The tag king: How James Jordon took down three of the competition’s best players for the Swans

James Jordon might have flown under the radar when he joined the Swans, but the midfielder has proved in the past month he’s a force to be reckoned with as an elite tagger, writes LACHLAN McKIRDY.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – MAY 10: James Jordon of the Swans in action during the round nine AFL match between Fremantle Dockers and Sydney Swans at Optus Stadium, on May 10, 2024, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Noah Anderson. Lachie Whitfield. Jordan Clark.

Three of the most damaging players in the competition on their day. The trio have an elite running game with a deadly boot to match and have already proven this season they can tear opposition defences apart.

However, they all now share something in common in 2024. They were completely nullified by an unassuming Swan.

James Jordon may have flown under the radar when he made the move to Sydney in the off-season, particularly with the high-profile arrivals of Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams. However, the 23-year-old quickly made his presence felt during pre-season and the Swans’ coaching staff took notice.

Jordon was one of the Swans’ best in their big win over the Dockers. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Fast forward two months into the season, and not only has Jordon cemented himself in a team flying high on top of the table, but he has produced three of the best tags you’ll see.

Against Fremantle on Friday night, he continued his trend of playing his role to perfection as he shut down Clark and turned the pressure on the Dockers. Not only did he ensure he kept his man quiet, but he also led the Swans with eight score involvements.

“ He’s very damaging,” Jordon said. “The run that he provides off of halfback really sets them up.

“(My goal was) to try and take that away from him. If I can take him out of the game, and then on offence bring my teammates into the game or hit the scoreboard myself, I feel like it’s pretty valuable for the team.

“I think having that role of being able to shut down a player just adds to my game and I’m happy to do it.”

The traditional tag might not always be in vogue, but Jordon’s showing over the last month is bringing it back in fashion better than any Met Gala outfit ever could.

He gives his opponents no space and ensures they can’t rack up any easy uncontested possessions. The other similarity is that he completely cuts down their running game and closes a key path for the opposition to score.

During the week, Jordon dedicates sessions to watching footage of his potential match-up to ensure he is as prepared as possible for the defensive work ahead.

“I feel like it’s a strength of mine being strong defensively,” Jordon said. “Then something I’ve been working on is trying to hit the scoreboard as well to make them try to defend me also.

“I watch a bit of vision and sit down with either (Sydney assistants) Benny Matthews or Amon (Buchanan) and look through who that might be.

“It changes week to week, it might be a midfielder or halfback, or I might not even do it. But to be able to add that to my role holds me in good stead.”

Jordon admits a tagging role wasn’t what he had in mind when he made the move north, but his selfless performances have quickly endeared him to his teammates.

And coach John Longmire was full of praise for the midfielder who is set to play a pivotal part in their premiership push as the season progresses.

Jordon was brought to the Swans to play a variety of roles and has already exceeded Longmire’s expectations. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“Playing multiple roles was one of the drawcards (of coming to Sydney),” Jordon said.

“We felt against Gold Coast there was a good match-up playing on Anderson and felt like I did a pretty good job and it’s flown on from there.

“I feel like it adds a good balance to the team. If Isaac, Chad and Errol are doing what they’re doing, and we keep winning, I’m very happy.”

“He’s been terrific since he’s been to the footy club,” Longmire added.

“He can play in various positions. Inside, outside, and forward, he can do a number of different roles.

“Sometimes to play the way we want to play, we need to look at the opposition’s strengths and understand that we need to take away some of that … The last couple of weeks trying to reduce those threats has been important.

“It doesn’t always work that way, but we were able to do that for chunks of the game tonight.”

Originally published as The tag king: How James Jordon took down three of the competition’s best players for the Swans