BIO

Nicholas Anthony Lowden was born in Victoria on 10 February 2000, the fourth child and the first son of parents Tony and Kerry who already had three daughters – Elena, Chelsey and Cailin. He attended St Michaels Primary School (2006-2012) and Lavalla College (2013-2018), both in Traralgon. 

Lowden’s journey as a footballer began as an eight year old, playing in the under 10s, under 12s and under 14s for the Combined Saints Junior Football Club. He played over 100 games there, winning premierships and collecting five best and fairest trophies in a row. Thereafter, he played for the Traralgon Football and Netball Club from u/16s, (also winning premierships there); Gippsland Power (2015-2018), Victoria Country (2016), Casey Demons (2019-2021), North Ringwood (2019), and the Darwin Buffalos (2020-21). In 2022, he moved to Norwood, re-joining his old Casey Demons coach Jade Rawlings who was coaching Norwood. 

From 2010-2018, Lowden also played 67 games for the Traralgon Imperials Cricket Club and a further seven games representing the Traralgon District Cricket Association. 

Lowden’s goal had always been to be drafted to play in the AFL and moving to Adelaide to play for Norwood was part of this plan. After his debut, Lowden only played one more game of reserves football (in Round 9 2022) and became a regular selection for the league team. In just his third league game, televised live by Channel 7, Lowden won the “Coles Value Player” award for best player in Norwood’s 26 point defeat of Sturt at Norwood Oval. 

In Round 15 against South Adelaide at Noarlunga, Lowden kicked a critical goal in the 22nd minute of the final term to get Norwood to within three points of South Adelaide in a low scoring affair. Norwood went on to kick the match winning goal through Connor McLean and coach Rawlings believed this win sealed a vital top 3 spot for Norwood at the end of the minor round. In Round 18, Lowden won the SANFL ‘Powerade Breakthrough Player’ of the round with 19 disposals and ten tackles against Glenelg and quelled the influence of Glenelg’s key midfielder Matthew Snook. 

Norwood marched into the 2022 finals series and found itself in the Grand Final against North Adelaide. Lowden’s performance in that Grand Final was described by coach Rawlings as 
“trademark Lowden. He was a key pillar in the midfield, strong at stoppages, had big contest wins and imposed himself on the opposition physically. He got the last clearance of the game – a left foot kick from centre wing – and at the famous stoppage where Matt Panos snapped the winning goal it was Lowden who created the spill that resulted in Panos kicking that goal”. . 

In 2023, Lowden played every game until he suffered a calf injury in Round 9 against South Adelaide. This would be his final game for Norwood. The club had lost the first eight games of the season and fittingly, Lowden’s final game was the club’s first win since the 2022 Grand Final. Lowden struggled to recover from his injury and on 21 July he sought permission to return home to Traralgon. On August 3 2023, Lowden tragically took his own life. His funeral at St Michaels Catholic Church in Traralgon on 16 August was attended by hundreds, including  Norwood players and club officials.

C Brown July 2024