Matt Rowell adds to unique set of pre-game rituals by smelling the match balls

The reigning Brownlow medallist has added to his unique list of AFL pre-game rituals by sniffing all the match balls.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Rowell sniffs all match balls to pick favourite

Rowell has previously been observed eating the grass from the field he’s about to play on, crouching barefoot on the turf, and taking notes in a journal for his pre-game preparations.

But the Gold Coast midfielder went to another level ahead of the Suns’ Q-Clash with Brisbane on Saturday afternoon.

Rowell was pictured crawling on all fours amongst 13 footballs lined up against a wall, each one of which he sniffed in a process to select which one he would pick up.

The 25-year-old then felt a few of them with his hands before picking one in the middle to take with him — presumably out onto the ground for his other rituals.

“It’s like a labrador that just knows how to find the right scent,” Andrew Gaze said on Bounce as the vision was played.

“I know what his career after footy could be, he could be at the airport,” Ben Dixon added.

The previous weekend, Rowell was spotted sitting on a footy in the middle of the ground, again barefoot, as he prepared for the Suns’ clash with GWS.

“It’s kind of like a grounding process. Get a feel for the ground, smell, touch — all the senses, really.

“I do visualisation as well, just to become one with the ground. I always go barefoot.”

Rowell went on to have 40 disposals and 16 tackles in a best-on-ground performance to help Gold Coast upset their expansion rivals by two points — so the grounding must have worked.

He was gallant again on Saturday with 28 touches against Brisbane but the Suns crashed back down to a 42-point loss as their horrid season continued.

Gold Coast remain in 14th position, three and a half wins outside of a wildcard position with one round to play, having been one of the early-season premiership fancies.