AFL Player 4: Kyle Langford

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Vindicater]

I can see him playing a Bayley Fritsch type role for us if coached well, with his ceiling being higher.

Bayley Fritch is bloody fast.

Lqngford is nothing kike him.

 

[faible]

More Andrew Embley for me

I prefer to use comparisons that aren't players that retired a decade ago.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I prefer to use comparisons that aren't players that retired a decade ago.

He’s more in the Dermott Brereton mold I think.

 

[eth-dog]

I prefer to use comparisons that aren't players that retired a decade ago.

I prefer comparisons that are more relevant to playing style.

 

[faible]

I prefer comparisons that are more relevant to playing style.

Comparisons should be helpful and relevant.

Describing a ruckman as playing like Polly Farmer might be the most accurate comparison, but not the most helpful or relevant.

Embley is very much not a player that a lot of people could immediately go "oh yep, I know how that guy played".

Even Essendon players from a decade ago would be pushing it, how many people could immediately identify how Hille, Lovett-Murray, McVeigh or Andrew Welsh played who also all retired around a decade ago, in a team that posters on this forum actually watched all the time?

 

[yodellinhank]

I can see him playing a Bayley Fritsch type role for us if coached well, with his ceiling being higher.

Higher than 6 goals in a winning grand final?

 

[andleanback]

I can see him playing a Bayley Fritsch type role for us if coached well, with his ceiling being higher.

I don’t see how he’s got a higher ceiling than fritsch who is 3 years younger and just kicked 6 in a grand final.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

I don’t see how he’s got a higher ceiling than fritsch who is 3 years younger and just kicked 6 in a grand final.

Fritta and Langers were born in December 1996.

 

[andleanback]

Fritta and Langers were born in December 1996.

Thats surprising, only knew he got drafted in 2017 and langford was 2014.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Thats surprising, only knew he got drafted in 2017 and langford was 2014.

Fritta was also talked about in the draft issue of Inside Football in 2015 as an overager.

This was between his time at Coldstream and Casey/Springvale.

Langers had already made his league debut by then.

 

[Ambrosia]

More Andrew Embley for me

Stronger 1 on 1 than Embley and less willing take the game on with run and carry.

 

[eth-dog]

Comparisons should be helpful and relevant.

Describing a ruckman as playing like Polly Farmer might be the most accurate comparison, but not the most helpful or relevant.

Embley is very much not a player that a lot of people could immediately go "oh yep, I know how that guy played".

Even Essendon players from a decade ago would be pushing it, how many people could immediately identify how Hille, Lovett-Murray, McVeigh or Andrew Welsh played who also all retired around a decade ago, in a team that posters on this forum actually watched all the time?

I don't see a player more recent than Embley that fits the description.

 

[Vindicater]

Forward please.

 

[Ambrosia]

Hoping he can continue his improvement. People are sleeping on how good he is becoming. Very hard to beat 1 on 1, excellent user of the ball by foot, is willing to play sacrificial roles for the team and is capable of playing inside and out.

 

[brain taylor]

Hoping he can continue his improvement. People are sleeping on how good he is becoming. Very hard to beat 1 on 1, excellent user of the ball by foot, is willing to play sacrificial roles for the team and is capable of playing inside and out.

i think it's helped a lot that they've stopped trying to turn him into jobe and have started playing to his strengths more.
he's still a little suspect in heavy traffic and sometimes a bit slow to make decisions but get him on the outside/forward of centre and the guy can do some serious damage.

 

[Ambrosia]

i think it's helped a lot that they've stopped trying to turn him into jobe and have started playing to his strengths more.
he's still a little suspect in heavy traffic and sometimes a bit slow to make decisions but get him on the outside/forward of centre and the guy can do some serious damage.

Don’t think he’s too bad in traffic just he doesn’t hit ground balls hard enough to be a go to mid like Jobe. He’s contested work is actually very good as seen when he tags gun inside players he more often then not limits their effectiveness around the ball.

 

[blitzer]

Langford is a quality versatile player that is capable in quite a few areas but I love him up forward. He just leads to smart spots, takes marks he should take and kicks straight from set shots. I don't see a reason he couldn't be our Bailey Fritsch.

In 2021 we had no choice but to gradually shift him into the midfield more and more as we had a disproportionate number of injuries to our midfield brigade but it will be interesting to see how we use him next year.

 

[The Donners]

Langford is a quality versatile player that is capable in quite a few areas but I love him up forward. He just leads to smart spots, takes marks he should take and kicks straight from set shots. I don't see a reason he couldn't be our Bailey Fritsch.

In 2021 we had no choice but to gradually shift him into the midfield more and more as we had a disproportionate number of injuries to our midfield brigade but it will be interesting to see how we use him next year.

Bayley Fritsch is speedy and dynamic. Langford is neither. Langford definitely own his spot in the side but he’s no Fritsch. In fact, I thought pre-hamstring Langford was in career best form. I’d never been a fan and warmed to him.

 

[blitzer]

Bayley Fritsch is speedy and dynamic. Langford is neither. Langford definitely own his spot in the side but he’s no Fritsch. In fact, I thought pre-hamstring Langford was in career best form. I’d never been a fan and warmed to him.

Fair enough style wise he's not like Fritsch. Fritsch was just the first medium sized forward that came to mind.
My point was more that Langford can play as a medium sized marking forward with his own strengths and perform the role really well. He's been good the last 2 years pretty consistently and that's been reflected in some good showings in the B&F. That's whilst being thrown all over the ground in that time too.

Its a genuine shame he had the hamstring injuries at the end of this season. Even in the game he did his last hamstring he was killing it up until that point in time.

 

[ant555]

Although he is not a physical machine for a bloke his size the fact is we missed him in the final as he is not easily pushed around in a contest despite physical not being his one wood.

 

[Vander18]

I can see the Fritsch comparison….can play a similar role as a very smart, mid-sized leading forward. And like Fritsch he generally finishes his work.

Langford is quicker than some think - one area of improvement for him is to lose the at times laconic movement and use his quite decent speed more effectively.

 

[ghostdog]

I can see the Fritsch comparison….can play a similar role as a very smart, mid-sized leading forward. And like Fritsch he generally finishes his work.

Langford is quicker than some think - one area of improvement for him is to lose the at times laconic movement and use his quite decent speed more effectively.

Agree. It's when he's assessing his options that he looks a bit slower. It's the thinking time. When he needs to get to the ball he's got a decent little burst.

I think the most use of his physicality and willingness to be physical has been in marking contests when he has gone forward. He does not fear the crunch of the pack and throws himself in to mark.

 

[Ambrosia]

Agree. It's when he's assessing his options that he looks a bit slower. It's the thinking time. When he needs to get to the ball he's got a decent little burst.

I think the most use of his physicality and willingness to be physical has been in marking contests when he has gone forward. He does not fear the crunch of the pack and throws himself in to mark.

For a guy who’s not a star he just seems to have incredible knack for just destroying guys 1 on 1 in a variety of ways.

 

[The Prosecutor]

For a long time i've kind of unconsciously regarded Langford as a barometer of the clubs fortunes. It feels true looking forward as well. I've been so disappointed by his slow progress that just gives enough each year to keep him in the picture. I've often wished he would just go one way or the other so i don't have to keep looking at him hopefully anymore.
I'm burned out. I don't think he is going to make it. I don't really think that but i'm saying it anyway. Those big soft eyes are like the under belly of the club. Slow and hopeful, and ultimately not quite good enough.
Is Langford the sort of player who will take us to a grand final or is he the sort of player that holds a club outside the top four?

What an odd post, especially after the year he had.

Based on the 17 games he played, he would've finished 2nd in the Crichton if not for the 6 games missed through injury.

What are you even judging him against when you say he's not going to make it, being a superstar in the competition or not good enough to be an AFL player?

 

[eth-dog]

Langford is nearly everything you want from an offensive wing. Compare him to the best wing of this year in Karl Amon

10

Karl Amon

Age

30

Ht

181cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.8

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

MG

294.5

4star

D

21.0

5star

K

15.0

5star

HB

6.0

3star

M

6.0

5star

T

2.0

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

146.8

3star

:

20.8 vs 23.6 disposals
5.8 vs 5.9 marks
0.8 vs 0.5 goals
3.2 vs 4.7 inside 50's
0.4 goal assists apiece
0.5 vs 0 contested marks
0.8 vs 0.2 marks inside 50
1.1 vs 2.4 rebound 50's
5.5 score involvements apiece

Langford on the left and Amon on the right. I'm not saying Langford is as good as Amon, because he quite obviously isn't, but he's doing what you want as a winger. He's made the grade, and if anybody disagrees after the last two years he's produced I suspect they're watching a different game.