KYLE LANGFORD

ESSENDON v WEST COAST Marvel Stadium, August 5

u It’s not hyperbole to say Kyle Langford played the most important game of his career last Saturday afternoon against West Coast.

Without him, the Bombers would have lost to one of the poorest-performing teams of the past decade and subsequently thrown away their finals chances.

But with his five goals, Essendon proved it can win ugly and has kept its season alive with three games remaining.

It was the second term where the 26-year-old – playing game No. 127 – sprung to life, kicking four of his eventual five goals as Essendon went from two points down at quarter-time to leading by 23 points at the main break.

And as West Coast hit the front in the dying minutes, it was Langford who read the play the best to get out the back and kick the goal that may have just changed Essendon’s season.

All up, he gathered 13 disposals, of which 10 were score involvements, clearly the best ratio on the ground.

He also took seven marks, two contested, to be best-on-ground.

Langford has quietly moved into the top 10 in the Coleman Medal race with 45 goals from 20 games and is the leading medium forward of the competition.

Interestingly, he was deployed as a defender earlier in the season, a role he was familar with for much of his nine-year career.

All-Australian, anyone? At the very least, he’s played his way into the squad of 44.

SEB MOTTRAM

AFL TRIVIA QUESTION #16

Which AFL team has played in the most grand finals?

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