Feature

Starting their journey together on the Gold Coast and now getting ready for a Finals campaign in the Hoops, Jack Bowes spoke to Cats Media about his connection with Jack Martin

There are plenty of great storylines heading into Geelong’s 2025 Finals campaign, but a full-circle moment between Jack Bowes and Jack Martin might be one of the best.

Bowes’ AFL career began on the Gold Coast in 2017, where he joined Martin, who had been there since 2012 and the pair went on to play three full seasons together in the Sunshine State.

Their individual journeys took different paths, but they ultimately reunited in Geelong and are now preparing to embark on their first Finals series together.

Bowes said it will be a moment to savour on Friday night, when he gets the chance to run out alongside his great mate in front of a packed house at the MCG.

“I can’t believe it, to be honest,” Bowes told Cats Media. 

“I spent my first three years in the AFL with him at the Gold Coast.

“To see him move down to Melbourne and go well at Carlton, then he had a few issues with his body. But to see him string some games together with us down here, and to have such an impact immediately for us is really exciting.

“He is a fantastic person and a really good player on the field, I am looking forward to running out with him that’s for sure.

“It is something that we are really going to cherish.”

After eight seasons at the top level, Bowes finally got his first taste of Finals football in 2024, kicking two goals in Geelong’s Qualifying Final win over Port Adelaide. 

While the season did not end the way the Cats would have wanted, they quickly put it in the rear view mirror and have set themselves up with another chance to launch a September assault. 

A top two finish secured a home Qualifying Final against Brisbane at the MCG, an opportunity that Bowes said he has been building towards all year and wants to grasp with both hands. 

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 01: Jack Bowes of the Cats poses for a photograph during a Geelong Cats AFL training session at GMHBA Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

“Having tasted that Finals experience made me a lot more hungry over the off-season and pre-season,” Bowes told Cats Media. 

“It just makes you want to play out there again even more.

“I am really grateful for the opportunity, we have put in the hard work this year and we get to do it again. Obviously we get two chances at it which is nice, but it is the best part about footy getting to play in September.

“I am really grateful and going to cherish the moment, enjoy it and compete as hard as we can.”