Ben Long was one of five Gold Coast Suns to be named in the squad of 44 for the annual All-Australian team this week. He and Jamie Elliott were the only two players named who are genuine medium forwards, with all others primarily midfielders who rest forward in the modern style. While Long's role was technically as third key forward for the first half of 2025, mostly due to injury to genuine talls, the recent addition of Jy Farrar to play that role has not slowed his flow of goals to reach 40 before tonight's game, where he should fill his boots against the Dons.
Ben Long was one of five Gold Coast Suns to be named in the squad of 44 for the annual All-Australian team this week. He and Jamie Elliott were the only two players named who are genuine medium forwards, with all others primarily midfielders who rest forward in the modern style. While Long's role was technically as third key forward for the first half of 2025, mostly due to injury to genuine talls, the recent addition of Jy Farrar to play that role has not slowed his flow of goals to reach 40 before tonight's game, where he should fill his boots against the Dons.
Road stretches longer
A second-round selection from the 2016 national draft, Ben Long added 14 goals to the scoreboard in 2019 with career highs in marks and goal output, although he found the ball less readily. He required wrist surgery in the off season and has missed only a little training over the preseason. Following the arrival of Daniel Butler, Long will have increased pressure to perform through both pressure acts and scoreboard impact. Maintaining traditions from a fantasy perspective, small forwards and fantasy scoring rarely mesh.
Long has winding road
Ben Long has some exciting AFL attributes but is yet to show an ability to be a big ball winner. Used at half forward in this year's JLT, Long has not established himself as a player at AFL level. Unless he takes big strides forward in 2019, Long shouldn't appear in any fantasy sides, though he might release better players to midfield if picked on a HFF.
Lure of a deep Long
A couple of two-game blocks was all Ben Long got in the seniors in his first listed season, in a role too deep forward to register many statistics. He rarely posted a startable score in the VFL either. Long's role and age combine to make him unpickable in draft leagues for 2018, as while he may play more than four games at the higher level his scoring is unlikely to jump 40 points in the off season.
