James Rowbottom has ticked off just one season at the Sydney Swans but a great of the game already sees him as a long-term prospect of a similar ilk to the club’s leading midfielders.

Premiership co-captain and incumbent Sydney midfield coach Brett Kirk has worked overtime with Rowbottom since the Swans plucked him at the 2018 AFL Draft – and he loves what he sees in the 19-year-old.

“There was a great piece of play in the last game where he smothered a ball, it bounced off the ground, he got the ball back, handballed, received it again and bounced it down through the middle and hit Buddy (Lance Franklin),” Kirk told SwansTV.

“We see him playing here for a long time. He just adds another layer to our midfield. He’s of a similar vein – in terms of being hard and clean – to Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker, and he’s also got some really explosive speed.

“When you come from the under-18 system there’s a lot to learn so it took him a little bit to grasp exactly how we play here, but once he got his opportunity you could see in the back end of the year he got some real confidence.

“He can play as an inside mid, he’s powerful, he’s got speed. We used him a bit on the wing in the last couple of games, he was really capable and we’re looking forward to him getting another pre-season under his belt and seeing what he can do next year.”

Rowbottom managed 12 senior matches in his first season as a Swan, debuting in Kieren Jack’s 250^th AFL game as Sydney met Richmond at Marvel Stadium in Round 5.

The Oakleigh Chargers product collected an average of 13.7 disposals and 4.9 tackles per match and produced arguably his best game of the season in Round 15, posting 21 touches (eight contested), five clearances, six inside 50s and nine tackles against the Gold Coast Suns at the SCG. 

Rowbottom also led the NEAFL MVP award voting when it was cut off from the public after Round 12.

The club locked him in for the long term when it extended the contracts of Rowbottom and Justin McInerney until at least the end of season 2022, and ensured Harry Reynolds would remain a Swan until at least the end of season 2020.

Rowbottom said his first season in red and white was a success.

“My first year at the club was very enjoyable,” Rowbottom told SwansTV.

“I tried to learn as much as I could from the moment I got here. I was able to tick off a debut this year and then a few more games throughout the year, and I absolutely loved it.”