View Full Version : National Draft Selection #33 - Anthony Long
Welcome to Essendon.
Draft profile, thanks to AFL.com.au:
Height: 187cm
Weight: 74kg
Skilful running defender with great ability to move through traffic. Agility, recovery and vertical leap are all impressive - 3secs for 20m at Draft Camp, 8.37secs for agility (top 33 per cent) and 70cm running vertical jump (top 30 per cent). Nephew of former Bomber, Michael.
in before 'any relation to michael?'
Ludwig van Bertstare
26 Nov 2009, 17:13
#13.
Wahooti Fandango
26 Nov 2009, 17:15
Awesome another Long. :thumbsu: I bet Simmonds is shitting himself. :D
Skeeta Olly
26 Nov 2009, 17:16
Welcome Anthony Long!
EFL Boy
26 Nov 2009, 17:17
Welcome, Anthony.
Best of luck in what will hopefully be a long and fantastic career at Essendon.
Darealrath
26 Nov 2009, 17:21
Love it. Hope he makes it.
Word is that he is a (excuse the pun) long term prospect.
Unlikely to get any games next year but once he's put's on a bit of muscle he should be right to go 2011.
stander
26 Nov 2009, 18:59
Awesome another Long. :thumbsu: I bet Simmonds is shitting himself. :D
I'm tipping Longy413 is quite chuffed with this particular selection.
seanoff
26 Nov 2009, 20:06
just for completeness he is Mick's nephew, not cousin. He is Steven's son, who in a later time would have played at AFL level, think a taller high marking Mick.
he is Cyril Junior Boy's (Hawks) cousin. Junior boy's dad married Mick's sister.
just for completeness he is Mick's nephew, not cousin. He is Stephen's son, who in a later time would have played at AFL level, think a taller high marking Mick.
he is Cyril Junior Boy's (Hawks) cousin. Junior boy's dad married Mick's sister.Is he then related to Christensen?
I read that he too, is related to both the Longs and Riolis.
gO_bOmBeRz
26 Nov 2009, 20:19
quick replacement of lovett :D give him the #13
seanoff
26 Nov 2009, 20:41
Is he then related to Christensen?
I read that he too, is related to both the Longs and Riolis.
through his mum i would assume, she is a Scrymgour, they are from up around there too.
Christensen is the nephew of Marty who used to play for Geelong and Saint Mary's and the son of Brendan, who also played for Saints.
bombersno1
26 Nov 2009, 21:17
I am sorry but to me this screams as an ordinary pick, especially when Christensen is available!
I am sorry but to me this screams as an ordinary pick, especially when Christensen is available!I was disappointed too, however Christensen slipping to #40 suggests there's something that clubs know that we don't. And yes, that includes you.
bombersno1
26 Nov 2009, 21:30
I wish all our draftees well, but Christensen is an inside mid. I can't believe we have 4 picks inside 33 and did not take a true inside mid. Quite happy with the other 3 picks though. Wish all the draftees well though, including Long. Hope he proves me wrong.
Gus2Gumby
26 Nov 2009, 21:31
Welcome Longy!
Don't know much about him but the pedigree is good.
The thing about the guys we have drafted is that they are winners (the 3 at Cannons anyway). They know how to win and what it takes. I think that's an underrated attribute when looking at kids.
Also, in the past few drafts we have had 1 or 2 guys that we could see making it and the rest are usually picks 40+ and just speculative.
Tonight we got all 4 guys in the first 2 rounds (of the last real draft for a few years).
Great night for us I think!
Can't wait to get to training after New Years to see these guys and the rookie picks.
BRING ON THE NAB CUP!
I wish all our draftees well, but Christensen is an inside mid. I can't believe we have 4 picks inside 33 and did not take a true inside mid. Quite happy with the other 3 picks though. Wish all the draftees well though, including Long. Hope he proves me wrong.
I think we've got the inside mids department covered... Watson, Myers, Lonergan and Hocking.
I wish all our draftees well, but Christensen is an inside mid. I can't believe we have 4 picks inside 33 and did not take a true inside mid.No point bitching about it, at the very least until next year, but realistically for a few years.
After all, the verdict still hasn't been made on Myers after two years; some players take longer than others.
bombersno1
26 Nov 2009, 21:49
No point bitching about it, at the very least until next year, but realistically for a few years.
After all, the verdict still hasn't been made on Myers after two years; some players take longer than others.
Yep, well the reality is I have no issue with the first two picks- they were bang on. Did not expect Carlile to be there, wrapt to get him at 24. Stevens would have been nice but I do feel Carlile has more upside anyway. No dramas there.
26 was weird taking Coyler BUT it does fill a direct need. We don't have an elite small forward, he could be exactly that. Disappointed we didn't go for Bartlett but I understand why we took Coyler.
33, I won't discuss as at this stage I am not a fan. But like all draftees, I wish them the best of luck.
In the end, welcome to Essendon Melksham, Carlile, Coyler and Long. Wish them all the best in 2010 and beyond.
Colin D'Cops
26 Nov 2009, 21:49
I wish all our draftees well, but Christensen is an inside mid.
He'll be quite the opposite if he makes it in the AFL.
He'll be a creative half forward, at best he'll be a replica of Stokes from the Cats. Mark my words.
bombersno1
26 Nov 2009, 21:50
I think we've got the inside mids department covered... Watson, Myers, Lonergan and Hocking.
Maybe, we still could get Alex Carey in the PSD draft. Ideally I'd like 1 more inside mid.
Colin D'Cops
26 Nov 2009, 22:15
Saw him at the supermarket today. Seedy looking bloke.
Haha, nice choice of words.
Back to Long, haven't really watched closely enough to comment on him accurately.
What I will say though that with the surname 'Long' and good agility, we'll have something to work with. :thumbsu:
Well, Anthony compared himself to Dempsey so if he can turn out something like that I'll be happy.
stay true
27 Nov 2009, 02:22
In regards to the discussion regarding not picking up an inside-mid, I reckon our draft strategy got turned upside down thanks to the surprises in the late first round and we had to change the plan up a bit.
I think our delay in picking 24 showed we wanted Stevens at 24 but West Coast threw us out completely. Looked like if Stevens got to 24, we'd have picked him and got North's scraps of either Black/Carlile at 26.
Can't complain with Carlile and Colyer though.
GrandBlue
27 Nov 2009, 04:45
This pick screams romance.
Regardless, good for the Bombers, I reckon he'll be a good player some day. You'd think he'd surely get the number 13.
This kid is Michael Long's nephew. and yes the Rioli's and long's are cousins.
Im happy with this boy. if Rioli is anything to go by we are SET. very very excited about this kid!
Would have liked to have picked another Jetta up also =P
I noticed the boys we picked up are very short. lol. did everyone else pick that up?
centurion
27 Nov 2009, 06:47
Little surprised by this selection but happy nonetheless.
Goodluck Anthony, hope you have a long and outstanding career at the Bombers.:thumbsu:
I read that he too, is related to both the Longs and Riolis.
Football royalty right there. :thumbsu:
eth-dog
27 Nov 2009, 07:25
I am sorry but to me this screams as an ordinary pick, especially when Christensen is available!
Well I'm sold then! Great Pick-up Dodoro!
Mad Bomber Sean
27 Nov 2009, 08:06
Welcome to Bomberland Anthnoy Long. The force is strong with you.
Very excited about getting you. Reckon if you get your body right ( and heavier) you could play a few games on the tail end of next year : )
EssendonPride
27 Nov 2009, 08:36
http://www.afl.com.au/video/tabid/76/videoid/50991/anthony+long+highlights/default.aspx#VideoPlayerB
Looks quite promising, seems to be a pretty good spoiler.
This kid is Michael Long's nephew. and yes the Rioli's and long's are cousins.
Im happy with this boy. if Rioli is anything to go by we are SET. very very excited about this kid!
Would have liked to have picked another Jetta up also =P
I noticed the boys we picked up are very short. lol. did everyone else pick that up?
I am pretty sure Carlisle is 196cm. That is very tall.
Lance Uppercut
27 Nov 2009, 08:58
I am sorry but to me this screams as an ordinary pick, especially when Christensen is available!
dear bombersno-one, please shut up. Do you really think you know better thean every clubs recruiters? Or do you think he just slipped to the 40's "because" ? :rolleyes:
I noticed the boys we picked up are very short. lol. did everyone else pick that up?
I'm not sure anyone could classify Carlisle as "short" ;)
Knight Ryders
27 Nov 2009, 09:03
Apparently GC offered Long a contract and he rejected it so "Shifter" obviously rates him. That can't be a bad thing.
stugots
27 Nov 2009, 09:47
wanted to stay in melb to complete uni course only avail there iirc
great pick i reckon, longy mark2 & dempsey rebounding off halfback sounds good to me
sen entertainment bloke
27 Nov 2009, 10:46
I am pretty sure Carlisle is 196cm. That is very tall.
Plus Jake towered over Knights on stage. 185 cm he is credited with being. That's not small either.
Looking at the footage of him he looks to have a terrific leap for a HBF type of player. A few times he just reaches over and pop, smacks the ball away. Combined with what looks to to be great disposal by foot and I really like the look of him.
Looking at the footage of himLink?
Would be good to have some footage in the OP.
Anthony Long in action for Calder:
http://www.afl.com.au/video/tabid/76/videoid/50991/anthony+long+highlights/default.aspx#VideoPlayerB
saladin
27 Nov 2009, 14:27
I am sorry but to me this screams as an ordinary pick, especially when Christensen is available!
please, regale us with tales of how often you've seen anthony play? i'd hazard a guess: absolutely never.
i doubt you've seen too much of christensen either.
stugots
27 Nov 2009, 15:15
looks clean in the video, maybe a bit more height than Michael it appears
kelvin_sheedy
27 Nov 2009, 19:00
Love to watch the video but the AFL's site is telling me "due to popular demand they can't provide this service to you at this time" :thumbsd:
BringBackCransberg
27 Nov 2009, 20:18
You can get around that by going to bigpondvideo.com, selecting Sport > AFL > Essendon TV > Anthony Long highlights. Other draftees there too.
I'm not sure if this is just for bigpond customers, though. If so it's the only good thing about being a bigpond customer.
You can get around that by going to bigpondvideo.com (http://bigpondvideo.com), selecting Sport > AFL > Essendon TV > Anthony Long highlights. Other draftees there too.
I'm not sure if this is just for bigpond customers, though. If so it's the only good thing about being a bigpond customer.
It is only for Big Pond customers.
BringBackCransberg
27 Nov 2009, 22:15
Sorry folks. Though 98% of the time you should be sorry for me.
Long does look very good in the highlights, as far as I can tell. Elusive and very level-headed (gets out of trouble well). And seems to be able to weight his kicks nicely. He also does a terrific smother out of nowhere. He is correct in pointing up his similiarites to Dempsey, I think. I predict any Dempsey injury in the second half of the year to result in a A. Long debut.
Slappery
28 Nov 2009, 06:17
I have only seen a few minutes of his vids, but he reminds me a lot like Rama..very smooth, classy and quick...
Yep, well the reality is I have no issue with the first two picks- they were bang on. Did not expect Carlile to be there, wrapt to get him at 24. Stevens would have been nice but I do feel Carlile has more upside anyway. No dramas there.
26 was weird taking Coyler BUT it does fill a direct need. We don't have an elite small forward, he could be exactly that. Disappointed we didn't go for Bartlett but I understand why we took Coyler.
33, I won't discuss as at this stage I am not a fan. But like all draftees, I wish them the best of luck.
In the end, welcome to Essendon Melksham, Carlile, Coyler and Long. Wish them all the best in 2010 and beyond.
When have you seen Long play?
If so please tell me which games. His best this year was pretty impressive. I too would have preferred Christensen or Taylor for that matter but I KNOW Longs strengths and weaknesses and I believe he is very similar to Courtnenay Dempsey at the same age.
Pick 33 Anthony Long 186cm 68kg Calder Cannons
Last year it was the Northern Knights and this year it seems the Cannons where the flavour of the year with Long being the third Calder boy to arrive in the draft.
Now Long is the one player that I can not go into lengthy detail about because he did not play a lot of TAC Cup footy and unlike the club I do not have a good line on his school footy or his junior background as far as footy goes. Obviously we have a good understanding of his back ground due to his family ties with the club.
From what I have seen of him his skills are pretty good and most games he was very good at hitting targets by foot. His kicking style is very smooth and he can pin point passes into areas most can not.
He is agile and pretty quick off the mark with good overall pace and a smooth mover who can get out of traffic well. His vision and awareness where not too bad from what I saw either.
He struggled with injury a lot this year and it showed with his fitness and the fact that they could not use him in the middle despite his pretty good hands at ground level and stoppage ability.
Played as a back pocket a bit when he first came back and finished up playing a bit of half back but was never able to run out a full game because of the amount of footy he missed early.
His draft camp results where ok and he does have a very good leap and can take a good mark if he gets a run up and is able to maximize his jump.
Obviously he is very much on the skinny side and a bit of a long range project but he does have the skills and raw ability to make it if he can get his fitness levels up, build up some body size and over come the injury issues.
Doubt we would see much of him next year as far as senior football goes as he is a very light framed kid at the moment.
TAC stats
11 games
Averages
Kicks 4.3 at 63% efficiency
Handballs 6.4 at 85% efficiency
Disposals 10.7 at 75% efficiency
Tackles 1.2
Marks 1.
Nt Bomber
28 Nov 2009, 09:58
When have you seen Long play?
If so please tell me which games. His best this year was pretty impressive. I too would have preferred Christensen or Taylor for that matter but I KNOW Longs strengths and weaknesses and I believe he is very similar to Courtnenay Dempsey at the same age.
Gets injured all the time like Dempsey also.
Hopefully can toughen up a bit seems a bit soft.
Colin D'Cops
28 Nov 2009, 10:00
Hopefully can toughen up a bit seems a bit soft.
That's not an issue; he'll be forced to toughen up. If he doesn't, he'll be out the door in a few years time.
Don't think it'll go to those extremes, once he puts on some muscle he'll be raring to go.
Skeeta Olly
28 Nov 2009, 10:40
That's not an issue; he'll be forced to toughen up. If he doesn't, he'll be out the door in a few years time.
Settle down.
From reading Ant's review, he did have some injury issues.
Colin D'Cops
28 Nov 2009, 13:14
Settle down.
NO!!!!! :mad:
:p
WinderliciouS
29 Nov 2009, 10:06
An anagram of his name is 'A Nylon Thong'. How odd.
Longy413
29 Nov 2009, 10:36
I'm tipping Longy413 is quite chuffed with this particular selection.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Wahooti Fandango
29 Nov 2009, 10:47
An anagram of his name is 'A Nylon Thong'. How odd.
You have a twisted mind. ;) :D
I'm happy to see another Long at the Bombers. The vid's show that he has a good kick which is always a great start. Hopefully he can turn into a great outside mid for us.