Autopsy 8 point win vs North

[The King!]

Thought Rowbottom was good in the first then didn't notice he was playing much after that , had it 5 times in 3 quarters , 1 tackle in the second half, quietish game .

 

[Ticky009]

Thought Rowbottom was good in the first then didn't notice he was playing much after that , had it 5 times in 3 quarters , 1 tackle in the second half, quietish game .

Yes. Wasnt a great one from him. Did a great block to allow Paps to kick one of his goals but as far as highlight reels go it wasn't a great one. Unless he was playing a run/tag role but I didn't see anything to indicate that?

 

[The King!]

Yes. Wasnt a great one from him. Did a great block to allow Paps to kick one of his goals but as far as highlight reels go it wasn't a great one. Unless he was playing a run/tag role but I didn't see anything to indicate that?

Yeah just think lot of guys have a lot of upside from today

 

[Ticky009]

Yeah just think lot of guys have a lot of upside from today

They better find it quickly - we have some important games coming up.

 

[caesar88]

I have issues with Rowbottom's attitude but FWIW he did have padding the size of a brick on his flank today, so was very likely playing sore.

(Which would also explain the minimal use of him at CBAs when we were clearly struggling in there all day.)

 

[The King!]

They better find it quickly - we have some important games coming up.

Eh only need to win 8 or so of our next 14

 

[alex4445]

Well that was a game.

Disappointing work rate put a lot of pressure on the defence which didn't really deal with it well outside of the long bombs. Also had the fumbles today and our hand-balling was a bit off.

Grundy wasn't very effective and looked tired. Can we please pull back on his TOG and bring Ladhams in to share the ruck 50/50.

Heeney was very good while being mauled. McDonald was a good presence playing deeper in the forward line. Mclean was effective forward but i think also showed why he has ended up in the reserves - when the ball hits the ground it is like he is moving through quicksand. Blakey stood up a number of times throughout the game.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I have issues with Rowbottom's attitude but FWIW he did have padding the size of a brick on his flank today, so was very likely playing sore.

(Which would also explain the minimal use of him at CBAs when we were clearly struggling in there all day.)

Analysing individual performances after each game is one of the joys of Bigfooty.

But I’m not sure Rowy deserves the spotlight this week. He had a 6/10 kinda game, which seems his fairly consistent level this year.

The fast break / forward handball game doesn’t seem to suit & he becomes a bit superfluous to the attacking side of things.

But I still think he’s important in the high pressure games.

 

[The King!]

Sooky prick

 

[Punts]

Sooky prick


View attachment 2606259

Sook?

Even cox said that

 

[The King!]

Sook?

Even cox said that

Cox talked about us getting the rub of the green?

Win the game,

If the roles were reversed and we lost like Norf and cox talked about rub of the green you would one of the first telling us we just weren't good enough imo

 

[caesar88]

Analysing individual performances after each game is one of the joys of Bigfooty.

But I’m not sure Rowy deserves the spotlight this week. He had a 6/10 kinda game, which seems his fairly consistent level this year.

The fast break / forward handball game doesn’t seem to suit & he becomes a bit superfluous to the attacking side of things.

But I still think he’s important in the high pressure games.

I don't buy that the game style doesn't suit him. It's not like we were slow in 2024, when Rowy was outstanding. And it's not like we were dynamic in 2025, when Rowy was underwhelming.

For me, I think his biggest issue is "the way he goes about it."

That saying used to be applied to him in a positive term but it's grim watching him these days. His reputation as a "competitive beast" precedes him, but is he that competitive anymore? He's ever-committed to doing his role, but has seemingly lost any desire to impact beyond that role. That's not really being a competitive beast, to me, because a competitive beast wants to do anything and everything he can to impact. Rowbottom's just become this well-programmed tackling machine who seems to actively avoid impacting and just waits for players to tackle and then get out of everyone's way.

I saw a highlights video of him on Youtube about a month ago and it struck me what a different player he is now to the player I saw in the video. He doesn't run anymore, doesn't take the game on anymore, doesn't attack contests at speed anymore, and doesn't put his body on the line to win hard balls all that much anymore. It was like watching two different players.

It's so depressing. You generally want players to gain confidence and intensity as they mature, not lose it.

 

[Pugnacious1874]

Sooky prick


View attachment 2606259

That's some serious cherry picking there. The questions at the presser were basically a stream of "what did you think of this umpiring decision"

 

[Kbroome]

Is it time to have another conversation about Rowey?

77% TOG for just nine disposals is awful for a full-time midfielder. He wasn't alone in this either, but his defensive work rate was shocking, too.

Feel like he'll just always be a 16 disposal, 7 tackle, 4 clearance player which can be easily replaced.

Wasn't a full time mid

27% CBAs from 77% TOG, played more small forward to replace Lloyd who shifted further back

 

[The King!]

Analysing individual performances after each game is one of the joys of Bigfooty.

But I’m not sure Rowy deserves the spotlight this week. He had a 6/10 kinda game, which seems his fairly consistent level this year.

The fast break / forward handball game doesn’t seem to suit & he becomes a bit superfluous to the attacking side of things.

But I still think he’s important in the high pressure games.

I actually just thought he was in our bests in the first , just noticed he faded, certainly not near the gun or anything .

In a game where defence seemed optional at times , he was missed for full impact.

I actually wondered if he , Roberts and a few others played a bit half fit

 

[Tedeski]

Few tricky games

Pies always good against us
cats at Geelong yuck
Tigers surely easy
Saints tricky

We need to take 3 of those 4.

 

[The King!]

That's some serious cherry picking there. The questions at the presser were basically a stream of "what did you think of this umpiring decision"

Maybe that's fair, still just hate the prick

 

[The King!]

We need to take 3 of those 4.

Why? I mean yeah I want to but we just need to finish top 4

 

[The King!]

I don't buy that the game style doesn't suit him. It's not like we were slow in 2024, when Rowy was outstanding. And it's not like we were dynamic in 2025, when Rowy was underwhelming.

For me, I think his biggest issue is "the way he goes about it."

That saying used to be applied to him in a positive term but it's grim watching him these days. His reputation as a "competitive beast" precedes him, but is he that competitive anymore? He's ever-committed to doing his role, but has seemingly lost any desire to impact beyond that role. That's not really being a competitive beast, to me, because a competitive beast wants to do anything and everything he can to impact. Rowbottom's just become this well-programmed tackling machine who seems to actively avoid impacting and just waits for players to tackle and then get out of everyone's way.

I saw a highlights video of him on Youtube about a month ago and it struck me what a different player he is now to the player I saw in the video. He doesn't run anymore, doesn't take the game on anymore, doesn't attack contests at speed anymore, and doesn't put his body on the line to win hard balls all that much anymore. It was like watching two different players.

It's so depressing. You generally want players to gain confidence and intensity as they mature, not lose it.

Wonder if he finishes his career at Sydney?

 

[Jewelsbon]

They better find it quickly - we have some important games coming up.

I'd like to think that Big Cox and the boys think every game is important.

 

[The King!]

Why do we play off a shorter break and travel for this game than North.

I know we get it our way too other weeks, is it that hard to balance the fixture so if one side has an extra rest it's when they travel?

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I don't buy that the game style doesn't suit him. It's not like we were slow in 2024, when Rowy was outstanding. And it's not like we were dynamic in 2025, when Rowy was underwhelming.

For me, I think his biggest issue is "the way he goes about it."

That saying used to be applied to him in a positive term but it's grim watching him these days. His reputation as a "competitive beast" precedes him, but is he that competitive anymore? He's ever-committed to doing his role, but has seemingly lost any desire to impact beyond that role. That's not really being a competitive beast, to me, because a competitive beast wants to do anything and everything he can to impact. Rowbottom's just become this well-programmed tackling machine who seems to actively avoid impacting and just waits for players to tackle and then get out of everyone's way.

I saw a highlights video of him on Youtube about a month ago and it struck me what a different player he is now to the player I saw in the video. He doesn't run anymore, doesn't take the game on anymore, doesn't attack contests at speed anymore, and doesn't put his body on the line to win hard balls all that much anymore. It was like watching two different players.

It's so depressing. You generally want players to gain confidence and intensity as they mature, not lose it.

Get what you’re saying, but I just can’t bring myself to question his desire.

Like (dare I say it) George Hewett, he has limitations - a burst of speed being one. So in the open, free flowing game the AFL is determined to create, the Rowy type finds it tougher, because there’s less close-in contested ball to be won & he’s not bursting into space when we have the ball.

I might be wrong - but my view is that he’s not getting the pill because he’s not quite dynamic enough for the current game. Particularly the open, lower intensity shoot-outs that we’ve seen the past 2 weeks.

However …. in a high pressure, high intensity game, I still believe Rowy will show his worth.

 

[the hypnotoad]

Why do we play off a shorter break and travel for this game than North.

I know we get it our way too other weeks, is it that hard to balance the fixture so if one side has an extra rest it's when they travel?

because we can

 

[caesar88]

Get what you’re saying, but I just can’t bring myself to question his desire.

Like (dare I say it) George Hewett, he has limitations - a burst of speed being one. So in the open, free flowing game the AFL is determined to create, the Rowy type finds it tougher, because there’s less close-in contested ball to be won & he’s not bursting into space when we have the ball.

I might be wrong - but my view is that he’s not getting the pill because he’s not quite dynamic enough for the current game. Particularly the open, lower intensity shoot-outs that we’ve seen the past 2 weeks.

However …. in a high pressure, high intensity game, I still believe Rowy will show his worth.

The flaw in this argument though is basically all of the footy played.

You can't say that today wasn't a high-pressure, high-intensity game. Or that it was an open, free-flowing game. There were contests everywhere. Big tackles everywhere. Every second disposal under pressure. Rolling scrums.

Etc.

Everything that Rowbottom once upon a time would've eaten up.

Stoppages are still stoppages, with a dozen players around the ball and a bunch of mids at the feet of rucks trying to win the hard pill.

It's all there for Rowbottom to impact, and he just doesn't. The second half of the Hawthorn game was the most contested, clearance-based, pressure-based half I think we've been a part of all year, and he just completely went missing.

There's also the matter of 2025, when the game was basically the same as 2024, and Rowbottom was worse in 2025 than he has been this year.

And players like Jack Steele, Clayton Oliver, Andrew Brayshaw, Sam Berry etc. - all players who were supposed to be ready for the scrap-heap with the "new game" in 2026 - are all playing some outstanding footy this year.

It's all between the ears.

He's just completely gone into his shell as a player. I don't doubt that he will give his all when he is immediately required to, but I don't see a player who wants to impact. At all.

 

[caesar88]

Wonder if he finishes his career at Sydney?

I wouldn't be shocked if he did. As I understand it people in his camp have wanted him to leave for years and he never has.

He's basically in footy purgatory. Will never be dropped because his pressure is too valuable and will never get better because he's just there to bring pressure.

What he needs is a good month in the VFL where he can get some confidence and remember how to be a competitive, contested beast. And he'll probably never get it.