Long on playing forward

[B.M]

"Playing as a small forward, I guess it can be a hard position at times, but it's just that mindset of knowing your role and knowing that when you go, go with intensity." -Ben Long

I think we need to understand the expectations of players in different roles

We declare small forwards/HF duds because of lack of impact

Reality is, playing forward of the footy when you get very little ball directed your way… and you are NOT allowed to get into the space for the Keys isn’t easy

You can’t run all over the ground picking up possessions, you HAVE to stay in structure and wait for opportunities

N Riewoldt called it starvation corner

What you do need to do is make the most of limited opportunities and get and when the opposition gets it, apply pressure

There will be days when you get a bit of the ball, there will be days where not much comes in you direction. Sometimes as a forward you are limited to how well the midfield is doing.

[skeptic]

Exactly

That’s why Lonie and Kent won’t make it

Kent is not that great at pressure and doesn’t create much opportunities
Lonie has terrible skills… he misses bread and butter opportunities way way too often. No point in being able to create opportunities if you consistently miss from within 30m

Despite the fact that he’s had a down year, Butler is the best of the three and Long has by and large a solid performance as a player that does the pressure stuff and creates even if he doesn’t hit the scoreboard as much as we’d like
Butler, Long and Higgins are a good trio IMO

[ace]

Lonie will be a restricted free agent at the end of ths season.
He can walk to North Melbourne if he likes.
But will North or any other club give him a contract.

[Gershwin]

Gee a bloke named Stephen Milne used to go alright in starvation corner.

[The_Dud]

I think he’s doing well, just needs to start converting his opportunities!

[skeptic]

Gee a bloke named Stephen Milne used to go alright in starvation corner.

Tough comparison because Milne made the most of all of these traits…
Great at finding space
Incredibly good at reading the contest to crumb
A gift for making something out of nothing
More often then not made the most of limited opportunities

One cannot count the number of times the opposition were getting on top and he simply manufactured a miracle out of nowhere

Very good player

[Gershwin]

Gee a bloke named Stephen Milne used to go alright in starvation corner.

Tough comparison because Milne made the most of all of these traits…
Great at finding space
Incredibly good at reading the contest to crumb
A gift for making something out of nothing
More often then not made the most of limited opportunities

One cannot count the number of times the opposition were getting on top and he simply manufactured a miracle out of nowhere

Very good player

And he said he was committed to getting the first goal to get the side off to a good start.

[Otiman]

Gotta kick straight to play forward. Ben has a big preseason coming up in that aspect.

[CURLY]

The biggest issue with Long Kent Lonie is there finishing. As a small forward you want to nail a very high percentage of your chances. You also cannot be one sided as. all three are.

[B.M]

Milne made the most of his opportunities

He probably only averaged as much of the ball as Lonie and Kent, but hit the scoreboard over twice as much. He also played in a far better team.

Fair to say, his defensive pressure was average, but offensively he is one of the best small forwards ever to play the game. Freak goal sense!

[B.M]

Just to back that point up

S.Milne 11.8 disposals 2.1 goals 1.7 tackles
J.Lonie 11.9 disposals 0.9 goals 2.6 tackles
D.Kent 12.3 disposals 0.9 goals 2.2 tackles

Long playing as a forward (not counting 2020 or start of 2021)
10.1 disposals 0.6 goals 2.5 tackles

[happy feet]

Different style of game back in Miley’s time.

[CURLY]

Milne also had Roo Gehrig and the best front and square player in Kosi.

In saying that he didn’t waste it.

[The Fireman]

The Jo is the Go

Long is the Go

[B.M]

Long needs to get to a goal per game.

Need to be a contributor on the scoreboard if your gonna play in the front half.

[The Fireman]

there are some players that after awhile you simply can't persist with them, you can see where they are heading.
Not with Long , he has the X factor, no one knows where he is heading , I don't think he does but I'm damn sure I'd like to find out.

Tough , unpredictable, shows speed ...given time I predict he'll deliver.

[Yorkeys]

1. So how come back pockets don't starve.
&
2. Long has that red mist approach of an angry bull in a China shop. Often just stuffs up good work but worth paying to watch.

[SaintDippa]

Watch the Milne video on this site. Nothing starvation about the way be played. Made his own luck. Arguably the best small forward ever.

[carn_sainter]

Milne had as good a crumbing sense as anyone who has ever played the game. His ability to get the ball off hands at pace was freakish and could never be taught to that level. And then his ability to kick goals is as good as we've seen as well.

Truly a special player. More perfectly made for his position than most guys who win a brownlow are built for the midfield.

[saintsRrising]

Fair to say, his defensive pressure was average, but offensively he is one of the best small forwards ever to play the game. Freak goal sense!

It really is not that relevant to Milne as it was only late in his career that defensive pressure expected from small forwards.

Saying that his defensive pressure was average is like saying Lockett was too physical compared to players today. Whereas for his era it was part of the game.

Players need to be assessed based on how the game was played when they played.

[cwrcyn]

Long is aggressive but lack composure and class. Snatches at the ball, often fumbling it below his knees. He really needs to fix that up, or he won't be of much value in the medium to long term.

[Banger9798]

Long is a makeshift forward pocket.
Plays a role there but doesn't have that goal sense that true small forwards have.
He brings aggression and intensity and is a marking threat.
Could have and should have kicked 2 vs Eagles

[Scollop]

Long is aggressive but lack composure and class. Snatches at the ball, often fumbling it below his knees. He really needs to fix that up, or he won't be of much value in the medium to long term.

You're describing what's happened to him this year. That's not the player that we have and not the player he was last year

Ben was used as the medical sub way too many times earlier in the season and he's lost some confidence. You need continuity

With Sincs performing and with Hill also taking one of the spots on the half back line, Ben has had to change roles

When Butler or Hill or others like Max King were in a form slump the team wasn't about to discard them

Ben is still developing and it's up the player leadership and coaches to get the best out of him

I'm sure Leo and Ryan Byrnes and Bytel and even Max King will have ups and downs as they gain experience. They need encouragement and support without the bs negativity

[older saint]

Big off season coming up. Firstly, i wouldn't be signing any new property leases in the Moorabin area. Definitely one that if someone came along and made an offer involving Long you would have to look at it.
IF he is still there end of trade/delist period then I say he gets given a specific position and it is make or break one year deal( not sure contract position). People here love the physical stuff he brings( perhaps takes us back to the 80's 90's ) but too many free kicks given away in forward 50 eases pressure on opponents, and skill errors such as goal kicking , set shot or 2m out , must be minisied. Fitness to me has something to do with it as errors are made when you fatigue .

Ratten clearly a fan but will be interesting as to me not in best 22.

[Scollop]

As I said, if you're going to focus on a few errors and start summing up a player based on those errors then we would have had to cull King and possibly even Crouch and definitely Brad Hill for his horrendous clangers

Heck, did you see how many times Skunk fumbled and dropped marks and missed his set shots?

Long makes good decisions and is quick in his delivery by hand and foot. He is very well suited to a fast attacking game when we want to get the footy deep inside 50 so that King can contest 1 on 1. Longy is one of the players who we can develop to play like a Richmond back up mid or one of the Doggies support mids. That's how I saw his game prior to Ratts arriving and I think that's how Ratts sees him in the future

His delivery by foot is better than Crouch and Ross and Dunstan