Paddy Rowan


Percy Edward Rowe, known as "Paddy Rowan", was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Victorian Football League.

Family

He married Louisa Marion Newby in 1915; and they had a son, Percy, born on 1 May 1916.

Boxing

Rowe, who boxed under the name of Paddy Rowan, was the Victorian amateur champion lightweight boxer, who turned professional in 1910. He was still boxing when in the First AIF.

Football

Although his real name was Percy Rowe he was known at Collingwood as Paddy Rowan, an alias that had originated from his boxing career. The reason for the name change was that he could not play for Collingwod in 1911 because he had already played with the South Bendigo Football Club that year.
In order to allow them to sign him up, the Collingwood club registered him under the assumed name of Paddy Rowan.
Coincidentally another individual, unrelated to Rowe/Rowan, but also named Percy Rowe played 96 games for Collingwood during the 1920s; also, Rowan's son, also Percy Rowe, played a number of games with the Collingwood Second XVIII.
Rowan played in two losing Grand Finals, the first from the back pocket in his debut season; the other as a half forward flanker in 1915. Rowan, who was in training with the army while at Collingwood, had completed a 10 mile route march on the morning of the 1915 Grand Final but still took the field.

Military

He enlisted in the First AIF in July 1915. He died from shrapnel wounds receive in action at the Battle of the Somme on 5 December 1916.

Footnotes