Player Watch Ned Long

[Silver Tongue]

I'll remind you of Ben Johnson, whose teammates had to learn to mark helicopters.

The helicopter kicks became very effective over time.

Ned has very likely been instructed to move the ball forward quickly. It will take him time to find that extra fraction of a second.

I agree. The first key indicator about footy is the ability to to get the footy! Long has proven he can do that. The rest will look after itself as 6.4 mids do not grow on trees.

 

[Capital Magpie]

Long's KE is 52.8% based on 55% TOG in 2025 (Champion Data). Which is poor, and it gets worse the longer Long is in the game. When Long plays regular mid field time, not as the Sub, Long's KE drops further to 48% which is as bad as it gets! 48% of the time Ned kicks it too a contest, according to Champion Data!

IMO, for the sake of Long's long-term fate, he'll need to get better! For example, career stats, Tom Mitchell kick's at 62% KE, Jordy 59%, Nick 65%, Pendles 66% and SideBottom 64%.

From memory Watson's son, Jobe, got a lot of stick because he was a 'one trick pony' when he entered the game. Jobe was big and strong at the contest, didn't kick a lot. Remarkably, IMO, Jobe was a very good field kick when he retired.

Ps, I'm not saying Ned is at Jobe's talent level, not even close, I'm saying it's possible to improve.

Pss, Crisp's 2025 KE is 52.7%, his career average is 62%.

Long is also top five at the club for total turn overs in 2025, with restricted 55% TOG, two games as sub, 26% or less TOG. Long can't afford to turn it over against Brisbane.

So, It a nut shell, Ned is a shite kick who turns the ball over a lot!

I still hope he has a good game this weekend!

KE (Champion Data)
View attachment 2284500

Interesting statistical analysis there. What was Long's DE for the Swans match I wonder? As I watched the game it seemed very much like Ned hit a target 75% + of the time. Granted, he used handball quite a lot, but I thought that was effective and creative. I thought Ned had a real eye-opener of a match overall - his kicking may look sus, but last Friday he looked very comfortable in elite company.

 

[stormskye]

Long's KE is 52.8% based on 55% TOG in 2025 (Champion Data). Which is poor, and it gets worse the longer Long is in the game. When Long plays regular mid field time, not as the Sub, Long's KE drops further to 48% which is as bad as it gets! 48% of the time Ned kicks it too a contest, according to Champion Data!

IMO, for the sake of Long's long-term fate, he'll need to get better! For example, career stats, Tom Mitchell kick's at 62% KE, Jordy 59%, Nick 65%, Pendles 66% and SideBottom 64%.

From memory Watson's son, Jobe, got a lot of stick because he was a 'one trick pony' when he entered the game. Jobe was big and strong at the contest, didn't kick a lot. Remarkably, IMO, Jobe was a very good field kick when he retired.

Ps, I'm not saying Ned is at Jobe's talent level, not even close, I'm saying it's possible to improve.

Pss, Crisp's 2025 KE is 52.7%, his career average is 62%.

Long is also top five at the club for total turn overs in 2025, with restricted 55% TOG, two games as sub, 26% or less TOG. Long can't afford to turn it over against Brisbane.

So, It a nut shell, Ned is a shite kick who turns the ball over a lot!

I still hope he has a good game this weekend!

KE (Champion Data)
View attachment 2284500

He’s also a kid who’s played less than 20
Games. He has flaws which he’s working on. If he was an elite kick, he wouldn’t be on our list as an MSD acquisition.

He will never be an elite kick. But adjusting to the tempo and improving his decision making will help.

 

[jathanas]

I agree. The first key indicator about footy is the ability to to get the footy! Long has proven he can do that. The rest will look after itself as 6.4 mids do not grow on trees.

Stats are significant but won't give one the complete picture.

At this early stage of his career Ned has been able to fill an important gap in the Pies' midfield. The rest will come with time.

The table below provides info about Cripps. Kicking efficiency in his early years wasn't outstanding (far right column).

 

[Granit1962]

I'll remind you of Ben Johnson, whose teammates had to learn to mark helicopters.

The helicopter kicks became very effective over time.

Ned has very likely been instructed to move the ball forward quickly. It will take him time to find that extra fraction of a second.

He is a hard worker, so likely many aspects of his game will continue to improve

 

[Bianconeri]

I got two possible solutions.
1. More handballs
2. More game time so he can get use to the intensity of AFL footy.

I think he looks to handball too much that when he’s forced to kick it he’s not confident. He’s always looking to give back to a Daicos or a Sidebottom which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we should aim to get the ball to our better users but it if those options get covered and he’s forced to kick he’s usually rushed. I think he just needs to back himself a little more and take the time to steady a kick rather than always look for the handball option.

 

[BillyElliott]

I think he looks to handball too much that when he’s forced to kick it he’s not confident. He’s always looking to give back to a Daicos or a Sidebottom which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as we should aim to get the ball to our better users but it if those options get covered and he’s forced to kick he’s usually rushed. I think he just needs to back himself a little more and take the time to steady a kick rather than always look for the handball option.

We're a high handballing team. Highest in the league, I believe. Perhaps it's what he's been told to do?

 

[sr36]

Long's KE is 52.8% based on 55% TOG in 2025 (Champion Data). Which is poor, and it gets worse the longer Long is in the game. When Long plays regular mid field time, not as the Sub, Long's KE drops further to 48% which is as bad as it gets! 48% of the time Ned kicks it too a contest, according to Champion Data!

IMO, for the sake of Long's long-term fate, he'll need to get better! For example, career stats, Tom Mitchell kick's at 62% KE, Jordy 59%, Nick 65%, Pendles 66% and SideBottom 64%.

From memory Watson's son, Jobe, got a lot of stick because he was a 'one trick pony' when he entered the game. Jobe was big and strong at the contest, didn't kick a lot. Remarkably, IMO, Jobe was a very good field kick when he retired.

Ps, I'm not saying Ned is at Jobe's talent level, not even close, I'm saying it's possible to improve.

Pss, Crisp's 2025 KE is 52.7%, his career average is 62%.

Long is also top five at the club for total turn overs in 2025, with restricted 55% TOG, two games as sub, 26% or less TOG. Long can't afford to turn it over against Brisbane.

So, It a nut shell, Ned is a shite kick who turns the ball over a lot!

I still hope he has a good game this weekend!

KE (Champion Data)
View attachment 2284500

Kicking efficiency is the most useless stat in football - particularly for inside mids - and particularly in our game plan. When there's nothing on we take territory and trust the blokes ahead of the ball to provide a contest. If you scrub it forward in a tackle to take territory, it's usually deemed ineffective. If you kick it off the ground it's usually deemed ineffective. He's had 36 kicks for the year - if he had've gotten to the ball less in traffic and done those two things 4 less times for the year, he'd be at your good mark of over 60%. Nick Daicos has gone 58 and 57 since he became an inside mid and he gets more kicks on the outside in time and space where you expect higher efficiency than Ned has had. On the outside, Long has pulled off a couple of beautiful kicks this year and I don't remember howling turnovers.

 

[gouki88]

Kicking efficiency is the most useless stat in football - particularly for inside mids - and particularly in our game plan. When there's nothing on we take territory and trust the blokes ahead of the ball to provide a contest. If you scrub it forward in a tackle to take territory, it's usually deemed ineffective. If you kick it off the ground it's usually deemed ineffective. He's had 36 kicks for the year - if he had've gotten to the ball less in traffic and done those two things 4 less times for the year, he'd be at your good mark of over 60%.

Some fellow duds with KE% below 60%:

• Jordan Dawson
• Noah Anderson
• Will Day
• Lachie Neale
• Zak Butters
• Jack Macrae
• Tom Green
• Ed Richards
• Tom Liberatore
• Izak Rankine
• Patrick Cripps
• Patrick Dangerfield
• Josh Dunkley

Then we get to the completely useless pile of sub-50% kicks:

• Caleb Serong
• Zach Merrett
• Matthew Kennedy
• Hayden Young
• Bailey Smith
• Jack Steele

 

[manicpie]

Some fellow duds with KE% below 60%:

• Jordan Dawson
• Noah Anderson
• Will Day
• Lachie Neale
• Zak Butters
• Jack Macrae
• Tom Green
• Ed Richards
• Tom Liberatore
• Izak Rankine
• Patrick Cripps
• Patrick Dangerfield
• Josh Dunkley

Then we get to the completely useless pile of sub-50% kicks:

• Caleb Serong
• Zach Merrett
• Matthew Kennedy
• Hayden Young
• Bailey Smith
• Jack Steele

It's not an issue. Ned's clearances and score involvements are much more important. His contested work speaks for itself.

 

[sr36]

Some fellow duds with KE% below 60%:

• Jordan Dawson
• Noah Anderson
• Will Day
• Lachie Neale
• Zak Butters
• Jack Macrae
• Tom Green
• Ed Richards
• Tom Liberatore
• Izak Rankine
• Patrick Cripps
• Patrick Dangerfield
• Josh Dunkley

Then we get to the completely useless pile of sub-50% kicks:

• Caleb Serong
• Zach Merrett
• Matthew Kennedy
• Hayden Young
• Bailey Smith
• Jack Steele

Don't forget Nick Daicos - 57 and 58 over the last two seasons and Steele Sidebottom 58% this year. Substandard kicks.

 

[gouki88]

Don't forget Nick Daicos - 57 and 58 over the last two seasons and Steele Sidebottom 58% this year. Substandard kicks.

Sack em both

 

[NMBB]

It's not an issue. Ned's clearances and score involvements are much more important. His contested work speaks for itself.

Thank you - keep it simple.

Stats are ok until they're useless - (doesn't take long sometimes)

 

[sr36]

Sack em both

Billy Frampton is going at 90% - I'd get him into the midfield so we've at least got one good kick in there.

 

[Ctracks]

Billy Frampton is going at 90% - I'd get him into the midfield so we've at least got one good kick in there.

Clone him multiple times.

 

[gouki88]

Billy Frampton is going at 90% - I'd get him into the midfield so we've at least got one good kick in there.

Get Harrison Petty on the cheap too, will distribute lasers at 89%

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Clone him multiple times.

Billy and the Cloneasaurus vibes.

 

[Granit1962]

Some fellow duds with KE% below 60%:

• Jordan Dawson
• Noah Anderson
• Will Day
• Lachie Neale
• Zak Butters
• Jack Macrae
• Tom Green
• Ed Richards
• Tom Liberatore
• Izak Rankine
• Patrick Cripps
• Patrick Dangerfield
• Josh Dunkley

Then we get to the completely useless pile of sub-50% kicks:

• Caleb Serong
• Zach Merrett
• Matthew Kennedy
• Hayden Young
• Bailey Smith
• Jack Steele

wow, that is eye opening!

 

[gouki88]

wow, that is eye opening!

I think it really supports the general idea that if you're a first possession midfielder, which most of the best players in the competition are, your kick efficiency will likely be below 60%.

 

[manicpie]

Those rabid Ashcroft brothers haven't got a hope against the Beast Ned. Ned is going to humble them from the first bounce

 

[Granit1962]

I think it really supports the general idea that if you're a first possession midfielder, which most of the best players in the competition are, your kick efficiency will likely be below 60%.

Yep, well done for pointing this out. 60% would be elite +. Long is also a ‘long’ kick, which also helps get it deep into the forward line. As SR pointed out, he hasn’t been to bad on the outside. I was bit underwhelmed when I saw him live in a practice match - but was a very brief sample.

 

[sr36]

I think it really supports the general idea that if you're a first possession midfielder, which most of the best players in the competition are, your kick efficiency will likely be below 60%.

Even if you're more of an outsider whose a gun kick who gets set up to do a lot of kicks inside 50, you're not very high in percentage. Gulden goes below 60%. It's a meaningless stat.

 

[Kirby]

 

[JOELY]

What a difference this guy is making. He is terrific.

 

[pablo disco bar]

Another solid game with awkward disposal