SYDNEY midfielder James Rowbottom has refused to sugarcoat his team's performance after Brisbane dismantled the Swans' signature ball movement.

By employing a disciplined mid-zone press and an aggressive forward-half lock, the Lions completely choked the corridor.

This intense structural pressure isolated the Swans' star midfielders, starving the forwards of quality service and forcing the individual panic that dissolved the team's trademark chemistry.

Speaking on Wednesday, Rowbottom acknowledged the suffocating defence exposed a clear lack of connection and back-up options across the field.

"We obviously had a pretty intense review after the game," he said.

"It was obviously not how we wanted to play, but I think it just came down to a lack of roles and connection across the field. It wasn't any sort of one phase of the game; we weren't at our best in all parts of the game. 

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"Brisbane was able to play really well in those spaces, so we took a couple of lessons out of that. Hopefully we can put it into play this week."

In his pre-game press conference last Wednesday, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan explicitly discussed Sydney's high-volume handball game, noting that while it caught them off guard earlier in the season, they had spent time studying how to counter it.

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During the game on Thursday night, the Lions successfully put that plan into action, aggressively shutting down the Swans' overlap run to secure a 43-point win. 

Admitting they lacked alternative options on the day, Rowbottom said the Swans got trapped playing one way and couldn't find a second option once the Lions choked their main style.

Sydney players leave the field following the match between Brisbane and Sydney at the Gabba in round 16, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

"We obviously account for the way teams are going to defend us each and every week. Obviously, that has been a strength of ours throughout the first half of the year," he said. 

"We know we need different avenues to goal, and unfortunately, we just weren't able to find that on the weekend, so we'll keep working on that."

Asked if the team needs to adjust now that opponents have figured out its style, or if it is simply a matter of sticking to its strengths, Rowbottom explained that the Swans have developed and practised back-up strategies, and now just need to get better at recognising when to switch to them during a game.

"There's a bit of both in that, really. You've got to adjust in-game and take what other teams give you. If they want to guard our handball game and how we want to play as a first preference, then we've just got to find other avenues," he said.

James Rowbottom in action during Sydney's clash against Port Adelaide in round 14, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

"We've worked very hard with our offence coach and our team as a whole to put things in place, so when that does happen, we can turn to that on game day."

While agreeing that the loss served as a wake-up call, Rowbottom emphasised that this one isolated defeat is no reason to panic, with a clash against the Western Bulldogs at the SCG on Friday night next up.

"Brisbane are a very good opposition, and that has been a bit of a trend for us the last few weeks," he said.

"We've been working on it in the background, but to really double down on those things, it was a timely reminder that to beat the best, you've got to have those things in place as you go.

"We're still sitting second on the ladder, so we're confident with our game when we play our best. We've just got to be able to turn to things when the pressure builds and get back to our best in-game."

Dean Cox speaks with his players during Sydney's win over St Kilda in round 13, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

The Swans will be without key forward Joel Amartey and defender Sam Wicks for the foreseeable future.

Amartey suffered a partial Achilles tendon tear during the final quarter against Brisbane, sidelining him for an expected 10 weeks. Meanwhile, scans confirmed a hamstring strain for Wicks following Monday's training session, ruling him out for 4–6 weeks.

"It's obviously very disappointing, but I think the one positive that we've probably been able to take out of the first half of this year is the depth that we have," Rowbottom said.

"We probably had the same sort of injuries that we had last year, and last year we weren't able to butter up and keep performing. But we've seen this year that we have a very good 'next man in' mentality, and I'm sure that'll stand for the remainder of the year."