Traded Ben Long

The difference Long and the Saints are making on these small communities may be small in scale, but its impact is profound.



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Giving back to the people that leave and breathe our great game is what it’s all about.



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And Ben Long is inspiring the next generation.



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Photography by Corey Scicluna.
 
Just ,maybe we might get a future champion from one of these kids , but there is no doubt we now have more supporters up there . Plus of course our young players will have a better knowledge of Aboriginal culture which is so important these days .
 
They were one of the big AFL trade winners. But the Saints now may have found a hidden gem from within
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They were the most active club during the trade period in October, but the Saints may have unearthed a gun half-back from inside Moorabbin.
New St Kilda senior coach Brett Ratten is set to unleash Ben Long across half-back in 2020 after moving the livewire forward from one end of the ground to other over summer.

Interesting move, I didn't mind him forward as he was damaging when he was 'on', but he sounds like he'll be comfortable and capable in this new role.

I'm also thinking Long might feature in the leadership group this year, reading these comments about his buy-in and commitment. Plus all the off-season work he puts in.
 
Long game: Ben's move back showing promise
Ben Long's move to defence is ticking all the right boxes according to backline coach Aaron Hamill.
By Chris Nice - 6 hrs ago
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The Ben Long experiment down back is ticking all the right boxes, according to defensive coach Aaron Hamill.
Throughout his 30-game career, Ben Long has always been known for three things: aggression, speed and hardness; traits which ultimately led to his pre-season move down back.
Long was tried across half-back during his limited outings in the VFL last season, as well as in the Saints’ final game of the year against Sydney.
While a spot in St Kilda’s back-six for 2020 is looking incredibly competitive – and has seen Brett Ratten entertain new roles for players such as Josh Battle – Hamill believes Long is showing promising signs to potentially slot in.
“Longy’s still learning, but we like what he’s showing,” Hamill told saints.com.au.
“His decision-making and ball-use has been really strong, his ability to embrace team defence is good and he’s starting to get that concept, and he’s an excellent contest player.”

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“Ben’s a small forward himself, so the quicker he can learn and adjust and read patterns, he’ll begin to get a leg-up against his opposition.”
Long has been playing opposite small forwards Jack Lonie and Dan Butler, and has employed his own forward craft to anticipate his opponents’ antics.
The 22-year-old cuts a sharp figure on the training track, with his dash out of the defensive 50 a potential hallmark of the side.
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In particular, the fledgling defender has excelled in defensive one-on-one contests, neutralising his opponents and winning the footy both in the air and at ground-level.
“He’s keen to learn and he’s absorbing everything that’s thrown at him,” Hamill said.
LIGHT RYDER: Trimmed-down Saint looks to wind back the clock
“His speed and release are excellent, and because he’s an aggressive player, when he goes, he can be a real game-breaking defender.
“Longy’s still learning the tricks of the trade and I’m not suggesting he’s at that level, but he’s showing some really good signs.
“So far so good, but we’re only a week or so away from finding out how good he’s really going.”
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Long hasn’t been the only defender to impress on the park in the lead-up to Season 2020.
 
St Kilda’s first full match simulation at RSEA Park has given indication of what could transpire in Season 2020.
A revamped Ben Long was electric across half-back, with the firebrand speedster finding plenty of space and evading opponents with ease.
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After a quieter first week in the Marsh Series, Long ended the win Vs Collingwood with 24 touches at 88%. 17 Pressure acts, 6 CPs, and 9 intercepts (2nd to only Howard).

Showing good signs he's a natural fit in the backline. Looking forward to seeing what he can produce in the real stuff.
 
Ben Long - Round 2 vs Bulldogs
Relatively quiet game for Ben; 9 Disposals @ 88%, 4 Marks, 2 Tackles, 2 Score involvements.
Regardless of stats he still prowled the backline, applying pressure and laying a standout crunching tackle after the game was already decided.

 
Wow hasnt he stepped up this season . He has gone from a bit player to a fully established player this season . I think the move to the back line has allowed him to show his true ability . Good on him , he is now one of my favourite players , those tackles he does are huge and fun for us to watch . Also took a specky against the Blues.
 
Ben Long - Rd 5 vs Carlton
12 disposals, 3 marks, 6 intercepts

2 huge marks - one Mark of the Year contender with Coffield's help, and the other a brave grab back with the flight.

Huge Mark:
Back with the flight:

This week's crunch:
 

Ducky Tie

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 15, 2011
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Ben Long - Rd 5 vs Carlton
12 disposals, 3 marks, 6 intercepts

2 huge marks - one Mark of the Year contender with Coffield's help, and the other a brave grab back with the flight.

Huge Mark:
Back with the flight:

This week's crunch:

Jeez he goes hard at it. The purchase he gets on that punch in the bottom video is so impressive. Doesn’t just impact the contest, he absolute nails the ball and sends it 20-30 metres easily.
 
Ben Long will miss the next three weeks after being suspended for his bump on Fremantle’s Sean Darcy.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to his rough conduct charge and agreed to a three-week penalty – via his representative Jack Rush, QC – with the AFL's legal counsel Jeff Gleeson prior to Tuesday night's hearing.

The Tribunal upheld those recommendations after a brief deliberation.

Long's incident was assessed as Careless Conduct, Severe Impact and High Contact, with the young defender referred directly to the Tribunal.

Fremantle's medical report stated Darcy sustained a concussion from the incident and has mild neck pain. It is unclear when he will return to training and playing.

Match Review Officer Michael Christian originally classified Long's bump as careless conduct, severe impact and high conduct, with the minimum ban for that set of classifications sitting at three matches.
 
Neglected the thread a bit after his suspension... took a few weeks to get going again but Long has just given us one of his best against the Hawks.

Equal career high 18 disposals @ 78%, leader on the ground for intercepts. Was involved and his composure, decision making and composure got us out of trouble a number of times.

Well done Ben

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Ben played well again against GWS in the first game of the season . He is on a roll as he has played one home and away game without being reported. He certainly looks more comfortable playing back than up forward .
 
Ben was the medical sub for the seniors against The Cats and played the second half and then played for Sandy the next day .
“Longy was good, especially after playing a quarter and a half of footy the night before,.

“The main thing was his attitude was outstanding, especially after probably not getting a huge amount of sleep the night before.

“He played five and a half quarters in about 13 or so hours, so he went really well.”
 
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