Bowden's year

[mightytiges]

From his EOTT artilce: pneumonia (mild) at the start of preseason then fluid on the knee and a cracked cheekbone in the H/A matches.

A fair effort to get through all that and still play all 22 games. 

[JohnF]

Very happy with Bowden's year.

I don't really like the position he plays, but he does play it well, no doubt about it.

[Bulluss]

I think its the only spot Bowden seems to consistantly play well in.

I would also like to see him play wing or half forward but he seems to drop his game when he isnt accountable for an opponent.

All in all a great year though.

[mightytiges]

I don't think he'll be moved from defence but I've always thought Joel would be handy at FF on occasions to offput the opposition with a difficult match-up. He can obviously find the footy, is an excellent mark and accurate long kick and he uses the ball well. Thankfully the old brain implosions are now few and far between.

[letsgetiton!]

I don't think he'll be moved from defence but I've always thought Joel would be handy at FF on occasions to offput the opposition with a difficult match-up. He can obviously find the footy, is an excellent mark and accurate long kick and he uses the ball well. Thankfully the old brain implosions are now few and far between.

spot on mt

i remember when he forst started atthe club and was played at times at ff, lead well kicked str8 and took strong marks. who knows he may even still play his final yrs as a ff aka g train. one never knows

[mightytiges]

I don't think he'll be moved from defence but I've always thought Joel would be handy at FF on occasions to offput the opposition with a difficult match-up. He can obviously find the footy, is an excellent mark and accurate long kick and he uses the ball well. Thankfully the old brain implosions are now few and far between.

spot on mt

i remember when he forst started atthe club and was played at times at ff, lead well kicked str8 and took strong marks. who knows he may even still play his final yrs as a ff aka g train. one never knows

The last time Bowden played forward was in 2001 but he was banished from there after a classic pre-2004 Bowden brain implosion. Against the Crows at the 'G that year we had kicked the first 2 goals of the game and had all the momentum. Joel then leads and marks 30m out on a gettable angle to make it 3 in 10 minutes. Instead of taking a set shot he tried to dummy and run around the guy on the mark and of course the Crow player was awake to it and Joel turned the footy over. Crows then got a easy goal from it and the whole momentum of the game changed and we got flogged (similar to the Roos game this year with Tivs' stuff ups). About a month later against the Hawks in the exact same scenario Joel tried to repeat running around the guy on the mark instead of taking a set shot and of course he turned it over again costing us a goal. We got flogged in that one as well. That was the end of Joel playing forward under Spud.

Now that the brain implosions are few and far between it would be handy to give Joel another go up forward now and then. The ideal side is one where the players are versatile so the coach can create a mismatch or drag a damaging opponent away from the play.

[letsgetiton!]

do u remember when he bagged 4 in 1st quarter at the g v the eagles then he dislocated his shoulder and required a reco , he was on fire up fwd  back than

[mightytiges]

do u remember when he bagged 4 in 1st quarter at the g v the eagles then he dislocated his shoulder and required a reco , he was on fire up fed  back than

Round 8, 1997. The thing is I remember more clearly Bowden dislocating his shoulder than him kicking those 4 goals that day .