Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy has been impressed with the one-on-one midfield work of Sydney on-baller James Rowbottom in 2024.
Rowbottom has flown under the radar at Sydney this season with the likes of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden stealing headlines, but is clearly highly rated inside the club.
In 2024 alone, Rowbottom ranks second in tackles and eighth in centre clearances competition-wide and it’s his defensive work that allows his teammates to thrive at the stoppage.
The 23-year-old was sent to GWS star Tom Green after quarter-time in Saturday’s 27-point win. Green had 18 disposals in the first quarter but could only muster 17 after that with Rowbottom by his side.
While he doesn’t tag in a traditional sense, Rowbottom makes sure the opposition’s best don’t get a free run at stoppages as he’s also helped nullify Patrick Cripps, Matt Rowell and Zach Merrett in Sydney wins this year.
Healy dubbed his nullifying work as a ‘Rowbottomy’ and warned opposition players to look out if they’re in coach John Longmire’s sights.
“In the ‘40s and ‘50s, there was a surgical operation known as a lobotomy. If you had a mental disorder, you were often surgically lobotomised,” Healy said on SEN Sportsday.
“In Sydney, if the Horse (John Longmire) has an opposition player problem, he applies the Rowbottomy.
“On Saturday, Tom Green was Rowbottom-ised after quarter time.
“Other players to be Rowbottom-ised include Patrick Cripps, Matt Rowell and Zach Merrett.
“Look out if you’re on the Horse’s list, the Rowbottomy is one major reason the Swans are well clear on top of the ladder.
“Who is going onto the Horse’s surgical table to get Rowbottom-ised?”
While Rowbottom is only beginning to get league-wide acclaim for his work, Healy says his results in Sydney’s Bob Skilton Medal – where he’s finished on the podium in both 2022 and 2023 – shows he’s been a huge piece of a strong Swans side for some time.
“I like where it could go because he is a really good player as we all know,” Healy said.
“He’s been third in the Swans’ best and fairest for two years in a row.
“I mean, he’s the only one that’s gone back-to-back at that level up there (in the top three), so his form is superb.”
Coming up against Fremantle this Saturday at the SCG, perhaps one of Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw or Hayden Young is the next star to get ‘Rowbottom-ised’.