As a teenager in the 1890s, Rowell was attracted to the goldfields in Western Australia and as a youngster was proficient in cricket, foot running and Australian rules football.

Rowell made his VFL debut with the Collingwood Football Club during the 1901 season (at 24 years of age), and he played 189 games for 175 goals.

[5] He was not an overly tall player at 178 cm and weighing 80 kg, but his great advantage was his speed (which had also been useful in his career as a professional runner).

In 1914, Rowell retired, but made a surprise return in the 1915 VFL Grand Final where he was among the best players in a loss for the Magpies.

During a 1912 match for Collingwood against Essendon, Rowell was involved in an unusual incident when he got his foot stuck in a drain pipe on the ground while running for the ball against his opponent.