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Con Gorozidis wrote:Well we can't say 'we were surprised he was still there' at 23.
Could have got him at 36.
But anyway. I'll back the recruiters. The kid is ready to go round 1.
Dogs were taking him with their next pick.
If that was the case then the pick is good enough for me.
Dogs have an excellent recent track record as we know.
Holder of unacceptable views and other thought crimes.
Con Gorozidis wrote:Well we can't say 'we were surprised he was still there' at 23.
Could have got him at 36.
But anyway. I'll back the recruiters. The kid is ready to go round 1.
Dogs were taking him with their next pick.
Is that a Brad Howard reference?
Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year for 2023 "Kosi Lives"
if you believe the media we have paid overs for Long, unders for Battle and Phillips was a plucked from nowhere last pick selection.
The rest of Australia can wander mask-free, socialise, eat out, no curfews, no zoning, no police rings of steel, no illogical inconsistent rules.
They can even WATCH LIVE FOOTY!
skeptic wrote:A medium-sized defender who has the versatility to play on tall or small forwards, Long also has the speed to roll through the midfield. Averaged 20 possessions and four inside 50s in two games at the division two NAB AFL Under-18 Championships for the NT before earning selection for the Allies. Long - a nephew of Essendon great Michael - boarded at Melbourne Grammar and played for Footscray in the VFL.
At 183 cm those tall forwards had better be pretty short.
Reason he played in the VFL last year - he did not get drafted or even rookied last year.
That scares me.
The more you know, the more you know you don't know.
When I was a young child, I knew that I knew so much about so much.
Now that I am old and know so much more, I know that I know so much about so little, and so little about so much.
Enrico_Misso wrote:if you believe the media we have paid overs for Long, unders for Battle and Phillips was a plucked from nowhere last pick selection.
My suspicion is we wanted him before the Dogs could take him at pick 28 but one phantom draft had the Dogs considering him for pick 49.
The more you know, the more you know you don't know.
When I was a young child, I knew that I knew so much about so much.
Now that I am old and know so much more, I know that I know so much about so little, and so little about so much.
skeptic wrote:A medium-sized defender who has the versatility to play on tall or small forwards, Long also has the speed to roll through the midfield. Averaged 20 possessions and four inside 50s in two games at the division two NAB AFL Under-18 Championships for the NT before earning selection for the Allies. Long - a nephew of Essendon great Michael - boarded at Melbourne Grammar and played for Footscray in the VFL.
At 183 cm those tall forwards had better be pretty short.
Reason he played in the VFL last year - he did not get drafted or even rookied last year.
That scares me.
he also grew around 8 cm in that year, apparently.... and just improved throuighout this season, and played well at VFL finals level
From not drafted to playing well in VFL finals is a big step in one year... if his improvement curve continues.. it could end well
Another way to look at it.. if he had have been drafted last year, and played VFL level in 2016, and ended up kicking 5 goals in a quarter of football in a vfl preliminary final and a couple of goals in the grand final.. then we would be pretty excited about his progress
I think Ben Long is an excellent selection. I will concede we have a number of running backs and plenty of small forwards, so it's legitimate to ask where does he fit.
Some players bring an 'X Factor' and I am confident we have just snared one. We are all familiar with the exquisite talents of his cousin, Cyril Rioli. On raw stats Cyril is barely average, but it's the impact he provides that makes him so amazing. Combine this with another close relative - his uncle being the Essendon great, Michael - one of the most elusive and creative players to play AFL. Ben carries similar traits to both, although he has that easy movement of Michael, being able to run unexpected lines and be at the fall of the ball.
I expect Ben willl play forward, with the option to run as an outside mid, or attacking half back.
He is a player to be genuinely excited about, a swooper, an opportunist and an apprentice magican.
Rocket wrote:It also looks like he can sit on a Cyril or Eddie Betts type. Which other than Geary, we don't have.
I think you'r right and we could get exposed by a small forward if Gears was not available. Apart from that think this and all the selections were pretty speculative and we may have had other plans that didn't crystallize. I guess we are planning on the two first round next year to get genuine star power prospects. Wish all our draftees this year the best of luck for a stellar career.
Con Gorozidis wrote:Well we can't say 'we were surprised he was still there' at 23.
Could have got him at 36.
But anyway. I'll back the recruiters. The kid is ready to go round 1.
how do u know?
Played in a VFL Grand final in his last game.
Fair indication he is ready for senior footy.
He wasnt playing Colts or U 18s.
I think it is a reasonable inference for me to make wouldnt you think? Yes? No?
Absolutely
But then I was a Clint Jones fan and he ripped up the vfl in his twilight years
DownAtTheJunction wrote: Ben carries similar traits to both, although he has that easy movement of Michael, being able to run unexpected lines and be at the fall of the ball.
I expect Ben willl play forward, with the option to run as an outside mid, or attacking half back.
He is a player to be genuinely excited about, a swooper, an opportunist and an apprentice magican.
Very nicely put, DATJ
I can see what you're saying, even just in the highlights reel.
It will be fun to see it unfold in real life.
DownAtTheJunction wrote:
I expect Ben willl play forward, with the option to run as an outside mid, or attacking half back.
He is a player to be genuinely excited about, a swooper, an opportunist and an apprentice magican.
also played well as a more lock down small defender, aparently
So could also be a long term Geahry replacement if things go that way...
