AFL Player 4: Kyle Langford

[Beerfish]

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

 

[andleanback]

I get what you’re saying, but we’re a genuine shambles. The holes on our list can’t just be fixed in a couple of years.

We’d be a hard sell at the moment (in terms of getting players to re-sign)

It’s really not, we’ve got heaps of talent under 24 and we’ve got heaps of cap space. Things can turn very quickly. Remember this is the same list that looked so good last year and everyone was talking up. Things are as never as bad as they seem and never as good. Everyone was saying how bad of a position the Saints were in 6 weeks ago, list wise. Now it’s wow how good do they look, the players haven’t changed they are just playing a better connected brand of footy,

 

[bombreys]

It’s really not, we’ve got heaps of talent under 24 and we’ve got heaps of cap space. Things can turn very quickly. Remember this is the same list that looked so good last year and everyone was talking up. Things are as never as bad as they seem and never as good. Everyone was saying how bad of a position the Saints were in 6 weeks ago, list wise. Now it’s wow how good do they look, the players haven’t changed they are just playing a better connected brand of footy,

I don’t agree at all, I think our list is majorly void of talent. We have a lot of young guys, yes, but most aren’t very good, at least from what we’ve seen.

We had heaps of cap space last year too… and got Jake Kelly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan, but he’s not the difference.

I think we’re unfortunately in a far worse spot than you might think

 

[andleanback]

I don’t agree at all, I think our list is majorly void of talent. We have a lot of young guys, yes, but most aren’t very good, at least from what we’ve seen.

We had heaps of cap space last year too… and got Jake Kelly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan, but he’s not the difference.

I think we’re unfortunately in a far worse spot than you might think

Most aren’t every good? Yeh I don’t agree with that at all.
Mcgrath
Ridley
Draper
Parish
Reid
Cox
Perkins
Martin
Durham
Jones
Caldwell
Hobbs
Bryan
There’s enough great talent in that list to eventually turn this club around, let alone baldwin, tex who could also make it. Add in our likely top 6 pick this year and alwyn jnr, there’s plenty to work with.
Jake Kelly wasn’t a cap space decision of going out to chase someone because we had heaps of cash to spend, it was literally filling a need.

Our main issue (personal wise) is we have literally zero representation from our veterans
Heppell - cooked
Hurley - cooked
Smith - cooked
Shiel - dropped from not following team standards
Stringer - injured
You look at a team like collingwood and they have players like pendles, sidebottom, Adams, Howe performing every week and leading the way for the young guys coming through.

 

[Yoda_]

Most aren’t every good? Yeh I don’t agree with that at all.
Mcgrath
Ridley
Draper
Parish
Reid
Cox
Perkins
Martin
Durham
Jones
Caldwell
Hobbs
Bryan

I think bombreys may have worded it poorly

Of those guys, how many of those sub 50 game players have come in and influenced games consistently already? (not the ones who have expired there 30 game period - Ridley, McGrath, Parish)

I am not talking fleeting moments but consistently influencing games. Martin is doing this at a very high level but very little else imho.

 

[andleanback]

I think bombreys may have worded it poorly

Of those guys, how many of those sub 50 game players have come in and influenced games consistently already? (not the ones who have expired there 30 game period - Ridley, McGrath, Parish)

I am not talking fleeting moments but consistently influencing games. Martin is doing this at a very high level but very little else imho.

Jones was starting to influence games before he went down last year, Perkins has done it. No one is expected to consistently influence games until you hit the 30-40 game mark as you said, most of those guys haven’t reached that point yet. But they’ll get there all of those guys have tools to be very good afl players.

 

[Howard Moon]

echoes of Danny Jacobs

Danny Jacobs

Age

45

Ht

189cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.0

4star

K

8.3

3star

HB

5.7

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

1.5

3star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.8

4star

. don't there there langers m8

 

[faible]

I think bombreys may have worded it poorly

Of those guys, how many of those sub 50 game players have come in and influenced games consistently already? (not the ones who have expired there 30 game period - Ridley, McGrath, Parish)

I am not talking fleeting moments but consistently influencing games. Martin is doing this at a very high level but very little else imho.

Martin is the same age as Jones and Caldwell, he's a year ahead of Cox, Perkins and Reid.

Of that group Perkins should be the first one to start regularly impacting games given he's not a KPP.

I think there's plenty of guys 23 or under that have scope to be high quality AFL players. Here's 12 that could all realistically be playing in the same side in the future;

All these are KPP sized players that are 23 or less, who tend to peak in the mid-late 20s.

Ridley
Draper
Jones
Bryan
Cox
Reid

And these are all guys who should at least be consistent AFL standard players, if not one or two becoming AA standard (Martin, Perkins or Hobbs is my pick).

McGrath
Caldwell
Martin
Durham
Perkins
Hobbs

 

[Yoda_]

Martin is the same age as Jones and Caldwell, he's a year ahead of Cox, Perkins and Reid.

Of that group Perkins should be the first one to start regularly impacting games given he's not a KPP.

I think there's plenty of guys 23 or under that have scope to be high quality AFL players. Here's 12 that could all realistically be playing in the same side in the future;

All these are KPP sized players that are 23 or less, who tend to peak in the mid-late 20s.

Ridley
Draper
Jones
Bryan
Cox
Reid

And these are all guys who should at least be consistent AFL standard players, if not one or two becoming AA standard (Martin, Perkins or Hobbs is my pick).

McGrath
Caldwell
Martin
Durham
Perkins
Hobbs

That's fine, and I do agree. Just pointing out the impatience that bombreys may be observing that despite having so many kids, very few are hardly torching it.

Sydney for example bring in kids and lose very little, we do and they bounce around for a few years and then find there feet at 22ish.



As I mentioned, I agree with your sentiments and think the crux of a reasonable side is there, we need to be patient and get those 40 - 60 games into them together and then we should see the fruits of this seed around the 2024 season.

 

[faible]

That's fine, and I do agree. Just pointing out the impatience that bombreys may be observing that despite having so many kids, very few are hardly torching it.

Sydney for example bring in kids and lose very little, we do and they bounce around for a few years and then find there feet at 22ish.



As I mentioned, I agree with your sentiments and think the crux of a reasonable side is there, we need to be patient and get those 40 - 60 games into them together and then we should see the fruits of this seed around the 2024 season.

Sydney has a great system and core to bring them in to, it's why so many of the recent successful sides seem to bring these kids in from nowhere that look great, then they go elsewhere and do not much.

If you've got a good core of senior players that understand the system and actually do what they need to do, a young kid can come in and play a very tight role knowing exactly what they need to do and get it done.

Our young guys instead are hung out to dry - refer Cox on a wing - expected to play well beyond their remit because the senior blokes aren't doing their bit.

 

[bombreys]

Most aren’t every good? Yeh I don’t agree with that at all.
Mcgrath
Ridley
Draper
Parish
Reid
Cox
Perkins
Martin
Durham
Jones
Caldwell
Hobbs
Bryan
There’s enough great talent in that list to eventually turn this club around, let alone baldwin, tex who could also make it. Add in our likely top 6 pick this year and alwyn jnr, there’s plenty to work with.
Jake Kelly wasn’t a cap space decision of going out to chase someone because we had heaps of cash to spend, it was literally filling a need.

Our main issue (personal wise) is we have literally zero representation from our veterans
Heppell - cooked
Hurley - cooked
Smith - cooked
Shiel - dropped from not following team standards
Stringer - injured
You look at a team like collingwood and they have players like pendles, sidebottom, Adams, Howe performing every week and leading the way for the young guys coming through.

You make a good point with the veterans. If you look at our oldest guys, Heppell, Smith, Phillips, Hurley don't compare favourably to the Collingwood names you listed above.

I know I sound like a miserable pri**, I just don't think our young guys look that great. Just with the names you've listed -

Ridley - gun. My smokey/personal preference for next captain. If a combo of Reid/Cox/Lav/Kelly can lock down other teams three best forwards and Ridley can start to match up on opposing teams 4th/5th best forward and really focus on the intercepting and attacking side of his game, I think he could be one of the best backman in the league
Draper - might be my fav player to watch, but he's 23 and plays like he's 18. Can he develop into a solid first choice ruck?
Parish - is an accumulator, but doesn't defend and kicking is really letting him down
McGrath - see above, though a move to defence could fix some of this
Reid - potential only at this point after 2 games, but does look good. Injury prone?
Cox - has really regressed. Again potential only.
Perkins - like the look of him, just wish he was getting some midfield time. Goes harder at it than anyone currently in the midfield rotation
Martin - gun. Hopefully locked in our wing for the next decade.
Durham - really solid role player - every team needs tryers like him.
Jones - love him, but recurring injuries becoming a serious problem
Caldwell - thought he looked really good in that final last year, but I haven't rated his year at all. The worst offender imo with our poor defending. Astonished he was dropped ahead of Shiel, though I assume that was an attempt to make an example of a more senior player (he is only 21 though, just don't want the bad habits to become permanent)
Hobbs - really like the look of him and the way he goes about it, just not sure he fits with our current group of mids. He's 18 though, so any predictions with him are a genuine stab in the dark. Sounds a bit of a harsh write up on him when I re-read it given he's only played 3 games, I do think he'll make it - I just don't love the fit when we already have Parish & McGrath butchering it coming out of the middle.
Bryan - can't get a game

For what it's worth, I absolutely hope you're right and I'm wrong. I just feel like there are so/too many question marks.

I've probably hijacked what is supposed to be the Langford thread too.

 

[brain taylor]

Not the kind of player we can afford to lose. I wonder if the Hawks would play him midfield or forward. He's always seemed to be a natural forward to me.

they'd play him as a permanent forward and he'd hit career best form

 

[andleanback]

You make a good point with the veterans. If you look at our oldest guys, Heppell, Smith, Phillips, Hurley don't compare favourably to the Collingwood names you listed above.

I know I sound like a miserable pri**, I just don't think our young guys look that great. Just with the names you've listed -

Ridley - gun. My smokey/personal preference for next captain. If a combo of Reid/Cox/Lav/Kelly can lock down other teams three best forwards and Ridley can start to match up on opposing teams 4th/5th best forward and really focus on the intercepting and attacking side of his game, I think he could be one of the best backman in the league
Draper - might be my fav player to watch, but he's 23 and plays like he's 18. Can he develop into a solid first choice ruck?
Parish - is an accumulator, but doesn't defend and kicking is really letting him down
McGrath - see above, though a move to defence could fix some of this
Reid - potential only at this point after 2 games, but does look good. Injury prone?
Cox - has really regressed. Again potential only.
Perkins - like the look of him, just wish he was getting some midfield time. Goes harder at it than anyone currently in the midfield rotation
Martin - gun. Hopefully locked in our wing for the next decade.
Durham - really solid role player - every team needs tryers like him.
Jones - love him, but recurring injuries becoming a serious problem
Caldwell - thought he looked really good in that final last year, but I haven't rated his year at all. The worst offender imo with our poor defending. Astonished he was dropped ahead of Shiel, though I assume that was an attempt to make an example of a more senior player (he is only 21 though, just don't want the bad habits to become permanent)
Hobbs - really like the look of him and the way he goes about it, just not sure he fits with our current group of mids. He's 18 though, so any predictions with him are a genuine stab in the dark. Sounds a bit of a harsh write up on him when I re-read it given he's only played 3 games, I do think he'll make it - I just don't love the fit when we already have Parish & McGrath butchering it coming out of the middle.
Bryan - can't get a game

For what it's worth, I absolutely hope you're right and I'm wrong. I just feel like there are so/too many question marks.

I've probably hijacked what is supposed to be the Langford thread too.

You don’t think Hobbs will make it? mate
He’s playing on a half forward flank and wing in his first couple of games. Wait till he’s 21-22 starting on ball every game and filled out.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

You don’t think Hobbs will make it? mate
He’s playing on a half forward flank and wing in his first couple of games. Wait till he’s 21-22 starting on ball every game and filled out.

Hobbs (amongst a few others) is one I'd legitimately want to build a team around for the future.

 

[Nifft]

They misspelled Hawthorne.

 

[bombreys]

You don’t think Hobbs will make it? mate
He’s playing on a half forward flank and wing in his first couple of games. Wait till he’s 21-22 starting on ball every game and filled out.

Think maybe you misread..? I do think he’ll make it. I just don’t like his mix with Parish and McGrath, not sure you can squeeze 3 below average kicks into one midfield. Hobbs is 18 and has the potential to improve his kicking though

 

[faible]

Think maybe you misread..? I do think he’ll make it. I just don’t like his mix with Parish and McGrath, not sure you can squeeze 3 below average kicks into one midfield. Hobbs is 18 and has the potential to improve his kicking though

Parish isn’t below average, his disposal by foot is usually ok, the odd great kick and the odd poor one.

McGrath doesn’t pull off too many great kicks though, at least not through the middle of the ground.

 

[bombreys]

Parish isn’t below average, his disposal by foot is usually ok, the odd great kick and the odd poor one.

McGrath doesn’t pull off too many great kicks though, at least not through the middle of the ground.

If you took the top 5 or 6 best midfielders from every team and ordered all of them in order of kicking skill, Parish is absolutely in the bottom half.

I’d say Merrett’s our only midfielder who’s an above average kick.

 

[citizen-erased]

liked seeing him on the bench and getting Lord ready when there was a chance he could be subbed in.

 

[citizen-erased]

afl.com listing as restricted.
that's alright news

 

[andleanback]

afl.com listing as restricted.
that's alright news

Dodoro must’ve back ended the deal. Very smart

 

[Yoda_]

Must say it is impressive to see Langford on the bench helping out with the team still. Easy to be half a dozen years into your career and think nuh, don't wanna go down with the lads and rest up at home but feels like Langford has been on the bench supporting the guys every week since rehab started.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Must say it is impressive to see Langford on the bench helping out with the team still. Easy to be half a dozen years into your career and think nuh, don't wanna go down with the lads and rest up at home but feels like Langford has been on the bench supporting the guys every week since rehab started.

You forget he's a player when he's doing that.

He'd be worth an assistant coaching shout post career.

 

[eth-dog]

Really need him back as the link man between the arcs. Left a huge hole.

 

[andleanback]

Really need him back as the link man between the arcs. Left a huge hole.

People who doubted langford and Snellings importance have really had their eyes open. Both work hard both ways to fill defensive holes and both are great link up players in attack. Snelling is always the first guy Buckley talks about when he speaks about our injuries, just shows how that opposition coaches know the importance of those roles.

 

[eth-dog]

People who doubted langford and Snellings importance have really had their eyes open. Both work hard both ways to fill defensive holes and both are great link up players in attack. Snelling is always the first guy Buckley talks about when he speaks about our injuries, just shows how that opposition coaches know the importance of those roles.

I'm wondering how often he marked the ball coming out of defence, because it's been missing a lot this year. Lore I know that heat maps are able to show where you get the possessions, but do they also show where you mark the ball?