Jack set to attack yet another midfield monster (original) (raw)

Young Sun Jack Bowes has had as comprehensive a midfield education as you could ask for in the past fortnight

JACK Bowes has had as comprehensive a midfield education as you could ask for in the past fortnight – and it's about to continue on Sunday.

The Gold Coast 21-year-old – with the help of teammate Brayden Fiorini – has been asked to follow midfield monsters Nat Fyfe and Marcus Bontempelli in the past fortnight.

And with the Suns hosting Carlton at Metricon Stadium on Sunday, it's a fair guess Patrick Cripps will be on the radar this week.

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"I haven't spoken to the coaches yet, but I think the way things are tracking it could happen," Bowes told AFL.com.au earlier in the week.

"Another type like the Fyfes and the Bonts, a challenge having them three weeks in a row.

"We know he's going to have an impact on the game, it's just how much of an impact.

"That's the way you've got to look at it. He's such a good player he's going to find a way to get the footy."

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The move from coach Stuart Dew has been as much about Bowes learning as it has been about helping Gold Coast win.

The Cairns product is solidly built, standing 187cm and listed as 85kg, but has given away significant size to Fyfe (192cm and 96kg) and Bontempelli (193cm and 93kg).

He's held his own, though.

While both players had a strong impact, Bowes received AFL Coaches' Association votes in both games.

Suns coach Stuart Dew and Jack Bowes. Picture: AFL Photos

Along with Cripps he is the only player to collect 20 disposals, 10 contested and lay five tackles in each of the first three rounds.

"I've obviously learned a lot," he said.

"The main part is how physical they are at the contest.

"They've got big frames and just the way they use it. If I get beaten in a contest, you can look at vision and see what they're doing.

"It enables you to preview more heavily, really study their games and see how they go about it, their running patterns, communication at stoppages and how loud they are.

"Honestly, they're just another human being out there and that's the way you've got to treat it."

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They haven't been hard tagging jobs, with Bowes lining up on his opponent at stoppages but then happy to use his powerful running to get involved offensively.

"If you're going to lose, make it scrappy for them," he said.

"Just any way you can help the team. Get some dirty ball rather than them coming out clean from stoppages, it goes a long way.

"You've just got to find a way to nullify them."

Doing so against Cripps on Sunday would help his team go a long way towards winning a third straight match.