Player Watch #8 James Rowbottom

[Kennedy Parker]

James Rowbottom

The Sydney Swans recruited James Rowbottom

8

James Rowbottom

Age

23

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.0

4star

K

8.1

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

2.2

2star

T

4.3

5star

CL

2.0

4star

D

14.6

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.6

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

3.4

4star

CL

2.5

4star

D

14.4

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.6

5star

CL

1.2

4star

with their second selection at the 2018 AFL Draft and the midfield bull impacted from the get-go. The Oakleigh Chargers product made his AFL debut against Richmond at Marvel Stadium in Round 5, 2019 and finished the season with 12 senior games beside his name. Rowbottom also led the NEAFL MVP voting when it was hidden from the public after Round 12. The young Swan is a ball magnet, explosive at the stoppages, an outstanding tackler and a clean user of the footy.

James Rowbottom

8

James Rowbottom

Age

23

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.0

4star

K

8.1

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

2.2

2star

T

4.3

5star

CL

2.0

4star

D

14.6

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.6

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

3.4

4star

CL

2.5

4star

D

14.4

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.6

5star

CL

1.2

4star

DOB: 19 September 2000
DEBUT: 2019
DRAFT: #25, 2018 National Draft
RECRUITED FROM: Camberwell (Vic)/St Kevin's College (Vic)/Oakleigh U18

James Rowbottom | AFL

Follow James Rowbottom's progress through AFL

www.sydneyswans.com.au

 

[RubbaDuck]

I would expand on your point, RubbaDuck: yes, I agree Rowbottom sees the game quickly and disposes of the ball quickly and I further say that he doesn't necessarily dispose of the ball quickly. Rather he sizes up the situation and he's good at knowing when he can take more time and then, when he can, he does just that (like some of our other best ball users do). As I have posted previously, as recently as our last match, Rowy impresses me with his ball use (and I was surprised that he compared very favourably with Adams in this respect on that one occasion) - not just using the ball reasonably accurately but also selecting a good option, which is so hard to do when you do most of your work 'in the phonebox'.

As regards comparisons with other players, you rightly point out that Rowy is in esteemed company (although the description of Jai Newcombe as a pick 2 was disingenuous - he was a rookie selected mid-season). I think Rowy is a lot like Rowell and he is nearly (but not quite) as good. They both have similar limitations (relatively few goals and not much of an outside game - which means not especially high total disposal numbers). Their stats are strikingly similar. Rowell mostly distinguishes himself by winning more clearances (although, that said, Rowy was top 10 in the competition last year for stoppage clearances) and applying even more pressure defensively. Neither of them are as balanced a player as someone like Anderson, who offers more on the outside, and so they are not viewed as stars of the competition (although Rowell was considered to be on that track to start off with - hence his selection at pick 1). However, while Rowell is sometimes criticised for the limitations in his game, unlike Rowbottom nobody questions his worth to the team.

Some good points Calli. I must admit I flicked quickly through the profiles of the young players I listed, read "Round 1, Pick #2 2021 Mid-Season Draft and didn't pick up on the words Mid-Season. My mistake, but I can assure you it was an honest one. I was not being deliberately disingenuous.

I was also making the point that Rowy must be doing the role coaches want him to do, and doing it well, for them to consider his contribution to the team so highly. Each team member playing their role goes a long way towards helping a team win a premiership. Of course it also takes planning, decision making, flair, persistence, daring, bravery, desire and a hundred other ingredients, all mixed with a generous helping of luck.

 

[The King!]

14 of his touches were contested , he laid 7-8 tackles plus the other contests that are not tackles but pressure things he does.

His willingness to have a crack, muck in, do the dirty work is why he such a valued part of the team.

 

[Ticky009]

14 of his touches were contested , he laid 7-8 tackles plus the other contests that are not tackles but pressure things he does.

His willingness to have a crack, muck in, do the dirty work is why he such a valued part of the team.

Opportunities abound with our midfield a little bare. He really stepped up against the Demons, if he keep improving this year we'll go a long way.

 

[The King!]

Opportunities abound with our midfield a little bare. He really stepped up against the Demons, if he keep improving this year we'll go a long way.

He may even get his uncle to make a positive call for the side

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

He may even get his uncle to make a positive call for the side

Any chance Grand Uncle gives him a wrap as well?

 

[The King!]

Any chance Grand Uncle gives him a wrap as well?

ummmm you never know

 

[Jewelsbon]

Any chance Grand Uncle gives him a wrap as well?

Never going to happen, no matter how well he played.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Never going to happen, no matter how well he played.

Not true.

 

[RubbaDuck]

Not true.

Just waiting until Satan goes ice skating on the River Styx?

 

[Jewelsbon]

Not true.

Sorry Unc, kinda in jest but that's the vibe you give me about our Rowie.

 

[RubbaDuck]

14 of his touches were contested , he laid 7-8 tackles plus the other contests that are not tackles but pressure things he does.

His willingness to have a crack, muck in, do the dirty work is why he such a valued part of the team.

Despite his relatively dimunitive stature he really has stepped into that Gandalf role once held by JPK "Thou shalt not pass".

Rowbottom's ability is even more about who he tackles than how many he lays. There are certain players who can only be tackled by a select few other players. Rowbottom is one of those "other players". If he can touch you it doesn't matter who you are, how big, how fast or how elusive. He will stop you dead.

Jordon and Heeney also laid seven tackles against the Demons and Grundy six. Those are Jude Bolton-esque numbers. Great if they can maintain them. The ability to sustain high pressure is a key defensive weapon in modern football. Given what good players can do if they have time and space.

Parker and Adams also run up big tackle numbers. Tackle that result in a HTB decision are a bonus great, but tackles are also about pressure. They're bloody effective for slowing play, putting pressure on disposals to force turnovers and for generally screwing with the minds of the opposition until they begin to panic or hesitate at the contested ball.

My Magpie supporting brother complained that the Swans-Melbourne opener was boring. He didn't appreciate how combative the game was. Two aspiring finalists, two strong midfields, two of the best rucks in the comp, going head to head under sustained high pressure until after three quarters one finally cracked. The tackle numbers tell the story of the midfield pressure.

I didn't even bother to reply to my brother when a couple of days later the Pies barely lasted to half-time before they fell apart under the Giants pressure. I'm hoping our boys will do the same to Collingwood.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Sorry Unc, kinda in jest but that's the vibe you give me about our Rowie.

I guessed

But

Iirc..I have given him votes in poty and rate him as a solid albeit limited inside mid. Still a B Grader and there is nothing wrong with that. Every team needs bloody decent players with tightly def8ned roles.

Did I scratch my head that he was not in the coaches votes as some seem to have done?

Nope.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Despite his relatively dimunitive stature he really has stepped into that Gandalf role once held by JPK "Thou shalt not pass".

He is 186cm. Not exactly diminutive and around Heeney height. Plus he is solidly built.

As for the below, our midfield was dire last year. It is revisionism to suggest otherwise. Maybe with Grundy and a successful ball hunter or two the 2024 edition of our mids will be strong. We have had one promising game but it was Game 1.

Two aspiring finalists, two strong midfields, two of the best rucks in the comp, going head to head under sustained high pressure until after three quarters one finally cracked. The tackle numbers tell the story of the midfield pressure.

 

[RubbaDuck]

He is 186cm. Not exactly diminutive and around Heeney height. Plus he is solidly built.

As for the below, our midfield was dire last year. It is revisionism to suggest otherwise. Maybe with Grundy and a successful ball hunter or two the 2024 edition of our mids will be strong. We have had one promising game but it was Game 1.

Now we've had two promising games but the only stat we're winning is tackles.

So firstly, I was referring to Rowbottom's weight as dimunitive, my apologies if you found that confusing. Far from being solidly built he's a relative light-weight for a mid. For example, Sheldrick's listed as 178cm, 8 cm shorter, yet at 86kg, he's 4kg heavier than Rowbottom. Roberts, Taylor, Parker, Warner, Fox, Florent and Heeney are all shorter but heavier than Rowbottom.

Secondly, the statement "our midfield was dire" is an opinion not shared by everyone and a qualitative assessment at best. Both the criteria used to form the opinion and the sentiment itself are open to debate. Labelling any challenge to your supposition as "revisionism" is akin to saying "I'm right and anyone who disagree with me is an idiot". It's a vain attempt to supress debate or to avoid scrutiny. Where's the data? What quantative assessments are you using to support your suppositiion?

Champion Data’s Competitions Analysis boss Daniel Hoyne applied revisionism to some orthodoxy, some commonly held beliefs when he said the ability to move the ball from coast to coast correlates more closely with a kicking a winning score than a team's clearances or contested possessions. Fast transition from defence to forward allows for a kick inside 50 before the opposition can get numbers back in defence.

Pressure on a ball carrier, such as through tackling, is key to blunting such coast to coast play, creating turnovers and winning the ball back. Our mids are rated very highly for tackling and none higher than Rowbottom. Tackle numbers have a strong correlation with team pressure. In 2023 Magpies and Swans got much of their scores through fast ball movement from defence. Against the Pies (Rd 1 2024) we were soundly beaten in both centre clearances and contested possessions, but we were able to put much more pressure on the Pies ball movement and restrict their ability to move the ball from defence to offence.

In 2023 we were ranked second for tackles and the Pies were ranked fourth. In round 1 2024 we smashed the Pies in tackles, with Rowbottom making a whopping 13 tackles. Pressure caused the Pies to turn the ball over and, I expect, also impacted their disposal efficiency which was quite a bit less than ours.

Other data from the 2023 season reinforce Champion Data's claim that the traditional indicators of midfield dominance, such as centre clearances and contested ball, may not be as useful as the ability to move the ball quickly from end to end.

In 2023, the Magpies ranked 13th for contested ball but the Swans weren't much better (8th). The Pies were ranked 8th for uncontested possessions, slightly ahead of the Swans (12th), though the Swans were ranked higher for average uncontested possession differential compared to opponent. This could be because the Pies play more games at the MCG, where both teams might be expected to win more uncontested ball, but that's conjecture on my part. The Swans were ranked 11th for average clearances while the Magpies were only slightly better at 9th. For centre clearances, the Swans ranked 14th and the Pies 13th. In 2023 Collingwood were ranked 9th and the Swans 17th for hitouts. After two rounds of 2024, the Magpies are ranked 1st for hitouts and the Swans 3rd.

It's only early in 2024 but I think you ought to give Rowie a little more respect this year. In my view he's earned it. Arguably BOG against the Pies

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Now we've had two promising games but the only stat we're winning is tackles.

So firstly, I was referring to Rowbottom's weight as dimunitive, my apologies if you found that confusing. Far from being solidly built he's a relative light-weight for a mid. For example, Sheldrick's listed as 178cm, 8 cm shorter, yet at 86kg, he's 4kg heavier than Rowbottom. Roberts, Taylor, Parker, Warner, Fox, Florent and Heeney are all shorter but heavier than Rowbottom.

Secondly, the statement "our midfield was dire" is an opinion not shared by everyone and a qualitative assessment at best. Both the criteria used to form the opinion and the sentiment itself are open to debate. Labelling any challenge to your supposition as "revisionism" is akin to saying "I'm right and anyone who disagree with me is an idiot". It's a vain attempt to supress debate or to avoid scrutiny. Where's the data? What quantative assessments are you using to support your suppositiion?

Champion Data’s Competitions Analysis boss Daniel Hoyne applied revisionism to some orthodoxy, some commonly held beliefs when he said the ability to move the ball from coast to coast correlates more closely with a kicking a winning score than a team's clearances or contested possessions. Fast transition from defence to forward allows for a kick inside 50 before the opposition can get numbers back in defence.

Pressure on a ball carrier, such as through tackling, is key to blunting such coast to coast play, creating turnovers and winning the ball back. Our mids are rated very highly for tackling and none higher than Rowbottom. Tackle numbers have a strong correlation with team pressure. In 2023 Magpies and Swans got much of their scores through fast ball movement from defence. Against the Pies (Rd 1 2024) we were soundly beaten in both centre clearances and contested possessions, but we were able to put much more pressure on the Pies ball movement and restrict their ability to move the ball from defence to offence.

In 2023 we were ranked second for tackles and the Pies were ranked fourth. In round 1 2024 we smashed the Pies in tackles, with Rowbottom making a whopping 13 tackles. Pressure caused the Pies to turn the ball over and, I expect, also impacted their disposal efficiency which was quite a bit less than ours.

Other data from the 2023 season reinforce Champion Data's claim that the traditional indicators of midfield dominance, such as centre clearances and contested ball, may not be as useful as the ability to move the ball quickly from end to end.

In 2023, the Magpies ranked 13th for contested ball but the Swans weren't much better (8th). The Pies were ranked 8th for uncontested possessions, slightly ahead of the Swans (12th), though the Swans were ranked higher for average uncontested possession differential compared to opponent. This could be because the Pies play more games at the MCG, where both teams might be expected to win more uncontested ball, but that's conjecture on my part. The Swans were ranked 11th for average clearances while the Magpies were only slightly better at 9th. For centre clearances, the Swans ranked 14th and the Pies 13th. In 2023 Collingwood were ranked 9th and the Swans 17th for hitouts. After two rounds of 2024, the Magpies are ranked 1st for hitouts and the Swans 3rd.

It's only early in 2024 but I think you ought to give Rowie a little more respect this year. In my view he's earned it. Arguably BOG against the Pies

Lordy, if you are so worried about my opinion, go check the game thread, around quarter time. I said he was having a great game.

I am tired and going to sleep. The one thing I will say is that neither of our 2024 opponents got a run on against us. Last year many games, even some we won, saw Oppo have runs of goals via midfield and CC dominance.

Last season our mediocrity was put down to KPP injury. Our midfield was poor and a key factor among others in what was an ordinary year

 

[RubbaDuck]

Lordy, if you are so worried about my opinion, go check the game thread, around quarter time. I said he was having a great game.

I am tired and going to sleep. The one thing I will say is that neither of our 2024 opponents got a run on against us. Last year many games, even some we won, saw Oppo have runs of goals via midfield and CC dominance.

Last season our mediocrity was put down to KPP injury. Our midfield was poor and a key factor among others in what was an ordinary year

"IMO our midfield was poor" I'm not worried about your opinion. Opinions are like a_holes, everyone has one.

I agree KPP injuries hurt us.

Sleep tight. Dream of premierships

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

"IMO our midfield was poor" I'm not worried about your opinion. Opinions are like a_holes, everyone has one.

I agree KPP injuries hurt us.

Sleep tight. Dream of premierships

Still can’t sleep.

Sure it is an opinion and you stick to yours about our mids somehow not being ordinary last year.

 

[Olian]

In the absence of Mills, Parker and Adams has really stepped up in early part of the season.

 

[RocketBooster]

13 tackles!
Felt like the commentators almost forgot him in the post match round up as they highlighted a bevy of other excellent individual games
Nice work Rowy!

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Was crucial in the first half.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

In the absence of Mills, Parker and Adams has really stepped up in early part of the season.

With the team sheets Rowie name will be up in the first 3 im certain

 

[the hypnotoad]

Was crucial in the first half.

crucial all the time
he has been an energy source, as much as anything else, in both games ... has really imposed himself physically
and that goal last night was quite symbolic, like he was taking charge

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Top 3 of the re-signing priorities IMO

 

[Tesla Tenet]

Those two create an enormous amount of pressure.

Sent from my SM-G990E using Tapatalk

 

[Callipygian]

HB Meyers on The Mongrel Punt after we beat Collingwood:

With so many of their quality mids on the sidelines, the Swans were always going to need players to step up. So many times that is reflected in disposals, but with Rowbottom, it was reflected in his attack on the footy, and his attack on the opposition when they possessed it.

He might be my favourite Swan, and with the way he threw himself into the contest in this game, that won’t be changing anytime soon.

And SEN rating every player:

James Rowbottom - A+

Could be a career best game. Just the 16 disposals playing on ball but Rowbottom was so, so damaging. A massive 13 tackles plus a goal to go with it.