Player Watch Ned Long

[DopeMaster]

From Cal Twomey's piece today at AFL.com.au; an interesting nugget about Ned in there (in bold) i did not know...

"After the second-straight season cut short by COVID in Victoria, scouts were keen on getting as much insight into draft prospects as they could, so player agency Connors Sports Management organised a running session for their draft crop. Clubs could come and watch for a final piece of their recruiting puzzle.

Josh Rachele, Jake Soligo, Connor Macdonald, Darcy Wilmot, Josh Sinn, Tyler Sonsie and Campbell Chesser were among the players there that day.

By then, Nick Daicos knew he was headed to Collingwood as a father-son. But, having not played since July of that year, and nursing an ankle injury through the year, he viewed the running session as a last chance to impress. He didn't – and doesn't – usually miss too many of those.

So he flew around the track in their 2km time trial. As other prospects wilted, the 18-year-old Daicos glided. "It still sticks in my head," said one recruiter there. "We hadn't seen him do anything like it before. Everyone was in awe of his games and class, but his running probably went under the radar until that day.

Daicos finished second in that time trial. Coincidentally, he was beaten by Ned Long, who went on to be rookie-listed by Hawthorn, then delisted and then get a second chance at Collingwood, where he is now a key cog in the Magpies' midfield next to Daicos."

Holy ****. So we have a key position sized Goliath in our midfield who’s a better runner than Nick Daicos? Sky’s the limit for Neddy Boy. Just has moments in games that turn your head

 

[901023]

Holy ****. So we have a key position sized Goliath in our midfield who’s a better runner than Nick Daicos? Sky’s the limit for Neddy Boy. Just has moments in games that turn your head

Interesting that Mitchell let Long go. Would have thought that Mitchell is a good judge of ability, especially given he was one that was never gifted with ability but had to work hard to make his skills a weapon. Ned strikes me as a having as similar driven mindset to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of a serious AFL career. Excited to have him!

 

[901023]

Holy ****. So we have a key position sized Goliath in our midfield who’s a better runner than Nick Daicos? Sky’s the limit for Neddy Boy. Just has moments in games that turn your head

Why do we keep limiting people to the sky?!

 

[Kes1984]

Solid game again from Ned. He’s been consistently good. What an amazing pick up

 

[Jelly Bean]

Interesting that Mitchell let Long go. Would have thought that Mitchell is a good judge of ability, especially given he was one that was never gifted with ability but had to work hard to make his skills a weapon. Ned strikes me as a having as similar driven mindset to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of a serious AFL career. Excited to have him!

What ability was Mitch not gifted with? One of the best clearance brains in his generation, very good skills on both hands and both feet, very good football brain.

 

[Rorzza]

Ned made his direct opponent, who ever it was, look like Forrest Gump and Ned couldn't run with them.... Bailey, Danger, they ran all night taking advantage of Ned.

 

[Bianconeri]

Interesting that Mitchell let Long go. Would have thought that Mitchell is a good judge of ability, especially given he was one that was never gifted with ability but had to work hard to make his skills a weapon. Ned strikes me as a having as similar driven mindset to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of a serious AFL career. Excited to have him!

Mitchell isn’t Hawthorns list manager

 

[jmac70]

Ned made his direct opponent, who ever it was, look like Forrest Gump and Ned couldn't run with them.... Bailey, Danger, they ran all night taking advantage of Ned.

 

[lyfsux]

Mitchell isn’t Hawthorns list manager

He'd definitely have a say on who to keep and not

 

[901023]

What ability was Mitch not gifted with? One of the best clearance brains in his generation, very good skills on both hands and both feet, very good football brain.

His football brain is a given, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't a natural on his opposite hand and foot, and worked extremely hard to hone that skill gap and it became a genuine weapon. Endurance is another which didn't come naturally to Mitchel, unlike it does for Long.

 

[Bianconeri]

He'd definitely have a say on who to keep and not

He’d have a say but it’s also possible his say gets completely ignored at times.

 

[pablo disco bar]

Should put him on dangerfield next time

 

[Jelly Bean]

His football brain is a given, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't a natural on his opposite hand and foot, and worked extremely hard to hone that skill gap and it became a genuine weapon. Endurance is another which didn't come naturally to Mitchel, unlike it does for Long.

So the ability you are saying he didn't have was endurance?

Because everyone who has good skills on both sides of their body has gotten them by working on them.

 

[northcotehead]

Hasn't played a bad game in his 5 starts this season. Can't ask for much more.

 

[Granit1962]

Ned made his direct opponent, who ever it was, look like Forrest Gump and Ned couldn't run with them.... Bailey, Danger, they ran all night taking advantage of Ned.

Are you sure? As far as I can recall, he didn't spend much time if any on either.

 

[sr36]

Interesting that Mitchell let Long go. Would have thought that Mitchell is a good judge of ability, especially given he was one that was never gifted with ability but had to work hard to make his skills a weapon. Ned strikes me as a having as similar driven mindset to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of a serious AFL career. Excited to have him!

Some blokes just improve more than is expected. We rejected him too after he did a preseason with us and took Bytel, Eyre and Sullivan ahead of him.

 

[Jen2310]

Some blokes just improve more than is expected. We rejected him too after he did a preseason with us and took Bytel, Eyre and Sullivan ahead of him.

He wasn't on the official SSP list, given you could only have 2 players per list spot, but in hindsight we could have let bytel go post christmas and put Long on the official training list for SSP. Worked out well in the end anyway.

 

[sr36]

He wasn't on the official SSP list, given you could only have 2 players per list spot, but in hindsight we could have let bytel go post christmas and put Long on the official training list for SSP. Worked out well in the end anyway.

The strange thing with there being an official SSP list is that they don't have to be on it to be signed as an SSP.

 

[Jen2310]

The strange thing with there being an official SSP list is that they don't have to be on it to be signed as an SSP.

yeah, you can sign anyone even those training at other clubs. So why bother having rules around number of players training through SSP.

 

[901023]

So the ability you are saying he didn't have was endurance?

Because everyone who has good skills on both sides of their body has gotten them by working on them.

What are you saying that you haven't already?

 

[domus]

His football brain is a given, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't a natural on his opposite hand and foot, and worked extremely hard to hone that skill gap and it became a genuine weapon. Endurance is another which didn't come naturally to Mitchel, unlike it does for Long.

Mooroolbark boys like Mitchell, most of our local footballers and I are naturally gifted on either side of our bodies.

 

[Bussie]

Mooroolbark boys like Mitchell, most of our local footballers and I are naturally gifted on either side of our bodies.

Good to be able to kick both sides of the body, helps you get out of the house quicker whilst you're carrying a TV

 

[NMBB]

Good to be able to kick both sides of the body, helps you get out of the house quicker whilst you're carrying a TV

Sounds more like Port Adelaide than Mooroolbark

 

[Finnishpie]

What ability was Mitch not gifted with? One of the best clearance brains in his generation, very good skills on both hands and both feet, very good football brain.

Pace?

 

[Bussie]

Sounds more like Port Adelaide than Mooroolbark

I'm not going to say too much, but I do live in Broadmeadows, so those in glass houses...