Kyle Langford (footballer)

Kyle Langford
Langford in August 2018
Personal information
Full name Kyle Langford
Date of birth (1996-12-01) 1 December 1996 (age 27)
Original team(s) Northern Knights (TAC Cup)/Macleod
Draft No. 17, 2014 national draft
Height 192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 88 kg (194 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder / Forward
Club information
Current club Essendon
Number 4
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015– Essendon 153 (171)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Kyle Langford (born 1 December 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

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Langford attended Ivanhoe Grammar School, and represented both the Northern Knights and Vic Metro in the TAC Cup and AFL Under 18 Championships respectively. He kicked back-to-back five-goal hauls and equaled the highest marking average of eight marks per match in the TAC Cup.[1] In his younger years he played local football for Macleod in the Yarra Junior Football League.[2]

AFL Career

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Langford was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the 17th overall selection in the 2014 national draft.[3] He made his AFL debut against St Kilda in round 5, 2015.[4]

He played 17 games in the 2016 AFL season, spending most of his time in the midfield and across the half-forward line. Langford booted 12 goals for the season (4th overall at the club), including three in the Bombers win over Carlton in round 23.

Langford received the No. 4 guernsey for the 2018 AFL season, previously held by club champion Jobe Watson.[5] He took the next step in his development, showing plenty of skill and composure while playing in his new midfield role, while also being able to rest forward and contribute on the scoreboard.

In the 2019 home-and-away season, Langford played 17 of 22 games in a forward/midfield role.

The 2020 season saw Langford achieve his most consistent season to date. He played 16 of a possible 17 games, finished 4th in the club's Best and Fairest and 3rd in the club's goal kicking.

A 51-goal season in 2023 saw Langford win Essendon’s Leading Goalkicker award and gain inclusion in the 44-man All-Australian squad;[6] however, he missed selection in the final 22.

Langford led Essendon's goalkicking for the second successive season in 2024, kicking 43 goals. On Anzac day 2024 he had the opportunity to secure the win against Collingwood late in the game, however he pushed it wide. This has been widely condemned as the reason Carlton made finals that year.

Statistics

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Statistics are correct to the end of 2024[7]
Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals 
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds 
  H  
Handballs 
  M  
Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2015 Essendon 30 8 3 3 27 37 64 15 19 0.4 0.4 3.4 4.6 8.0 1.9 2.4 0
2016 Essendon 30 17 12 7 134 126 260 81 58 0.7 0.4 7.9 7.4 15.3 4.8 3.5 0
2017 Essendon 30 6 4 4 47 35 82 26 19 0.7 0.7 7.8 5.8 13.7 4.3 3.2 0
2018 Essendon 4 16 9 8 168 119 287 64 78 0.6 0.5 10.5 7.5 18.0 4.0 4.9 1
2019 Essendon 4 17 15 3 153 146 299 60 56 0.8 0.2 9.0 8.4 17.4 3.6 3.1 0
2020[a] Essendon 4 16 11 9 146 142 288 65 30 0.7 0.6 9.1 8.9 17.9 4.1 1.9 0
2021 Essendon 4 17 13 3 202 152 354 98 57 0.8 0.2 11.9 8.9 20.8 5.8 3.4 0
2022 Essendon 4 9 10 7 73 51 124 42 22 1.1 0.8 8.1 5.7 13.8 4.7 2.4 0
2023 Essendon 4 23 51 23 218 96 314 130 36 2.2 1.0 9.5 4.2 13.7 5.7 1.6 3
2024 Essendon 4 23 43 27 193 96 289 119 59 1.9 1.2 8.4 4.2 12.6 5.2 2.6 6
Career 153 171 94 1369 1007 2376 704 434 1.1 0.6 9.0 6.6 15.5 4.6 2.8 10

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

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  1. ^ Twomey, Callum (8 November 2014). "19 days to the draft: Meet Kyle Langford".
  2. ^ "When Bomber Kyle Langford dropped into the Summer Development Program". YARRA new. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  3. ^ Clark, Jay (27 November 2014). "Essendon say trading Paddy Ryder will rebuild club after snaring Kyle Langford, Jayden Laverde". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2015.[dead link]
  4. ^ Matthews, Bruce (3 May 2015). "Dustin Fletcher suffers head knock in Essendon's two-point win over St Kilda". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2015.[dead link]
  5. ^ "Langford to Don four". Essendon Football Club. 28 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Revealed: Pies dominate, star trio in line for rare honour as 44-man All-Aus squad named". Fox Sports. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Kyle Langford". AFL Tables. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
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