1. Melbourne

Wing Duo: Ed Langdon and James Jordon

It was only ever going to be one team at the top spot with Ed Langdon being the premier wingman of the competition.

In previous seasons, it was Angus Brayshaw and Langdon who would dominate the wide areas and play their role to perfection, which was crucial to their drought-breaking premiership win last season.

However, Brayshaw has found himself slotting into the backline at the Dees, leaving emerging gun James Jordon to take his position on the wing - and what a job he has done in 2022.

After making his debut last year, Jordon is averaging 21 disposals and three marks in his second season, with his pressure and hard-running making him an important player in the Melbourne 22. The 21-year-old looks set for big midfield minutes for the reigning premiers and will take his game to a new level.

Langdon has started 2022 in typical Ed Langdon fashion, averaging 24.8 disposals and 4.8 marks a game as well as spending 100% time on the ground in the opening three rounds.

Langdon's endurance and ability to always be an option for transitional football is the reason he is the best in the competition.

Not only individually, but Melbourne's usage of their wings sets them apart from any other team in the competition and is a big reason for their premiership success last season.

Awesome article. We're going to hear the phrase 'holding the width' a lot now and each team will need competent runners in this area. I think a few on that list do have other rotations going through but it's good to see. 

Maybe this year the All Australian selectors will recognise that the wing is a real position and not somewhere to add an extra midfielder. Too many good wingmen in recent years have missed out on selection due to the AA selectors thinking they're competing with Mark Robinson's Top 50 (or, in their case Top 22) rather than actually selecting a team. 

The recruitment of Ed Langdon has, in my opinion, been the most significant adjustment in our game plan that has brought us a flag and continued success in 2022.

His up and down running has forced the whole team to adopt a "wave" pattern attack on the game like a reciprocating piston. The whole team moves up and then back as required to ensure solid coverage in all parts of the ground.

Superior fitness and outstanding discipline are the keys.

GO GOODY GO DEES

10 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Maybe this year the All Australian selectors will recognise that the wing is a real position and not somewhere to add an extra midfielder. Too many good wingmen in recent years have missed out on selection due to the AA selectors thinking they're competing with Mark Robinson's Top 50 (or, in their case Top 22) rather than actually selecting a team. 

Current All Australian selection is a joke. I have always said their should be two all Australian best 22 teams. That way appropriate match ups and outstanding role players can be recognised. Works like this, Team 1 selects a player say full back. Team 2 selects his opponent. Next position selections are reversed and so on until two power house teams are formed.
Its great to see Langdon getting well deserved recognition now. He was doing this all last season. 

Edited April 20, 20222 yr by John Crow Batty

I can't wait to see both Lachie Neale and Patrick Dangerfield named as this year's All Australian wingman.

 

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I can't wait to see both Lachie Neale and Patrick Dangerfield named as this year's All Australian wingman.

 

You just know it's going to happen.

Ed Langdon has changed the way this side plays. 
he wasn’t this good at Freo, was he?

I only saw him play a few times in Perth and he didn’t jump out

But he has given the MFC a completely different game plan that other sides just cannot match

Mr Ed is a Legend 

20 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Ed Langdon has changed the way this side plays. 
He wasn’t this good at Freo, was he?

 

Probably because the coaching didn't/couldn't understand his strengths. Goody and the coaching team did.

Perhaps also Goody sought him out for this role even through he wasn't playing this way at Freo. Speaks of good intuition, planning and development.

When Salem returns won't Brayshaw go back to the wing?

46 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Ed Langdon has changed the way this side plays. 
he wasn’t this good at Freo, was he?

I only saw him play a few times in Perth and he didn’t jump out

But he has given the MFC a completely different game plan that other sides just cannot match

Mr Ed is a Legend 

 

23 minutes ago, tiers said:

Probably because the coaching didn't/couldn't understand his strengths. Goody and the coaching team did.

Perhaps also Goody sought him out for this role even through he wasn't playing this way at Freo. Speaks of good intuition, planning and development.

He was a good but developing player at Freo, Langdon was playing like this by the way,  just not the full product we now see.

...we identified him and worked for a few years to get him.

We've now got him in his prime and he's been a great get.

Our list management and recruiting team have done a great job.

We got the good one...

2 hours ago, tiers said:

The recruitment of Ed Langdon has, in my opinion, been the most significant adjustment in our game plan that has brought us a flag and continued success in 2022.

His up and down running has forced the whole team to adopt a "wave" pattern attack on the game like a reciprocating piston. The whole team moves up and then back as required to ensure solid coverage in all parts of the ground.

Superior fitness and outstanding discipline are the keys.

GO GOODY GO DEES

Langdon is one of our most important players. While I think Bowey could be used at a pinch in the open side wing role if Langdon gets injured, in reality Langdon is nearly irreplaceable.

I would argue the fact that we have only really been able to recruit one true winger of AFL standard has meant we have become more deliberate in our ball movement. Brayshaw and Jordon have done a great job as defensive wingers but our whole system with ball in hand has been created to protect their deficiencies (lack of speed) and maximise the marking ability of Gawn and Jackson.

While another true winger would make us more dynamic, I think the tactic of playing one 'fast' side and one 'slow' side has been revolutionary and not fully understood.

3 hours ago, one_demon said:

When Salem returns won't Brayshaw go back to the wing?

Could Salem play on the wing?

Edited April 21, 20222 yr by leave it to deever

5 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Ed Langdon has changed the way this side plays. 
he wasn’t this good at Freo, was he?

I only saw him play a few times in Perth and he didn’t jump out

But he has given the MFC a completely different game plan that other sides just cannot match

Mr Ed is a Legend 

Good point SWYL !

I remember thinking when we recruited him , "yeah handy player" as I had seen a little of him when I watched bits and pieces of Freo games.

However, I had no Idea the guy was a marathon runner. That he can feature in the play at both ends of the ground almost within moments is an outstanding attribute.

He and May were simply genius selections!

3 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Good point SWYL !

I remember thinking when we recruited him , "yeah handy player" as I had seen a little of him when I watched bits and pieces of Freo games.

However, I had no Idea the guy was a marathon runner. That he can feature in the play at both ends of the ground almost within moments is an outstanding attribute.

He and May were simply genius selections!

And haven't we traded in some rolled, gold beauties in the last few years?

May, Langdon, Lever, Ben Brown

Before that Hibberd, Milkshake and Lewis

Arguably the only one I can remember that didn't work out for us over that time was KK and perhaps Preuss

Remember the days of James Sellar, Tom Gillies, Chris Dawes, Shannon Byrnes, Mitch Clark and David Rodan? Some were good players at their peak, sadly not for us

21 hours ago, Fat Tony said:

Langdon is one of our most important players. While I think Bowey could be used at a pinch in the open side wing role if Langdon gets injured, in reality Langdon is nearly irreplaceable.

I would argue the fact that we have only really been able to recruit one true winger of AFL standard has meant we have become more deliberate in our ball movement. Brayshaw and Jordon have done a great job as defensive wingers but our whole system with ball in hand has been created to protect their deficiencies (lack of speed) and maximise the marking ability of Gawn and Jackson.

While another true winger would make us more dynamic, I think the tactic of playing one 'fast' side and one 'slow' side has been revolutionary and not fully understood.

I'm not sure about differentiating between Langdon's role and the "defensive wing" role being played by Brayshaw last year and Jordon this year. If we truly differentiated them that way, I would expect our kick outs from the oppositions' behinds to always go to either the "offensive" or the "defensive" wing. In reality, 90% (or more) of the kickouts are to the left, even though Langdon remains on the same side of the ground for the whole game. As such, half the time, the kick outs are to the "offensive" (Langdon) wing and half to the "defensive" (Brayshaw/Jordon) side.     

9 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I'm not sure about differentiating between Langdon's role and the "defensive wing" role being played by Brayshaw last year and Jordon this year. If we truly differentiated them that way, I would expect our kick outs from the oppositions' behinds to always go to either the "offensive" or the "defensive" wing. In reality, 90% (or more) of the kickouts are to the left, even though Langdon remains on the same side of the ground for the whole game. As such, half the time, the kick outs are to the "offensive" (Langdon) wing and half to the "defensive" (Brayshaw/Jordon) side.     

You are right that the kick outs go to the left side. But it seems to me that our fast breaks are generally on Langdon's side. Maybe it is more about the way we defend and our zone entices the opposition to take the Brayshaw wing, so if there is a turnover we can switch to Langdon's side. Maybe it is a misconception and we just get more value from the Langdon fast breaks.

Edited April 22, 20222 yr by Fat Tony

On 4/21/2022 at 11:50 AM, tiers said:

Probably because the coaching didn't/couldn't understand his strengths. Goody and the coaching team did.

Perhaps also Goody sought him out for this role even through he wasn't playing this way at Freo. Speaks of good intuition, planning and development.

Goodwin was speaking with Langdon 2 years before he was out of contract. They put a lot of work into him.

19 hours ago, Stiff Arm said:

And haven't we traded in some rolled, gold beauties in the last few years?

May, Langdon, Lever, Ben Brown

Before that Hibberd, Milkshake and Lewis

Arguably the only one I can remember that didn't work out for us over that time was KK and perhaps Preuss

Remember the days of James Sellar, Tom Gillies, Chris Dawes, Shannon Byrnes, Mitch Clark and David Rodan? Some were good players at their peak, sadly not for us

KK was the steak knives in the May deal. Cost us nothing, was a relatively high draft pick originally but alas his concussion issues could not be solved by us.

2 hours ago, jnrmac said:

Goodwin was speaking with Langdon 2 years before he was out of contract. They put a lot of work into him.

That explains a lot. Goody is/was smarter than we think.

GO GOODY GO DEES

 

On 4/21/2022 at 5:21 AM, rjay said:

 

He was a good but developing player at Freo, Langdon was playing like this by the way,  just not the full product we now see.

...we identified him and worked for a few years to get him.

We've now got him in his prime and he's been a great get.

Our list management and recruiting team have done a great job.

We got the good one...

I felt like he was a bit ANB, his disposal let him down, he only needed to fix small things and for sure our club has brought out his best. He is not Brett Kirk, but is in that mold of marching to a different drum. And Gawn as Captain creates space for all types, I can imagine someone like Ed not loving a Tex as captain. 

Dixon and Adams weren’t bad, either.

I remember us fans were crying out for a genuine winger while we tried putting others in there. In hindsight I suspect the club was quietly confident in getting Langdon when he was out of contract, we just had to wait. 

Langdon has been one of my all time favourite recruits, great value in terms of what we gave up but also that we took someone that was still developing, used and enhanced the assets that he already had, and managed to iron out parts of his game to make him a complete player. 

He should be AA winger, should’ve been last year. Is it me or has his game goe to another level this season?

Also gotta show love for JJ! Stepped into the defensive winger role like he’s been doing it all his life!

A centre line of

FLOWER  WELLS  ALVES would still beat all but one today! A break even would be a fitting result with our unit today

All this chat (see what I did there?) about wings has sent me on a flight of fancy. 

I submit, for your amusement or otherwise, a team of high flyers.

 

B:  Robert Teal     Fred Swift     Laurie Fowler

H/B:   Andrew Swallow     Bill Duckworth     Fred Finch

C:   Gary Crane     Dane Swan     Craig Bird

H/F:   Paul Hawke     Max Crow     Nathan Eagleton

F:   Nakia Cockatoo     Stewy Gull     John Butcher

R:   Stef Martin     Tom Sparrow     Percy Heron

I/C:   Peter Featherby     Haydn Robins     Matthew Larkin     Peter Quill

COACH:  John Wren