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JACK Bowes played a full season of senior football in Cairns when he was 16, and was looking for his next challenge.
The talented midfielder was already a member of Gold Coast's academy – a program he joined as a 13-year-old – and the Suns were keen to get him closer to the club.
Bowes was tempted to stay in Cairns for another year and cruise through, but at the start of 2015 he took up the Suns' offer and shifted to the Gold Coast, where he moved in with grandparents, changed schools and set up his NAB AFL Draft hopes.
The past two years, Bowes has been a regular face at the Suns – last year mainly to help his rehabilitation from a knee injury, and this year as he moves closer to being the first Queenslander drafted in November. He is likely to become a permanent part of the Suns squad when names are called in Sydney next month.
After a knee injury set back his development as a bottom-ager, Bowes captained his state and won the Harrison Medal as the best player in division two this year before being named an All Australian for his overall under-18 performances.
Bowes is a midfielder who shapes games. He is one of the neatest users of the ball by foot, and can spot up teammates over short and long distances. He makes life far easier for forwards leading at him, and is careful in placing the ball in front of them and letting them run onto the ball.
He's also good overhead, and moves well through traffic. There is a calmness to Bowes' game: he doesn't get rushed or flustered, and never seems panicked. As a midfielder, he is also of modern size and shape. His 187cm height allows him to mark well above his head, and push forward and hit the scoreboard, which he did in the division two carnival.
Bowes is a professional, a leader, and a player his teammates warm to. He also has strong senior experience up his sleeve, and picked up 31 disposals, eight inside 50s and eight clearances in a NEAFL elimination final for Gold Coast's reserves side late in the year. He backed that up with a quality display in the NAB All Stars game with 23 disposals, where he showed he is a class above many in this year's crop.
Bowes won't be the type to burst out of a stoppage with an explosive run, but he tested well for pace at the draft combine, registering a time of three seconds in the 20-metre sprint event. That placed him in the top 30 per cent of competitors, dispelling any real concerns over his leg speed.
By his own standards, Bowes was down on form for the Allies in the division one championships compared to his stint with Queensland at the division two carnival. Bowes dropped from an average of 33 disposals to 14 disposals for the Allies, and was outbodied at stages against some of the better midfielders, and he will need to add a bit more strength to his frame before being AFL ready.
There's some Trent Cotchin qualities in the way Bowes plays. He moves swiftly between stoppages, he doesn't fumble, and he doesn't waste his touches. The Queenslander plays in a smooth and uncomplicated way; when he's got the ball, you can trust he'll do something good with it.
Bowes looks set to cost the Gold Coast one of their suite of top-10 picks and it is expected they will match an early bid for the classy midfielder. Their cross-town rivals the Brisbane Lions could place a bid on Bowes at No.3, but if they don't, it won't take much longer to arrive.
The draft gets a layer of class with Bowes. He makes smart and quick decisions, and does everything with extra polish. The Suns have been waiting for their first real win out of their challenging academy zone, and Bowes is it. 
