AFL Player # 4: Kyle Langford - AA squad, Leading Goalkicker, McKracken Medal, 2nd in Crichton 🥈

Kyle is a...

  • pure mid

  • pure forward

  • mid/forward

  • forward/mid

  • AFL footballer! (and I don't care where he plays)


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04 - langford.jpg

Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent 2026
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 8, boncer34
 
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eDPS

Premium Platinum
Nov 4, 2010
24,967
41,173
Melbourne - Eastern Suburbs
AFL Club
Essendon
It’s frustrating to see talent go to waste because it is there, his attack and speed is no worse than say Mitch Brown but Brown has the advantage of height, running power and experience on his side.

We have put so much pressure on him to succeed (not as much the supporter base but the club in general) trying to turn him into a Fyfe type when he never played midfield as a junior and giving him the prestigious number 4 jumper worn by our last captain and gun midfielder.

He has shown to be too good at VFL level and feel he could play a role at many other clubs and either way looks to be a solid depth player regardless, anyone calling for delisting is going way too far but the reality is that it’s highly unlikely he reaches his potential.
 
Jun 11, 2007
34,086
29,320
Victoria
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Bayern, Milan, Boston Celtics
It’s frustrating to see talent go to waste because it is there, his attack and speed is no worse than say Mitch Brown but Brown has the advantage of height, running power and experience on his side.

We have put so much pressure on him to succeed (not as much the supporter base but the club in general) trying to turn him into a Fyfe type when he never played midfield as a junior and giving him the prestigious number 4 jumper worn by our last captain and gun midfielder.

He has shown to be too good at VFL level and feel he could play a role at many other clubs and either way looks to be a solid depth player regardless, anyone calling for delisting is going way too far but the reality is that it’s highly unlikely he reaches his potential.
Trade or keep. You don't delist.

Kind of think he should move, remove the burden, fresh start and reset himself.
Kid has talent. I blame us for ruining it.
 

CBombers17

Premium Platinum
Jul 7, 2014
4,611
5,303
AFL Club
Essendon
Hird was played as a high half forward for a season or 2 before he was released into the midfield (and anywhere else he wanted to be) This should have been Kyle's go as well I think. Not that I ever though he was the next Hirdy but a few things he seemed to do easily early could have been nurtured (find space forward on a short lead, mark and goal for example). He seemed to go ok then got poleaxed and wasn't the same after. Sending him into the middle because we needed a Jobe replacement reeked of Essendon 'development' - we've all seen it for years.

I'd like to see him play forward over Laverde or Begley and see if he can settle in down there. I think it's at least worth setting up for over this pre-season as It's doubtful we will be getting any offers for Kyle any time soon.
 
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Langford has good leading patterns in the forward fifty, BUT struggles outside the fifty as a linking player, has limited agility and struggles with defensive pressure - He could end up a similar player to LLoyd at the Bulldogs - Though is this enough ? His best option is as a mid/forward.
 
He’s only had more touches in a game once before and I thought his method in the contest was quite good, more than held his own amidst what was a genuine shitshow.

Criticism is the same as it always is though, needs to take the first or second option, there is no where near enough time in the current game for him to assess four or five options and then take the best one and more often than not his first instinct is more or less the correct one anyway.
 

Lel13

Debutant
Mar 25, 2019
99
77
AFL Club
Essendon
We really stuffed up that draft that year. laverde at pick 20 and langford at pick 17........ :'(:'(
 
Dec 2, 2014
18,515
31,162
AFL Club
Essendon
Stolen from BB, the hate he's receiving is unfair IMO.

Langford collected 24 (2nd most on the team) at 75% efficiency for 302m gained with 9 contested, only 2 turnovers, 6 marks (2nd most on the team), 4 inside 50’s (equal most on the team), 4 clearances (equal second most on the team). He also had a ridiculous 6 score involvements from only 13 total scores from the team, I haven’t checked the whole team but it’s easily the most of those I have checked, Merrett with his 33 touches had 3 score involvements. He was also our only player who was consistently willing to take on the attacking kick through the middle, a kick that is so vital to beating the Dogs as they set up the numbers they swarm down the line behind the ball. So many of our mids and backs spent the night kicking slow and backwards/sideways or taking forever to go before heaving long down the line, Kyle consistently took on that attacking kick through the middle which is probably why he was involved in so many scoring chains.
 
Sep 22, 2011
40,578
87,827
Your girlfriend's dreams
AFL Club
Essendon
Hird was played as a high half forward for a season or 2 before he was released into the midfield (and anywhere else he wanted to be) This should have been Kyle's go as well I think. Not that I ever though he was the next Hirdy but a few things he seemed to do easily early could have been nurtured (find space forward on a short lead, mark and goal for example). He seemed to go ok then got poleaxed and wasn't the same after. Sending him into the middle because we needed a Jobe replacement reeked of Essendon 'development' - we've all seen it for years.

I'd like to see him play forward over Laverde or Begley and see if he can settle in down there. I think it's at least worth setting up for over this pre-season as It's doubtful we will be getting any offers for Kyle any time soon.

Hird was basically a key forward early in his career.

The odd Sheedy mad move aside, he didn’t play a lot of midfield minutes until late in his career.

Re Langford, he’s just a victim of our great ability to either develop players in the wrong position, or no defined position at all.

From early on it seemed like forward was his strength, so we played him midfield.

We’re very good at this.
 
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