- Dec 14, 2008
- 19,832
- 32,293
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Michael Long vs David Zaharakis
Tale of the tape;
Michael long stands at 178 cm and played at a weight of 82 kgs
David Zaharakis stands at 182 cm and plays at a weight of 78 kgs
Long is a two time premiership player, one time Norm smith medalist, one time all- Australian who played 190 games averaging around 17 disposals over his career and has scored 143 goals (including the first ever at docklands).
Zaharakis is a one-time club champion; one time ANZAC medalist who has played 133 games averaging close to 20 disposals over his career and has scored 101 goals.
I expect most people to immediately get misty eyed at the mention of Michael Long and give him the victory right away but I think his legend, along with his playing ability has maybe grown along the years. Personally I always believed he was a touch overrated on the field but gee, not many can stand as tall as him when it comes to things he achieved for the game as a whole, these things do need to be factored in. I think he is a great matchup for David Zakarakis, both dashing wingmen of similar size, both big game players, both Essendon through and through. So let’s have it.
Early years;
Long began his football career at St Mary’s in the NT and played his first league game at 16. He played 52 games winning premierships in 1986/87 and 1987/88 as well as club Best & Fairest in 1988/89. In 1988 Despite being signed for VFL club Essendon Long played 22 league games with SANFL club Woodville West Torrens, finishing third in the Magarey Medal as well as winning both the Club Champion award and Best First Year Player award. He moved to Essendon in 1989 and made an instant impact being named AFL Rookie of the Year. Long along with Greg Anderson patrolled the wings for the bombers as they pushed toward a flag in 1990, they provided continued drive but Long was not yet the player he was destined to be, he still lacked that confidence to really take the game on, as the cliché goes.
Zaharakis attended Marcellin collage where he won the Terrence Cleary Memorial Sporting Award for sportsmanship and sporting excellence. He played for the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup named in the under-18 All-Australian team 2008 playing for Vic Metro. Zaharakis was passed up in his bottom age draft year 2007 but worked very hard on his weaknesses to then be drafted by Essendon with pick 23 in the 2008 National Draft alongside two other Knights team mates Michael Hurley and Michael Still. Zaharakis picked up a rising star nomination in his inaugural year and showed great poise beyond his years to kick the winning goal in a pulsating ANZAC day encounter, making himself an instant hero of the club he supported as a boy. In his first year he didn’t look out of place showing good foot skills and an ability to run the wings and gather possessions, it looked as if we had found a great young player and future club leader.
Strengths and weaknesses;
Long as a player was a very damaging, dynamic wingman/high half forward who broke lines with his speed and evasiveness. For a guy so slight he was also a very tough player who was never afraid to throw his weight around at the contest or the man, he could hit and hurt via the bump or the tackle. Long was very crafty around goals when he found himself there also, and was great at bringing other into the game with knock ons, creative handballs and his general line breaking. For mine, I think Long had just OK disposal by foot, it lacked penetration and even form but usually by the time he had gained 15+ meters by foot the game had broken open and his kick didn’t really have to be spot on, Long wasn’t really a complier either, he was more of a quality over quantity type of player who got it maybe 15 times a game but usually 15 good things would happen. But it was Longs mindset that has him standing shoulders above most – he was driven, determined and willing to stand up for what he believed in which may have opened some uncomfortable truths but he got the ball rolling to make our game a better game for all. He was (and is) a much loved figure around the club who was always quick with a joke or a laugh – these types of players can never be underestimated when it comes to team morale.
Zaharakis has a polished disposal by hand or foot, on either side of his body. He is an extremely hard worker on his game, and on his fitness which has seen him constantly evolve as his career has progressed. Zaka is an aerobically fit athlete who originally was very outside, was seen streaming up and down the wings racking up disposals and delivering into the forward 50, or kicking the goal himself on the run, he is a very accurate shot for goal on the run. He has also shown himself to be a good leader and clubman although he seems to go into his shell a little when his form was down or he copped a tag. Over his career, he has generally been known as a bit of a one way runner, maybe a bit of a downhill skier type of player which sounds a bit harsh but the shoe probably fit for the bulk of his earlier years, he also plays quite short, rarely winning marking contests or strong body duels. You could say he probably has a softish element to his game but that generally goes with the territory of being an outside leaning player. Zaka also has struggled over the years to deal with the tag when it was his turn to have one. He is also scared of needles but jury is still out whether that’s a strength or weakness…
Career;
Long stepped into AFL scene life like he has been playing it all his life, after winning the rookie of the year award he played a pivotal role in the teams push for a flag in 1990, a season which ended in disappointment. Through the early 90s he was a solid team player without being spectacular, routinely bagging 15 possession’s and a goal but never really tearing the game apart until something happened in 1993, maybe it was the inspiration of the baby bombers run at a flag, maybe it was a personal switch flicked but the baby faced unassuming Long became the bearded destroyer Long late in the year. He picked up his self-belief and started tearing games apart with daring run and incisive foot skills. He played one of the all-time great finals series, almost single handedly getting us over the line in the preliminary final with a couple of blistering runs away from traffic that set the tone for our comeback, then the following week in the grand final he was epic, just toying with the blues, take me on, take me on he says, it may have been touched on the line? No! Moments that have gone into EFC folklore. He won the goal of the year that day, and the norm smith medal to go with his premiership medal, and a star was born. The shooting star was short lived, he did a knee the following pre-season and sat the season out, making a successful comeback in 1995 playing a stellar season Averaging 23 disposals, kicking 27 goals, coming 4th on the Brownlow medal and gaining all Australian status. Long was in the prime of his career but It was also this season post ANZAC day game that he singled out Damien Monkhorst for racial abuse, which set the ball rolling for the codes racial vilification policy moving forward, something for which he should feel eternally proud and made himself a hero to his people, and the wider community (if they didn’t know it yet). He received death threats which must have knocked him about mentally and possibly affected the remainder of his playing career but he stayed true to his beliefs. He again did a knee in early 1996 and only went on to play 38 of a possible 119 games over the next 4 seasons as he struggled to deal with the burden of injury. From here on his career was limited to cameos and bit parts as he aged and dealt with his body issues, The crowd still lit up when he gained possession but I don’t think he was ever the same player. Long won a premiership medal in 2000 as a bit part veteran then the following year pulled out of the grand final midweek after injuring his hamstring at training, this would be his last season as an AFL player, playing 7 games averaging 10 disposals and kicking a solitary goal.
Zaharakis debuted in his first season at the club and didn’t look out of place, he played 10 games averaging 13 disposals and kicked 7 goals, but it was his first goal for the club, deep into time on in an ANZAC day thriller that put him into EFC folklore, he made a hero of himself that day an event that he admitted he struggled to live up to, it must have been a difficult moment to live up to after only having played four games of league football. He played a solid second season of football, playing in 20 games and averaging 16 disposals but he just had the look of a settled player who could produce big things for our club in the future. The third year break out rule rung true for Zaka, he catapulted himself to star status playing 23 games, averaging over 20 possession’s and kicking 31 goals, he was awesome in winning himself the clubs best and fairest award in only his third season, the sky seemed the limit for zaka, he even had future captain written all over him but it was now the opposition tags started to bite on him, he was still averaging over 22 possession’s a game but he was less damaging, only having single figure goal tallies and was beginning to incur slight whipping boy status from corners of the fan base who expected more, and were sensing a bit of a front running player who only ran one way. He still had his big moments however, in 2013 he played a stellar ANZAC day game racking up 34 disposals and kicking 4 goals winning himself the medal for the day. As the supplements saga sent the club into turmoil Zaka also had a terrible season on the field, he was clearly under done, losing his zip and kicking accuracy and penetration but the fact he was out there at all fighting for the cause while injured was lost on parts of the fan base who were even willing to trade. As Zaka did not participate in the program it was expected he would be required to be a real leader for the young side in 2016 – maybe it was this, or the disappointment in his previous season but Zaka paid his own way to the USA to perform solo altitude training. He came back fit as a fiddle and has pretty much tore the league a new one so far this year, averaging over 30 possessions a game. He’s running tirelessly, driving the team tirelessly but crucially he has gained a greater inside game, not only receiving on the outside but winning his own clearances too. He has a real balance to his game right now, a really rounded player. He must be leading the clubs best and fairest and be right in the mix for all Australian thus far. Being a dual B&F winner would surely put him in with conversation of club greats and even the ledger a bit in this here battle we are discussing.
Verdict;
Ok let’s get to a result here, the first thing we need to do is remove all sentiment, when comparing players from bygone eras with current day players it can be difficult, the past players emotional sentiment can cloud judgment as much as a fresh players form can cloud the now. Not to mention the fact we are dealing with a real pillar of our club here, a man whose feats on but more so off the field have changed the nature of the game, a man whose feats have taken him into the AFL hall of fame, the NTAFL hall of fame, the Australia days honours list to name a few, a man who has walked from Melbourne to Canberra on foot to meet the prime minister – he’s no lightweight – pardon the pun. But we are here to talk footballing prowess, and find out who wins the battle between Michael Long and David Zaharakis.
Both these guys are wingmen, different styles of wingmen, one a bombastic, powerful runner who relishes the physical contest but whose skills are just OK, and one who is a smooth mover rather than powerful, who has silky foot skills but generally shy’s away from the physical contest. One who can take the game away from the opposition with four or five plays, one who kills you via a thousand cuts.
Let’s get down to the basics, We probably didn’t see the best of Michael Long, he was probably at his peak for the end of 1993 and the season of 1995 – an All-Australian season, but injury ruined the rest of his career after that, he was still very serviceable but not a super star in my eyes. I think a lot of people buy into the memories of the commentators hyperbole when they see an indigenous player get the ball – look at this boy go!, let’s see some magic! But I don’t always think it was there with Longy, I think he was good player, sometimes great, a mediocre kick but his creativity and decision making made it work.
Zaharakis career has been up and down, an early best and fairest award has been followed by a few season where the opposition probably found him out a little bit, and he may have stagnated slightly, but this year he is having now is every bit as good as the best year Long had, probably better. If this debate was being raged last year, Long wins, no question, but the goal posts have moved now that Zaka had dished this out to us. Of course Longs career is complete, we have seen it all, Zaka is still in his, you’d have to say Longs best of 95 was the last of his great football, and for all we know this may be Zakas version of Longs 95, we don’t know what comes after this. He may well win the B&F this year, albeit in a weakened side but does a dual B&F trump an all Australian, Norm smith medalist, dual premiership player?
Tough call.
We have damaging compiler vs a damaging burst player. We have seen Zaka evolve his game this year to have both an inside and outside game, don’t think Long ever did that, nor was he probably required to.
Long played an all time great finals series, he did well on the big stage, Zaka although has thrived on the ANZAC big stage hasn’t really had the chance at a big finals series.
But there is that nagging doubt he could quite easily be shut out of a game by a negative opponent.
Hard to call this one, but I think losing Longs best to injury and then plotting Zakas course and what he should be able to dish up once the rest of his team mates return just puts him in front for me, it’s tough to lose a battle with 2 premiership medallions, a norm smith and all Australian gongs but I think that’s just what’s happened to Longy here – I love ya mate but I’d probably have Zaka in my side at the minute.
What’s your thought BF brethren? Any big memories of these two?
Tale of the tape;
Michael long stands at 178 cm and played at a weight of 82 kgs
David Zaharakis stands at 182 cm and plays at a weight of 78 kgs
Long is a two time premiership player, one time Norm smith medalist, one time all- Australian who played 190 games averaging around 17 disposals over his career and has scored 143 goals (including the first ever at docklands).
Zaharakis is a one-time club champion; one time ANZAC medalist who has played 133 games averaging close to 20 disposals over his career and has scored 101 goals.
I expect most people to immediately get misty eyed at the mention of Michael Long and give him the victory right away but I think his legend, along with his playing ability has maybe grown along the years. Personally I always believed he was a touch overrated on the field but gee, not many can stand as tall as him when it comes to things he achieved for the game as a whole, these things do need to be factored in. I think he is a great matchup for David Zakarakis, both dashing wingmen of similar size, both big game players, both Essendon through and through. So let’s have it.
Early years;
Long began his football career at St Mary’s in the NT and played his first league game at 16. He played 52 games winning premierships in 1986/87 and 1987/88 as well as club Best & Fairest in 1988/89. In 1988 Despite being signed for VFL club Essendon Long played 22 league games with SANFL club Woodville West Torrens, finishing third in the Magarey Medal as well as winning both the Club Champion award and Best First Year Player award. He moved to Essendon in 1989 and made an instant impact being named AFL Rookie of the Year. Long along with Greg Anderson patrolled the wings for the bombers as they pushed toward a flag in 1990, they provided continued drive but Long was not yet the player he was destined to be, he still lacked that confidence to really take the game on, as the cliché goes.
Zaharakis attended Marcellin collage where he won the Terrence Cleary Memorial Sporting Award for sportsmanship and sporting excellence. He played for the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup named in the under-18 All-Australian team 2008 playing for Vic Metro. Zaharakis was passed up in his bottom age draft year 2007 but worked very hard on his weaknesses to then be drafted by Essendon with pick 23 in the 2008 National Draft alongside two other Knights team mates Michael Hurley and Michael Still. Zaharakis picked up a rising star nomination in his inaugural year and showed great poise beyond his years to kick the winning goal in a pulsating ANZAC day encounter, making himself an instant hero of the club he supported as a boy. In his first year he didn’t look out of place showing good foot skills and an ability to run the wings and gather possessions, it looked as if we had found a great young player and future club leader.
Strengths and weaknesses;
Long as a player was a very damaging, dynamic wingman/high half forward who broke lines with his speed and evasiveness. For a guy so slight he was also a very tough player who was never afraid to throw his weight around at the contest or the man, he could hit and hurt via the bump or the tackle. Long was very crafty around goals when he found himself there also, and was great at bringing other into the game with knock ons, creative handballs and his general line breaking. For mine, I think Long had just OK disposal by foot, it lacked penetration and even form but usually by the time he had gained 15+ meters by foot the game had broken open and his kick didn’t really have to be spot on, Long wasn’t really a complier either, he was more of a quality over quantity type of player who got it maybe 15 times a game but usually 15 good things would happen. But it was Longs mindset that has him standing shoulders above most – he was driven, determined and willing to stand up for what he believed in which may have opened some uncomfortable truths but he got the ball rolling to make our game a better game for all. He was (and is) a much loved figure around the club who was always quick with a joke or a laugh – these types of players can never be underestimated when it comes to team morale.
Zaharakis has a polished disposal by hand or foot, on either side of his body. He is an extremely hard worker on his game, and on his fitness which has seen him constantly evolve as his career has progressed. Zaka is an aerobically fit athlete who originally was very outside, was seen streaming up and down the wings racking up disposals and delivering into the forward 50, or kicking the goal himself on the run, he is a very accurate shot for goal on the run. He has also shown himself to be a good leader and clubman although he seems to go into his shell a little when his form was down or he copped a tag. Over his career, he has generally been known as a bit of a one way runner, maybe a bit of a downhill skier type of player which sounds a bit harsh but the shoe probably fit for the bulk of his earlier years, he also plays quite short, rarely winning marking contests or strong body duels. You could say he probably has a softish element to his game but that generally goes with the territory of being an outside leaning player. Zaka also has struggled over the years to deal with the tag when it was his turn to have one. He is also scared of needles but jury is still out whether that’s a strength or weakness…
Career;
Long stepped into AFL scene life like he has been playing it all his life, after winning the rookie of the year award he played a pivotal role in the teams push for a flag in 1990, a season which ended in disappointment. Through the early 90s he was a solid team player without being spectacular, routinely bagging 15 possession’s and a goal but never really tearing the game apart until something happened in 1993, maybe it was the inspiration of the baby bombers run at a flag, maybe it was a personal switch flicked but the baby faced unassuming Long became the bearded destroyer Long late in the year. He picked up his self-belief and started tearing games apart with daring run and incisive foot skills. He played one of the all-time great finals series, almost single handedly getting us over the line in the preliminary final with a couple of blistering runs away from traffic that set the tone for our comeback, then the following week in the grand final he was epic, just toying with the blues, take me on, take me on he says, it may have been touched on the line? No! Moments that have gone into EFC folklore. He won the goal of the year that day, and the norm smith medal to go with his premiership medal, and a star was born. The shooting star was short lived, he did a knee the following pre-season and sat the season out, making a successful comeback in 1995 playing a stellar season Averaging 23 disposals, kicking 27 goals, coming 4th on the Brownlow medal and gaining all Australian status. Long was in the prime of his career but It was also this season post ANZAC day game that he singled out Damien Monkhorst for racial abuse, which set the ball rolling for the codes racial vilification policy moving forward, something for which he should feel eternally proud and made himself a hero to his people, and the wider community (if they didn’t know it yet). He received death threats which must have knocked him about mentally and possibly affected the remainder of his playing career but he stayed true to his beliefs. He again did a knee in early 1996 and only went on to play 38 of a possible 119 games over the next 4 seasons as he struggled to deal with the burden of injury. From here on his career was limited to cameos and bit parts as he aged and dealt with his body issues, The crowd still lit up when he gained possession but I don’t think he was ever the same player. Long won a premiership medal in 2000 as a bit part veteran then the following year pulled out of the grand final midweek after injuring his hamstring at training, this would be his last season as an AFL player, playing 7 games averaging 10 disposals and kicking a solitary goal.
Zaharakis debuted in his first season at the club and didn’t look out of place, he played 10 games averaging 13 disposals and kicked 7 goals, but it was his first goal for the club, deep into time on in an ANZAC day thriller that put him into EFC folklore, he made a hero of himself that day an event that he admitted he struggled to live up to, it must have been a difficult moment to live up to after only having played four games of league football. He played a solid second season of football, playing in 20 games and averaging 16 disposals but he just had the look of a settled player who could produce big things for our club in the future. The third year break out rule rung true for Zaka, he catapulted himself to star status playing 23 games, averaging over 20 possession’s and kicking 31 goals, he was awesome in winning himself the clubs best and fairest award in only his third season, the sky seemed the limit for zaka, he even had future captain written all over him but it was now the opposition tags started to bite on him, he was still averaging over 22 possession’s a game but he was less damaging, only having single figure goal tallies and was beginning to incur slight whipping boy status from corners of the fan base who expected more, and were sensing a bit of a front running player who only ran one way. He still had his big moments however, in 2013 he played a stellar ANZAC day game racking up 34 disposals and kicking 4 goals winning himself the medal for the day. As the supplements saga sent the club into turmoil Zaka also had a terrible season on the field, he was clearly under done, losing his zip and kicking accuracy and penetration but the fact he was out there at all fighting for the cause while injured was lost on parts of the fan base who were even willing to trade. As Zaka did not participate in the program it was expected he would be required to be a real leader for the young side in 2016 – maybe it was this, or the disappointment in his previous season but Zaka paid his own way to the USA to perform solo altitude training. He came back fit as a fiddle and has pretty much tore the league a new one so far this year, averaging over 30 possessions a game. He’s running tirelessly, driving the team tirelessly but crucially he has gained a greater inside game, not only receiving on the outside but winning his own clearances too. He has a real balance to his game right now, a really rounded player. He must be leading the clubs best and fairest and be right in the mix for all Australian thus far. Being a dual B&F winner would surely put him in with conversation of club greats and even the ledger a bit in this here battle we are discussing.
Verdict;
Ok let’s get to a result here, the first thing we need to do is remove all sentiment, when comparing players from bygone eras with current day players it can be difficult, the past players emotional sentiment can cloud judgment as much as a fresh players form can cloud the now. Not to mention the fact we are dealing with a real pillar of our club here, a man whose feats on but more so off the field have changed the nature of the game, a man whose feats have taken him into the AFL hall of fame, the NTAFL hall of fame, the Australia days honours list to name a few, a man who has walked from Melbourne to Canberra on foot to meet the prime minister – he’s no lightweight – pardon the pun. But we are here to talk footballing prowess, and find out who wins the battle between Michael Long and David Zaharakis.
Both these guys are wingmen, different styles of wingmen, one a bombastic, powerful runner who relishes the physical contest but whose skills are just OK, and one who is a smooth mover rather than powerful, who has silky foot skills but generally shy’s away from the physical contest. One who can take the game away from the opposition with four or five plays, one who kills you via a thousand cuts.
Let’s get down to the basics, We probably didn’t see the best of Michael Long, he was probably at his peak for the end of 1993 and the season of 1995 – an All-Australian season, but injury ruined the rest of his career after that, he was still very serviceable but not a super star in my eyes. I think a lot of people buy into the memories of the commentators hyperbole when they see an indigenous player get the ball – look at this boy go!, let’s see some magic! But I don’t always think it was there with Longy, I think he was good player, sometimes great, a mediocre kick but his creativity and decision making made it work.
Zaharakis career has been up and down, an early best and fairest award has been followed by a few season where the opposition probably found him out a little bit, and he may have stagnated slightly, but this year he is having now is every bit as good as the best year Long had, probably better. If this debate was being raged last year, Long wins, no question, but the goal posts have moved now that Zaka had dished this out to us. Of course Longs career is complete, we have seen it all, Zaka is still in his, you’d have to say Longs best of 95 was the last of his great football, and for all we know this may be Zakas version of Longs 95, we don’t know what comes after this. He may well win the B&F this year, albeit in a weakened side but does a dual B&F trump an all Australian, Norm smith medalist, dual premiership player?
Tough call.
We have damaging compiler vs a damaging burst player. We have seen Zaka evolve his game this year to have both an inside and outside game, don’t think Long ever did that, nor was he probably required to.
Long played an all time great finals series, he did well on the big stage, Zaka although has thrived on the ANZAC big stage hasn’t really had the chance at a big finals series.
But there is that nagging doubt he could quite easily be shut out of a game by a negative opponent.
Hard to call this one, but I think losing Longs best to injury and then plotting Zakas course and what he should be able to dish up once the rest of his team mates return just puts him in front for me, it’s tough to lose a battle with 2 premiership medallions, a norm smith and all Australian gongs but I think that’s just what’s happened to Longy here – I love ya mate but I’d probably have Zaka in my side at the minute.
What’s your thought BF brethren? Any big memories of these two?
