Lowden crossed to the SANFL last year, featuring in the Norwood premiership team coached by Jade Rawlings.

Rawlings had coached Lowden at the Casey Demons in 2019.

Norwood announced Lowden’s death this afternoon, saying it was “devastated by his passing, and is thinking of his family, the playing group, coaches, and the wider Norwood Football Club community at this difficult time’’.

Lowden made his debut for the Redlegs in Round 9 last year and had 22 games as a strong midfielder.

He played junior football in Traralgon, for the Combined Saints, and moved to the senior club for Under 16s.

After representing Vic Country Under 16s in 2016, Lowden joined Gippsland Power in the state Under 18 competition and then the Casey Demons in the VFL in 2019.

Lowden in action for Gippsland Power in 2018. Picture: Hamish Blair

“Nick was really good to coach,’’ Power region manager Scotty McDougal said this afternoon.

“He was always in the contest, always giving his best, always showing up to get better, a really solid player.

“It’s a shock to lose him. He was a quiet kid, but a quality kid. He never gave you any issues.’’

The Power will wear black armbands in their match tomorrow at Dandenong.

Recovering from injury, Lowden had been back in Gippsland in the past two weeks, attending Traralgon’s game last Saturday and training with the club on Tuesday night.

An emotional Traralgon president Kevin Foley said this afternoon: “It was a pretty ordinary night last night. We had to let the players know before training. Nick had four extremely close mates still playing here – mates since grade prep – and they obviously took it pretty hard.’’

The Norwood Football Club is deeply saddened to announce the passing of premiership player and current squad member, Nicholas Lowden Picture: Supplied

Foley described Lowden as a “bull’’ of a player and said Traralgon had hoped he would return to the club in the next year or so.

Norwood said its 2022 premiership player was a “powerful, strong player around the contest’’ and “made an impact on the field ensuring that his presence was felt particularly by opposition players’’.

“‘Lowds’ played a variety of key roles but few more impactful and memorable than his role in the victorious 2022 SANFL Grand Final.

“Nick performed solidly at the beginning of this year before a calf injury in Round 9 interrupted his season.

“Nick will be remembered by all of his teammates along with the coaches, volunteers, support and administration staff of the Norwood Football Club. We all send our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.’’