Long Wants Out

[damienc]

According to social media, Ben Long has requested a trade to the Gold Coast Suns.

Not surprised but disappointed.

What are we likely to get as a return?

[1971]

Shame. Perhaps closer to home for him. Sorry no idea on trade value. Direct swap for Ben King.

[Banger9798]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

[Vortex]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

I can't see him getting more than a 3rd rounder. The reality is he's been a fringe player in a bottom 8 side and doesn't look like he has much improvement left in him.

[SinCitySainter]

It comes down to who is interested if it is only GC then we have very little leverage and it will simply be a third rounder this year or next or he walks to the Pre-season draft and we get nothing.
However, if North are also a bit interested then it becomes more interesting as they will have first dibs in the PSD.
The second half of the season was fairly solid from Long and the last game was a ball-tearer.
So I would have said a third rounder in the first half of the season but after his last few games I think you could demand a 2nd round pick.

[longtimesaint]

This appears to be social media speculation - no official word.
We may hear something tonight.

[CURLY]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

I can't see him getting more than a 3rd rounder. The reality is he's been a fringe player in a bottom 8 side and doesn't look like he has much improvement left in him.

Fironi or one of there other on the outer mids should be ok then given they haven't featured un finals ever all of there players should be on the table.

[Vortex]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

I can't see him getting more than a 3rd rounder. The reality is he's been a fringe player in a bottom 8 side and doesn't look like he has much improvement left in him.

Fironi or one of there other on the outer mids should be ok then given they haven't featured un finals ever all of there players should be on the table.

I think we are mainly interested in fringe players who have been on a list between 5 and 7 years.

[Yorkeys]

Interesting that a club on the up is interested in one of our "fringe" players.

A miscalculation by someone?

No offers for Butler?

[Vortex]

Interesting that a club on the up is interested in one of our "fringe" players.

A miscalculation by someone?

No offers for Butler?

What's more interesting is the question of can you see him playing for one of the teams in this years prelims, that's where the action is. Time to let go of the Long dream Yorkeys, 6 years is enough time on a list to prove if you can be a final four type player. Time to change our current list up and see if we can bridge the gap between middle of the ladder and the top four.

[Yorkeys]

Interesting that a club on the up is interested in one of our "fringe" players.

A miscalculation by someone?

No offers for Butler?

What's more interesting is the question of can you see him playing for one of the teams in this years prelims, that's where the action is. Time to let go of the Long dream Yorkeys, 6 years is enough time on a list to prove if you can be a final four type player. Time to change our current list up and see if we can bridge the gap between middle of the ladder and the top four.

You know St Kilda is a bystander don't you. Suns want Ben, Ben wants Suns. It's not Saints doing a list management thing.
And yes I can see Ben in a top 4 side. They have good coaches.

[skeptic]

Disappointed to hear this.

I like Long. He has an issue with his game in terms of getting disposals but he was capable of churning out good performances but to be honest, he’s one of the few on our list that that consistently brought the desired level of intensity and effort.

Personally, I think it’s a quality that’s under appreciated at the club.

More so than that however… he’s another one that has been at the club for x number of years and hasn’t consistently played in a set position.
His best footy has been off half back but he’s been all over the place for years. His best IMO is good enough. Hate to see him go.

[magnifisaint]

He played one really good game and now he wants to move on?
We might as well make a play for B King at the end of next year.

[saintkid]

If true, this is very disappointing. Long has a bit of x-factor and mongrel in him and we can ill afford losing someone like him from our average list.

[BadRossco]

Bigger worry than Long wanting out is that as yet nobody wants in

[D.B.Cooper]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

I can't see him getting more than a 3rd rounder. The reality is he's been a fringe player in a bottom 8 side and doesn't look like he has much improvement left in him.

Fironi or one of there other on the outer mids should be ok then given they haven't featured un finals ever all of there players should be on the table.

Don’t agree, we want players who will improve us not 25 year old midfielders who can’t consistently bridge the gap between VFL & AFL.

Is Fiorini any better than Dunstan, better runner, but that’s about it.

Long and our 2nd rounder for Hollands? Yep they’d baulk at that.

Long and our first & second rounders for GC first & second rounders?

[CURLY]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

I can't see him getting more than a 3rd rounder. The reality is he's been a fringe player in a bottom 8 side and doesn't look like he has much improvement left in him.

Fironi or one of there other on the outer mids should be ok then given they haven't featured un finals ever all of there players should be on the table.

Don’t agree, we want players who will improve us not 25 year old midfielders who can’t consistently bridge the gap between VFL & AFL.

Is Fiorini any better than Dunstan, better runner, but that’s about it.

Long and our 2nd rounder for Hollands? Yep they’d baulk at that.

Long and our first & second rounders for GC first & second rounders?

The point was that the poster suggested Longs value is less as he isn’t in a top 8 club.

Well what does that make GC players worth with that rationale.

Longs value will be as to what GC thinks he will add to their team.

[Rubyjo]

Ben was never give an chance at the saints to cement a spot ..like hind and acres ..walk away ..we know what he can bring but the powers that be don't see it. Good luck to him..he is better off without us. Clark is better off without us . Hill as well . We are a shambles and at the Cross roads ...we are irrelevant .

[mad saint guy]

Ben was never give an chance at the saints to cement a spot ..like hind and acres ..walk away ..we know what he can bring but the powers that be don't see it. Good luck to him..he is better off without us. Clark is better off without us . Hill as well . We are a shambles and at the Cross roads ...we are irrelevant .

Never given a chance? He's played 79 games and about 55 of them have been crap. I'm fine with offloading Long for a pick upgrade. As a forward he doesn't kick goals and as a defender he doesn't get enough of the ball and gives away dumb free kicks. Yes his last game was very good, but 1 out of 79 is not a trend.

[shanegrambeau]

Ben was never give an chance at the saints to cement a spot ..like hind and acres ..walk away ..we know what he can bring but the powers that be don't see it. Good luck to him..he is better off without us. Clark is better off without us . Hill as well . We are a shambles and at the Cross roads ...we are irrelevant .

Never given a chance? He's played 79 games and about 55 of them have been crap. I'm fine with offloading Long for a pick upgrade. As a forward he doesn't kick goals and as a defender he doesn't get enough of the ball and gives away dumb free kicks. Yes his last game was very good, but 1 out of 79 is not a trend.

Don't speak ill of a good bloke who leaves nothing out there and turns up to play everytime.

I am being facetious, but you make a decent point. Ben was very lucky to be picked for many many games this year. He got a run because of unforseen circumstances, and he showed admirable restraint. But he was no match winner, or play maker. In fact, he was not that 'bull-in-a-China shop of the past, the one that made everyone love him.

he did some handy and sometimes lovely things in many of those low possession games.

And he played an absolute blinder - a corker out of the box in the final game of the season.

Everyone loves him 'cos he has a crack - especially when it looked like we were not having a dip. They are remembering the old Ben Long I think.

And Everyone points to poster-poser-pretencer-prince boy Hill as an example of what Long is not. BUt it is ultimately a defeatest mindset.

Whatever it is that allows Ben to play the way he played in that last round, well we just couldn't coax it out of him over many years.

I agree with both of you. But Long played one blinder and two fair games this year as far as I could tell. He wasn't alone and I loved his contribution when he played.

[Scollop]

Ben was never give an chance at the saints to cement a spot ..like hind and acres ..walk away ..we know what he can bring but the powers that be don't see it. Good luck to him..he is better off without us. Clark is better off without us . Hill as well . We are a shambles and at the Cross roads ...we are irrelevant .

Never given a chance? He's played 79 games and about 55 of them have been crap. I'm fine with offloading Long for a pick upgrade. As a forward he doesn't kick goals and as a defender he doesn't get enough of the ball and gives away dumb free kicks. Yes his last game was very good, but 1 out of 79 is not a trend.

maybe your bs stats of 55 crap games might be close to the mark, but I’d say Ben would have had plenty of team mates having crap games at the same time over that period. 80 point losses, 100 point losses and many games where we capitulated or just didn’t turn up

Sicily used to give away dumb free kicks. Does he do it now? Players grow and evolve and mature.

When was the last time Long gave away a dumb free kick? Stop generalising and stop looking back in the rear vision mirror about what happened 18 months ago or what happened with Long under Richo.

Long lost confidence under Richo and regained it when Ratts showed faith in his ability. Ben’s strengths helped the Saints earn a finals spot in 2020. Go and checkout the Eastern Memorial Saintsational voting each round in 2020. Ben earned best on ground several times from various posters. He had a very good year personally in 2020 and also very good when compared to his team mates who played alongside him in the backline

Oh…btw…His last game was brilliant, not just very good. It was a break out game for a young player on the cusp

[Scollop]

Ben was never give an chance at the saints to cement a spot ..like hind and acres ..walk away ..we know what he can bring but the powers that be don't see it. Good luck to him..he is better off without us. Clark is better off without us . Hill as well . We are a shambles and at the Cross roads ...we are irrelevant .

Never given a chance? He's played 79 games and about 55 of them have been crap. I'm fine with offloading Long for a pick upgrade. As a forward he doesn't kick goals and as a defender he doesn't get enough of the ball and gives away dumb free kicks. Yes his last game was very good, but 1 out of 79 is not a trend.

Don't speak ill of a good bloke who leaves nothing out there and turns up to play everytime.

I am being facetious, but you make a decent point. Ben was very lucky to be picked for many many games this year. He got a run because of unforseen circumstances, and he showed admirable restraint. But he was no match winner, or play maker. In fact, he was not that 'bull-in-a-China shop of the past, the one that made everyone love him.

he did some handy and sometimes lovely things in many of those low possession games.

And he played an absolute blinder - a corker out of the box in the final game of the season.

Everyone loves him 'cos he has a crack - especially when it looked like we were not having a dip. They are remembering the old Ben Long I think.

And Everyone points to poster-poser-pretencer-prince boy Hill as an example of what Long is not. BUt it is ultimately a defeatest mindset.

Whatever it is that allows Ben to play the way he played in that last round, well we just couldn't coax it out of him over many years.

I agree with both of you. But Long played one blinder and two fair games this year as far as I could tell. He wasn't alone and I loved his contribution when he played.

I find a lot of your football related opinions to be weak.

Every one is equally allowed to voice their opinion, but when you insinuate someone wasn’t worthy of being picked in the seniors, I just have to call it out. You are wrong

When premiership points are on the line and when you have an eye on the future as well, do you play your senior or experienced players or do you go with development? Should form in an intra club match in 2022 be used as a guide more than form in the last few rounds of 2021?

I know there are others that will agree with you…and even our team selection for Round 1 in 2022 probably justifies your thoughts (Long was left out of the team early in the year and was medi sub several times before he was picked in the seniors) BUT I believe that they fkd up. They made the wrong call

Selection in the team can sometimes be a close call. How should coaches rate 1 player versus another? How do you rate players in the pre season? How do you pick your team for the first real game of the year which is Round 1?

Go back and look at the threads from preseason and from the intraclub game and please tell me how Ben Long wasn’t picked in round 1.

[Brunswicksainter]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

I can't see him getting more than a 3rd rounder. The reality is he's been a fringe player in a bottom 8 side and doesn't look like he has much improvement left in him.

Fironi or one of there other on the outer mids should be ok then given they haven't featured un finals ever all of there players should be on the table.

Don’t agree, we want players who will improve us not 25 year old midfielders who can’t consistently bridge the gap between VFL & AFL.

Is Fiorini any better than Dunstan, better runner, but that’s about it.

Long and our 2nd rounder for Hollands? Yep they’d baulk at that.

Long and our first & second rounders for GC first & second rounders?

If we could get hollands that would be the biggest coup of the trade period. Best young player in the AFL, was the comfortably the suns best play in their 2’s this year and was kept back due to his developing body and when he came in to the afl side his was excellent and flew way under the rader. Should be an absolute lock for Rising star if Eligible next year… has the makings of a very special player.

[mad saint guy]

Long lost confidence under Richo and regained it when Ratts showed faith in his ability. Ben’s strengths helped the Saints earn a finals spot in 2020. Go and checkout the Eastern Memorial Saintsational voting each round in 2020. Ben earned best on ground several times from various posters. He had a very good year personally in 2020 and also very good when compared to his team mates who played alongside him in the backline

He polled in one game in 2020. 4 votes in round 16. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=100622&hilit=eastern+memorial

Just like how he polled in one game in 2022. In 2021 he polled in 0 games. So over 49 games and 3 seasons he was deemed to be in our top 5 players twice.

[groupie1]

GC have pick 7 & 25 currently

They will get alot for Rankine when he goes, maybe a first and second?

I think we should demand their lowest 2nd rounder as a minimum.

If Clark is going too, and hopefully he isn't, we'd probably do better to trade him to GC than North and get one of their FRDPs and an early second rounder for the pair.

Or Long and Clark and future first for Bing and second rounder

Would a 1st pick swap a/ be kosher for GC and b/ get us high enough to nab our Academy prospect?