Rowe, just six games into his senior career with the Blues, was amongst his team’s better performers against St Kilda at the weekend - working in tandem with Lachie Henderson as the tall forward option and rotating with resident ruckman Matthew Kreuzer at least once a quarter.
With his short-term future now secured, the boy from Walla Walla was understandably upbeat.
“I must be doing something right,” Rowe dryly suggested after a weights session at Visy Park.
“It’s not easy getting another contract so I’m pretty proud I’ve been able to get another one. It’s quite satisfying and very rewarding.”
Not that big Sam’s under any illusions about the pressure cooker that is senior League football. Asked to assess his season so far, Rowe said: “I probably started okay, then fell off a little bit and had to work my way back into the team”.
“I got back in last week, so I’m really setting myself now to do everything I can to play out the rest of the season,” he said.
Taken with Carlton’s second round selection (44 overall) in the 2011 National Draft, Rowe overcame well-documented health issues before picking up where he left off.
Now the 25 year-old’s good form has been acknowledged by the people who matter, and it’s little wonder his renewed confidence has been reflected in the way he’s going about it out there.
While Rowe and Henderson contributed seven of Carlton’s 16 goals against the Saints, the pair had not previously shared duties in the front half.
But the Rowe-“Hendo” double act is likely to prevail now that the former is finding his feet.
“I feel like I can be a solid AFL player. At the moment I’m just setting myself to play the rest of the year and just taking it as it comes,” Rowe said.
Carlton General Manager – Football Operations Andrew McKay said the club’s decision was based on what Rowe offered both on and off the field.
“Sam has been playing some consistent football for both the Northern Blues and most recently in the senior team,” McKay said.
"We admire his competitiveness & the way he goes about his footy"
“Sam is a quality person & we are rapt he has agreed to extend his contract with us at Carlton.”
Rowe joins the list of Carlton players to have already re-signed this season including Chris Judd, Zach Tuohy, Dennis Armfield and Vice-captain Andrew Carrazzo.
