangeapple]

I remember afew years back Bonson was linked to the eagles through lewis.


Good to hear Goaldenhawk asked for his opinion.

 

[Nt Bomber]

Have watched him play for a couple of years in the Darwin comp.

Can look like the most exciting forward in the country on occasions. But usually goes off the boil halfway thru the season and if marked closely tends to struggle.

 

[mattyc2422]

Look forward to seeing him tomorrow after reading that. Seems like a case where he has all the ability but other things haven't gone his way.

 

[mattyc2422]

Was there but didn't play.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

I remember afew years back Bonson was linked to the eagles through lewis.


Good to hear Goaldenhawk asked for his opinion.

I wasn't asked! Must have done a google search or something.

He was there in casual clothes, but unfortunately didn't play today.

 

[lovejugs]

I wasn't asked! Must have done a google search or something.

He was there in casual clothes, but unfortunately didn't play today.

A mate of mine said that he felt a twinge at training but will be right to go next week

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Good to hear Goaldenhawk asked for his opinion.

As Dom said, they didn't ask him.

I chased up Dom's evaluation of the kid and other old articles and posted it on Cats Claw. The slack journo then read my post, copied slabs of it (word for word, actually) and went from there.

At least he gave Dom some credit for his work, which is something he's not done when ripping my posts from Cats Claw in the past.

 

[headovathepill]

Good to see the boy snag 1 in his first game for the hoops. Will Geelong elevate him of the rookie list at the end of the year considering that this years draft does not have huge depth?

Any thoughts?

 

[Turbocat]

Good to see the boy snag 1 in his first game for the hoops. Will Geelong elevate him of the rookie list at the end of the year considering that this years draft does not have huge depth?

Any thoughts?

He is NOT a rookie. He is a signed VFL player just like Egan was last year. We have no real hold on him. For us to have him he must nominate for the draft and not be picked by anyone else before we can read his name, again just like Egan last year, who we used our 3rd pick on. If he performs to an extremley good level and other teams are willing to use a R1 pick on him, he is gone and there nothing we can do !!
However , just like Davey he may nominate, not be picked by anyone and we pick him as a rookie which would be our best outcome. He may not be ready to play seniors but as a rookie you can give him time.Its worked well , with light framed palyer like Davey and Shannon Byrnes

 

[Ragingbull]

Colin Wisbey's comments on Rowan Bonson

Very skinny but fantastic AFL-level skills and acrobatics.

Flashy and inconsistent but, when switched on, has clean hands, is balanced, has good awareness and vision and very quick hands.

Has aboriginal "soft foot" kicking style.

Has a huge natural leap, even from a stationary start and can take an unbelievable mark. Marginally over 6' but can mark over the best when it suits him.

Problem historically has been lack of committment. Very enigmatic. You would have needed 12 coaches/mentors just for him. Even at 1/4, 3/4 time huddles he gave me the distinct impression that he was paying no attention to the huddles. He decided to pull out of the 2003 Champs because his girlfriend didn't want him to come down to Melbourne. It is so important these days for an AFL club to have the right culture of player committment, time magagement and self-discipline so he got lost in the wash after that.

In my 2003 draft profile, my summary line was
"Mercurial serious AFL talent but not predisposed towards AFL. Shame."

The fact that Geelong have been able to get him playing with them down here might (repeat, might) be a sign that he has become more focussed. If sufficiently focussed, I don't doubt he has the ability. However, ability was never the issue, at least in my eyes (despite being so skinny).

http://www.voy.com/51976/2/20032.html

 

[Weaver]

The NT are allowed to name overage players in their under-18 championship squad. They have a concession which lets them choose up to six 19 year olds.

I'm not sure if Bonson will be elligable,but the likes of Mullins, Calma and Roberts will be.