GFNL 2024: South Barwon’s Rowan Gough on forming dangerous defensive pairing with Jack Driver
South Barwon’s Rowan Gough has transformed himself from a lockdown defender to intercepting threat, with the young gun revealing how a teammate has inspired belief in him.
South Barwon defender Rowan Gough says he is embracing greater license to be aggressive and attack the ball as he and team Jack Driver form a damaging intercepting partnership for the premiership hopefuls.
In Sunday’s four-point elimination final win over Bell Park, Driver and Gough were the top rated Swans players according to Premier Data ranking points, with Gough largely impassable with a match-high 16 intercept possessions and five intercept marks, alongside 21 disposals and four tackles.
Meanwhile, Driver added another 13 intercept possessions and eight marks, including a match-saving intercept grab in the dying minutes to hold off the Dragons.
“If there is anyone you want to stand in the hole, it would be Jack Driver, he’s very courageous in the air, he knows what he’s doing,” Gough said of the mark.
The 23-year-old Gough, in his third season of senior football at his childhood club, credited the faith Driver had in him to play more of an aggressive intercepting role in the Swans’ back six, Gough averaging 6.2 marks and 5.9 intercepts a game, including 4.2 one per centers, this season.
“When I first started, I was more your lockdown defender, and now Jack Driver, who's obviously a good interceptor, has got a lot of faith in me,” Gough said.
“He lets me roll off a bit more now and I’m a bit more aggressive, especially this year, I’ve attempted to attack more with the ball and run a bit more forward which he encourages.
“Together we’re trying to form a pretty dynamic intercepting partnership.”
With both the teaching student and Swans seeking consistency this year, Gough said last year’s grand final experience meant he wasn’t “overawed” coming into finals for a second time.
Gough said there was little method to the Swans’ second half as rain hampered the spectacle of Sunday’s final, with coach Mark Neeld encouraging his player to get the “quick hand to boot” and force the ball forward at all costs.
“You’d follow up the ball and slam it anywhere, there wasn’t much method in the second half... it’s just a win if it’s going in your direction,” he said.
“It doesn’t really matter how much you win by in finals... poor conditions, you get it done and move on with that.
“We won’t look at it much I’d say and move onto next week.”
The Swans reset for a first semi-final against St Mary’s on Sunday, with Gough taking inspiration from a GFNL rival when trying to progress through the final series from the fourth seed.
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“We’ve seen (reigning premier) Leopold do it from outside the top three last year, we’ve just got to channel that,” he said.
“We’ve played on a Sunday this week, we’re fine, we get some consistency, we get to come in on a win, they’re coming off a loss.
“But they’ve got a lot of damaging players, we’ll have a look at it, we’ll have a plan.
“I’m sure it will be a battle, it always is between us.”
Originally published as GFNL 2024: South Barwon’s Rowan Gough on forming dangerous defensive pairing with Jack Driver
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