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Long seems to get the kid gloves treatment from the coach down to the Big Footy forum. He has had five successive games (I think it's five) and I have waited to see the qualities he possesses which others seem to see in him. I still don't get it. He is very limited and slow. If he was a bull in close with good quick hands I'd get it but he doesn't get his hands on it much and when he does he is usually under extreme heat due to his lack of speed and invariably handpasses or kicks under pressure.agree with some of Q comments ..have written elsewhere about his performances this year.
Long comments not so much ..
Long broke even (1v1 re his direct opponent) at CB & clearance all game apart from last 18 mins. Long only played 59% of game-time.
For the record, we won CB clearance (12 v 11) but lost stoppage (23 v 31) across the night, with Carlton's +stoppage differential coming in last 18 mins Q4 and also early Q1.
In that last Q dominance, Cripps beat all of Long, Crisp and Pendles at CB and stoppage.
Long conceded 2 free kicks against Cripps in Q4, both for holding. One from CB and one from the wing, both v.harsh IMV, since both players were grabbing/ scragging & jostling for position.
With the 2nd one, Cripps in fact initiates, grabs Long's jumper & pulls him off balance, yet still winds up with the free.
A few minutes later he does the same to Crisp who manages to hold his ground ..'play on' called
Umpires umpire differently for name players in the comp vs newbies
Long did ok defensively against the bigger bodied mids of Carlton but offered nothing offensively. Still only 10 games into his career but he does look very limited. Don't have a real handle on his ceiling as yet but he could develop into a role player to absorb some of the heat & physicality at stoppage and help shield Nick (for example) from the obvious buffeting he'll continue to receive.
Swans' mids a different proposition this week. I'd stick with Long to play a similar role but wouldn't (for example) let Lipinski anywhere near CB. All of Pendles, Long & Lipinski at CB would make us ponderous.
When he goes forward, I feel like we are a player down. He cannot apply pressure on the speedy defenders as they take off and he hasn't crumbed anything or taken a contested mark. I understand we have injuries in the midfield department but I'm sure Reef would be a little bemused by the extended run of Long given the small returns each week.