HOW DIFFERENT life could have been for Matthew Owies.

Since arriving at IKON Park at the end of 2018, his story has been well-told on these channels. A former college basketballer, he returned home to try his hand at the game which he starred in as a teenager with St Kevin’s.

However, it was speaking to SEN’s Andy Maher and Andrew Gaze that Owies explained how it all came to pass.

Having heard talk that there was interest from Carlton, Owies didn’t have many modes of contact with the football club. So, he just emailed the Club’s generic email.

Four years later, he has played in each of the Blues’ opening matches in the 2022 season with 17 career games now to his name.

“I went over and played college basketball and that was always a dream of mine,” Owies said.

“I redshirted a year, so I had to sit out when I transferred schools. I was sitting over there and went back for my third year, and was about to play after not playing for 14 months or so.

“I was sitting in my dorm in Seattle, and Mum and Dad had heard from a few people that Carlton was interested.

“I actually sent an email to the [generic] ‘@carltonfc.com.au’ with my name and stuff and asked to send it on to Stephen Silvagni, just to see what would happen.”

Owies eventually returned home and, when asking anyone involved inside the four walls at IKON Park, it wouldn’t take long before they speak about the hard work undertaken by the No.44 to get himself ready for the level.

The small forward has averaged a goal a game, having missed just three games since returning to the senior line-up in Round 7 last year.

He said the decision wasn’t one he took lightly, but has clearly paid dividends given the last 12 months in particular.

“I was on a flight back pretty soon after that,” he said.

“I saw where basketball was going, and maybe I wasn’t going to be playing at the elite level that I wanted to — the best in the world.

“I thought I’d give football a crack while I’m still young, give it a red hot shot and have no regrets.

“I hadn’t played in a long time. I had a couple of other clubs when I was out of high school that were interested, but that’s how the Carlton thing got going.”