Bowden Bowin’ out

Posted on August 14, 2009 | Category: Players

Joel Bowden: Farewell and thanks for all the points.

In many ways Joel Bowden’s actions this week has typified his career at Richmond, and what you have to like about the guy. He saw what was happening for the team, summed the situation up, and did what was best for the team regardless of the consequences for himself. He could have put up a big fuss this week, made it clear that he was unhappy to be finishing up, and possibly even threaten to give the pre-season draft a try. To be honest, a better team would want Joel Bowden to stick it out for another year – but we’re not a good team.

Joel Bowden was always one of those players that you were just glad to have out there. In a team renowned for being a dumb football team, Bowden at least had you convinced that he was always thinking. And love him or not (and I’m certainly in the former camp), the man was asked to do a lot more than most medium-sized defenders. For quite a few years he was the second tall defender, and at times he was the number one.

Like it or not, the game that many will remember Bowden for is the infamous rushed behind match against Essendon. With no time left on the clock, Bowden wound the clock down by kicking the ball to himself, waiting for the Essendon forward to rush at him, then calmly walked back over the goal line to rush a behind. It wasn’t pretty, nor was it particularly popular, but one thing was for sure: there’s no other man in the Richmond line up who would have had the brains to win Richmond the game that day.

But my favourite memory of Joel comes not from that day but another from last year – in Round 13. Having been sent back to the VFL after a poor performance against Adelaide, Joelly Bowden returned to win the game off his own boot, with an enormous 39 possessions (and many of them hard fought), and taking a great mark in the final minute in front of a leading Motlop to save the game and pick up a much needed win.

Joel Bowden has always felt like he could retire any time in the past 5 years: because it felt like he’d been around forever. Now that he is, it doesn’t seem real. But good on you Joel – a true Yellow and Black man to the end.

» Filed Under Players

Tags:

• Joel Bowden
• Retirement

One Response to “Bowden Bowin’ out”

1. Kick2kick Says:
   August 14th, 2009 at 2:53 pm

   Agree he is one of the good guys of AFL football, good on him for putting the club first as well.

Leave a Reply