So many plaudits have gone to Sydney’s superstar trio of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden this season and rightly so, but often the most successful sides are those where every single player stands up and plays a role.
The Swans are absolutely flying in 2024 and it’s easy to see why following last week’s performance against the GWS Giants in the Sydney Derby.
John Longmire’s troops are absolutely humming, with a win-loss record of 13-1 placing them three wins clear on top of the AFL ladder.
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Debate in recent weeks has been around when an opposition would use a rare double tag on two of Sydney’s three midfield jets such has been their dominance, but it was the Swans who ironically instigated a double tag against their cross-town rivals.
“The irony of the Sydney Swans game, we’ve been talking about when a team would double tag in a Swans game, meaning who was going to send two tags to two Swans, well ironically it’s the Sydney Swans who ran the double tag against the Giants,” St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack.
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Former Demon James Jordon went to Giants half-back Lachie Whitfield, restricting the damaging playmaker to just 24 disposals and two score involvements for the match.
Jordon himself recorded 12 disposals but was able to generate four shots on goal to hurt the Giants on the scoreboard.
However, it was the selfless role that red-hot Swan James Rowbottom played in negating Giants star midfielder Tom Green after quarter time that deserves the most praise.
Green was at his bullocking best around the contest in the first term, racking up 15 disposals, while Rowbottom himself was “playing his socks off” with 11 touches and five clearances.
But with the game in the balance, the Swans coaching staff made the move to put Rowbottom onto Green to play a negating role on the star on-baller.
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“At quarter time for the sake of the team, John Longmire said to Rowbottom, ‘you need to go and tag Tom Green’,” Montagna said.
“Rowbottom put the Giants to the sword, he went and nullified Tom Green’s influence and had significant influence himself to the point where he was able to set up a couple of goals and was instrumental in breaking the hearts of the GWS Giants.
“It just goes to show the psyche of this team, that a player who had had probably one of the best quarters of his season in the first term had to do what the team needed, and he was on fire.
In the 65 minutes of which Green and Rowbottom went head-to-head, Green had 20 disposals, three clearances and two score involvements.
Rowbottom had 18 disposals, five clearances, seven score involvements and two goal assists.
Not only did Rowbottom limit Green’s influence on the contest, he was a key catalyst himself in driving the Swans to their tenth consecutive victory.
“Out of everyone that’s doing the double tag, it’s the team that’s lost once for the year that are running with it, I thought it was pretty ironic!” Montagna finished.
The Swans will look to keep their winning streak alive when they host Fremantle at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.