Player Watch #8 James Rowbottom

Remove this Banner Ad

1719321994159.png

James Rowbottom

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

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Haven’t seen much, only had a few who know ask me wtf we took him so high for

Completely disagree with people saying we shouldn't have taken him so high. Was always in this range. Has all the tools to be an exceptional dynamic midfielder. His improvement over the last 12 months was impressive. Think how good he'll be with another 12 months. Great selection.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Haven’t seen much, only had a few who know ask me wtf we took him so high for

I never quite understand that type of comment. Our next pick was another 15 spots behind. If you want him and you don’t think he’ll be available at your next pick then what’s the other option?

IMO He was no chance of being available at our 3rd pick so it’s definately not a reach. We just backed our recruiters in.
 
I never quite understand that type of comment. Our next pick was another 15 spots behind. If you want him and you don’t think he’ll be available at your next pick then what’s the other option?

IMO He was no chance of being available at our 3rd pick so it’s definately not a reach. We just backed our recruiters in.

There’s no such thing as a “reach” anyway. The phantom drafts and power rankings done by pundits and armchair experts are based purely on opinion. So then when the actual recruiters, who have even more info on hand, inevitably go in a different direction, everyone questions and doubts the recruiters, but not the armchair experts who got it wrong. It’s very bizarre
 
There’s no such thing as a “reach” anyway. The phantom drafts and power rankings done by pundits and armchair experts are based purely on opinion. So then when the actual recruiters, who have even more info on hand, inevitably go in a different direction, everyone questions and doubts the recruiters, but not the armchair experts who got it wrong. It’s very bizarre
Im still giving it to the Draft Central guys, has been my guy since before the championships this year and it does feel good to get it right from time to time :p

Also James is a smart cookie aswell
 
Hope I'm wrong, but don't think I will be.

They support the Saints, so you would think that Max is happy to stay there and it is the most likely destination for Ben post-Suns. I'll leave it up to others to interpret whether that means they will ever be at a successful club...
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

I know I sound a bit like Bedford here, but what does the King twins have to do with Rowbottom?

They were mentioned in the same article which highlighted the best academic results from this year's draft crop. By the looks of it Rowbottom did the fourth best of the draft class in the VCE, behind the Kings and Will Kelly.
 
Hmmmm ... The greatest coach we ever had - Norm Smith, desctribed a futurec Tory Minister as the Educated Idiot".
He entered parliament while he was still playing. His biggest atrocity was the awful "Life Be In It" nonsense. Tried to get our collective arses off the couch on the public purse. Destroyed marriages. A complete idiot.
 
I am excited for Rowbottom. I am not sure why the media draft experts had him so low but I really like his highlights. He seems to have exactly what we need and I would love to see him play some games in 2019.

In fairness while some didn’t even have him going in the first three or four rounds, others had him as high as the 20s. The one knock on him was his foot skills, which I have to say look no worse than anyone else. I recall watching Lukosius in one of those championship matches, and this kid who is supposed to be the silkiest in years fluffed quite a few regulation disposals. Then he’d deliver only one or two super clean bullet passes the whole game and the commentators started frothing over how skilled he was. Skills at an U18 level don’t mean much to me personally.
 
I like his flair, something not many of our guys have.

Also he’s a genuine mid and we need mids not flankers being mids
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Player Watch #8 James Rowbottom

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top