The emerging generation of Sydney Swans young guns gave the red and white faithful something to cheer about in a 10-point practice-match loss to Sydney University at Henson Park on Saturday.
Speedsters Ben Ronke and James Bell and first-year Swans James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney and Hayden McLean were all on song despite the 7.10 (52) to 5.12 (42) defeat in Marrickville.
After trailing by four points at three-quarter time, a quartet of young Swans in McLean, Rowbottom, McInerney and Ronke lit up the venue in the opening exchanges of the final term.
Ruckman McLean won the centre bounce that got the quarter underway, and Rowbottom was slick in collecting the first clearance of the term.
The promising signs continued as McInerney’s clever crumbing paved the way for a Ronke goal just minutes later, but the Students would run in two last-quarter majors to the Swans’ one to claw victory in an uncompromising wet-weather affair.
Swans supporters got a glimpse of five of the new draftees in the pre-season clash – Rowbottom, McInerney, Zac Foot, Harry Reynolds and Sam Wicks – and development coach Jeremy Laidler was full of praise for the youngsters.
“I think with the way the whole group of first-year players have approached things early on at the club, it’s made it easy for me because they’ve really bought in to what we want,” Laidler told Swans Media.
“They’re playing to their strengths, they all have exciting futures and hopefully we can push them into seniors.”
Rowbottom – along with Ronke, Robbie Fox and James Rose – shouldered a mountain of work on the inside of the contest.
Rowbottom, who the Swans recruited from the Oakleigh Chargers at last November’s AFL Draft, showed his big frame, explosive speed in congestion and clean skills make him a dominant force.
And as the 18-year-old toiled at the coalface, Bell, McInerney and Foot provided a wealth of run on the wings.
Laidler was rapt with Rowbottom’s intent and said the speed and endurance of Bell, McInerney and Foot impressed.
“James was really hard and really clean. He’s playing to his strengths and he’s jumped on to the Bloods culture and how we play. It’s working well for him and it’s really exciting,” Laidler said.
“ ‘Belly’, Justin and Zac are also playing to their strengths. They’re really good athletes. To have three blokes like that who can all run up and down the ground and rotate through wing, half-forward, inside of the midfield and half-back – it makes my job a lot easier.”
It was the towering McLean who serviced Sydney’s followers in the ruck, with the 20-year-old taking on virtually the entire load as young key forward Toby Pink pinch-hit in the ruck.
Jack Maibaum’s season-ending ACL rupture opened the door for McLean to sign as a rookie under pre-season supplementary list rules earlier in the week, and Laidler said the former Sandringham Dragon had made an instant impact in red and white.
“It’s quite a tricky situation. Hayden came here three days ago and didn’t know much about the way we play. We didn’t run through too much with him; we just wanted him to play footy,” Laidler said.
“But he took some really strong contested marks today, he competed really well in the ruck and his follow-up around the footy was at a really high standard.”
The Swans led the Students by seven points at quarter-time and eight points at the long break, before a steely Sydney University outfit built on its four-point final-change buffer to clinch the win.
A host of star Swans showed their support from the Henson Park grandstand, with Dane Rampe, Nick Smith, Tom Papley, Aliir Aliir and a long list of other elder statesmen watching on as the younger generation shone in a losing cause.
Sydney University 1.2 3.3 5.4 7.10 (52)
Sydney Swans 2.3 4.5 4.6 5.12 (42)
Goals – Swans: J Bell 2, Z Cameron, B Ronke, J Rose
