Player Watch #8 James Rowbottom

[Kennedy Parker]

James Rowbottom

The Sydney Swans recruited James Rowbottom

8

James Rowbottom

Age

25

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

25

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

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Really interesting that Rowy attended hardly any CBAs against Freo.

Is it a sign of role change, or simply due to JJ playing a hard tag on Serong?

It'll be interesting to keep an eye on this weekend.

 

[grimlock]

You just answered your own question, plus I would say Sheldrick getting more CBAs than in the first half of the season.

 

[Kbroome]

Really interesting that Rowy attended hardly any CBAs against Freo.

Is it a sign of role change, or simply due to JJ playing a hard tag on Serong?

It'll be interesting to keep an eye on this weekend.

Can see the CBA percentage of Rowbottom mostly depends on the Jordan tag. Games where tags are deployed for a half or quarter in the middle eg Butters gives Rowbottom some time on ball. But also has games like the weekend where it was a lengthy on ball tag on Serong from Jordon.

 

[Kiama Chris]

You just answered your own question, plus I would say Sheldrick getting more CBAs than in the first half of the season.

Sheldrick getting some degree of preference over Rowie at CBA is an interesting development.
Against Carlton a while back JJ started forward, then ran in to tag Walsh rather than starting in the CBA. That's changed.
It seems that our setup is still developing.

 

[caesar88]

I feel like Rowbottom's reduced midfield time is really down to no one but himself. He's basically had no impact since the first few weeks of the season, and even then with his reduced TOG it felt like we were only getting Rowbottom Lite.

Have said it for a few weeks now but it really is bizarre how he just can't get off the canvas in 2025. Eighteen rounds in and still yet to really see his best footy at all this season.

 

[bedford]

I feel like Rowbottom's reduced midfield time is really down to no one but himself. He's basically had no impact since the first few weeks of the season, and even then with his reduced TOG it felt like we were only getting Rowbottom Lite.

Have said it for a few weeks now but it really is bizarre how he just can't get off the canvas in 2025. Eighteen rounds in and still yet to really see his best footy at all this season.

He really has been struggling , has always hacked it out , but goalkicking was reliable , but not now

 

[hairy biker]

I think the view that Rowbottom is way down on form is overstated.

Career stats;



Marginally down on his 2024 averages, but he's basically tracking at the same level he has throughout his career.

IMO he's a 'good ordinary footballer' and I'll leave it at that.

 

[Kbroome]

I think the view that Rowbottom is way down on form is overstated.

Career stats;
View attachment 2363271
View attachment 2363274

Marginally down on his 2024 averages, but he's basically tracking at the same level he has throughout his career.

IMO he's a 'good ordinary footballer' and I'll leave it at that.

I think he defines a role player. But people sometimes view the midfield as the “big” position and therefore have to have all ur stars in there to compete.

He just excels at one attribute “defence” and it allows others in the midfield to do the other work.

 

[caesar88]

He is SO good. This passage is why I think Rowy's game is never about numbers. He's been tackling as good as ever this year, but THIS has been missing. It's not even a tangible stat or something that can be measured; it's just manic intensity and attack and an ability to bounce back from one effort to give another in quick succession. When he's moving & playing like this it is always more meaningful than whatever his final tackle or disposal count is.

 

[McGowan3]

His last quarter was great. Both up up forward and on ball.

 

[SeanM]

It was nice pressure by Rowbottom in that footage. He had made the previous tackle and was on the ground tangled up. Yet was still able to get up to make another tackle.

 

[MF]

I think the view that Rowbottom is way down on form is overstated.

Career stats;
View attachment 2363271
View attachment 2363274

Marginally down on his 2024 averages, but he's basically tracking at the same level he has throughout his career.

IMO he's a 'good ordinary footballer' and I'll leave it at that.

I think the issue some have (myself included) wasn't so much that he's been down on form, moreso that there was an expectation he might take another step up now that he's 24.

If this is his ceiling then fair enough, as you say he's a good ordinary footballer but I'd hoped for a few less 12 or 13 disposal games this year and had hoped for a few more 20+ games.

I can definitely see the value we get from him defensively but for a guy who attends as many contests as he does I'd love to see him extract the ball a bit more.

 

[hairy biker]

I think the issue some have (myself included) wasn't so much that he's been down on form, moreso that there was an expectation he might take another step up now that he's 24.

If this is his ceiling then fair enough, as you say he's a good ordinary footballer but I'd hoped for a few less 12 or 13 disposal games this year and had hoped for a few more 20+ games.

I can definitely see the value we get from him defensively but for a guy who attends as many contests as he does I'd love to see him extract the ball a bit more.

He's been tackling as good as ever this year, but THIS has been missing. It's not even a tangible stat or something that can be measured; it's just manic intensity and attack and an ability to bounce back from one effort to give another in quick succession. When he's moving & playing like this it is always more meaningful than whatever his final tackle or disposal count is.

I think these posts sum up where I'm at with Rowbottom.

IMO his open field tackles and repeat efforts are his one wood.
At stoppages he tends to hug a much as tackle, whereas around the ground he tackles with real intent and power.

I don't think he'll ever be a big disposal player or a clearance machine, but I do think given the right placement he can be more influential than he is now.

Personally I'd like to see him be used as a pressure fwd, where his main talent can be utilised and his roles where his deficiencies are apparent can be covered by others.

 

[caesar88]

I think the issue some have (myself included) wasn't so much that he's been down on form, moreso that there was an expectation he might take another step up now that he's 24.

If this is his ceiling then fair enough, as you say he's a good ordinary footballer but I'd hoped for a few less 12 or 13 disposal games this year and had hoped for a few more 20+ games.

I can definitely see the value we get from him defensively but for a guy who attends as many contests as he does I'd love to see him extract the ball a bit more.

Granted I've been disappointed by his output this year. But part of the reason for that is that his 2024 season, IMO, was brilliant. Certainly more than "good ordinary."

He was 1st in the competition for tackles last year whilst also being 9th in the competition for centre clearances. His midfielder company in the top ten: Cripps, Neale, Bontempelli, Daicos, Serong, Davies-Uniacke, Rowell, Green & Horne-Francis. Those he finished immediately above: Young, Newcombe & Butters. Not one of those players comes even close to playing the sort of selfless, defensive role that Rowbottom plays, yet he was still in their company with the ball at centre bounces. All whilst making more tackles than any of them and at times absolutely carrying us in a defensive sense.

This was as big a part of us being as good as we were last season as anything. Think about what it means to have a player giving our damaging front half last year that sort of a territorial advantage out of the centre in the game, and then think about what it means to have another player giving you that sort of a defensive advantage the other way in creating so many of the turnovers that Warner, Gulden, Heeney, Blakey etc absolutely need to get their games going.

That it was one individual player giving us those advantages, rather than multiple players, is kinda remarkable. And not enough people (not saying you) gave a shite, because those other guys were getting all the highlights and the attention. We haven't really had that this year and we've felt it. He's not shown much of that kind of intensity as shown in the footage above, and he's gone from 9th to 55th in the competition for centre clearances, averaging less than half what he was last year.

His 2024 was every bit as good as those All Australians' seasons were, it just looked different. Tackles and hard ball wins and handball gives (yes with the occasional hack kick) rather than flashy goals and assists. At the end of the day you need players that will do both.

 

[ashep]

He is SO good. This passage is why I think Rowy's game is never about numbers. He's been tackling as good as ever this year, but THIS has been missing. It's not even a tangible stat or something that can be measured; it's just manic intensity and attack and an ability to bounce back from one effort to give another in quick succession. When he's moving & playing like this it is always more meaningful than whatever his final tackle or disposal count is.

Good thing we didn't drop him

 

[The King!]

I thought he was in the votes but actually was ordinary a few times with his hack kicks in the first half .

I dunno I know what I get from him? he is a bit limited but he feels closest to a guy who could play in the 05 team midfield

 

[bedford]

I thought he was in the votes but actually was ordinary a few times with his hack kicks in the first half .

I dunno I know what I get from him? he is a bit limited but he feels closest to a guy who could play in the 05 team midfield

Wouldn't have pushed any of them out they were elite Bloods

 

[MF]

Wouldn't have pushed any of them out they were elite Bloods

He might get a game over Ben Matthews who was also a bit of a whipping boy back then (It's sad that I've been on Bigfooty long enough to remember this)

 

[The King!]

He might get a game over Ben Matthews who was also a bit of a whipping boy back then (It's sad that I've been on Bigfooty long enough to remember this)

he's better than Noggy or Paul Bevan. either way he could be in that group comfortably with the way they played imo

 

[MF]

he's better than Noggy or Paul Bevan. either way he could be in that group comfortably with the way they played imo

True. I did like Bevan though

 

[The King!]

True. I did like Bevan though

Liked them all really once they won ha ha ,

 

[Kiama Chris]

Liked them all really once they won ha ha ,

Have you ever known any of these people personally? Known their background? What kind of people they were? There's a few on here who have. I'm a lot more interested in their opinions.

 

[The King!]

Have you ever known any of these people personally? Known their background? What kind of people they were? There's a few on here who have. I'm a lot more interested in their opinions.

Yes a couple and what's your point ?

You can listen to whatever opinion you like, not sure what this is about .

 

[caesar88]

Love this

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I just don’t know anymore.

9 disposals last night, playing permanently in the midfield.