AFL fans scrutinize Kyle Langford’s behaviour towards Jake Stringer during Essendon’s victory.
Following the incident, some legendary players in the AFL questioned the team’s cohesion.
Two AFL legends and supporters have criticized Kyle Langford for something that happened to teammate Jake Stringer on Friday night during Essendon’s 29-point victory over the Western Bulldogs. The Bombers defeated 9.13 (67) to 15.6 (96) in a fierce game played at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, providing a much-needed boost to their spirits after losing by 69 points to Port Adelaide the previous week.
After rallying from a 10-point deficit in the second term to seize control of the game, Essendon demonstrated more tenacity than in previous years, with Zach Merrett (27 disposals) usually keeping Jye Caldwell (23) and Sam Durham (21) occupied in the middle. In the match against his old team, Langford (three goals), Harrison Jones, Xavier Duursma (two goals each), and Stringer (two goals) all scored multiple goals.
However, Stringer could have and probably should have scored three goals that evening after doing well to win a free kick and Langford ignoring him for a hand pass, allowing his teammate to score a goal of his own. After drawing a free kick at full forward, Stringer was begging to be given the ball by Langford a few metres from the goal posts. He gave his teammate a disbelieving glance as he scored the goal himself.
During Fox Footy’s telecast, legendary AFL players Garry Lyon and Nathan Buckley both assessed the incident and thought it revealed a lack of chemistry amongst the Essendon players. They both expressed opinions that were in line with those of many fans, saying that Stringer is such a confident player and that, in the given situation, he ought to have gotten the handoff from his colleague.
Investigating Kyle Langford for the Jake Stringer incident
Langford wasn’t involved in the first competition, but he was staring behind him when he heard the play-on call. Because he’s in the best position at the moment, his teammate is screaming for it, and he’s calling for it with good reason, according to Buckley. “I believe there was a missed opportunity. It’s just an opportunity, in my opinion, to strengthen that teamwork. In my opinion, Kyle Langford has been among the most unselfish Bombers I’ve ever witnessed.
“He’s played well tonight… but there’s a psychology to it,” Lyon continued. The psychology is that, based on how I see my teammate, I can tell that he plays with confidence. I’m sure he’ll be nice for us when he gets up. It would be better to give the ball to him as he won the free kick and I have it.
“You don’t even have time to think about all of it,” Buckley continued. Simply put, “it’s our objective, not mine.” Now that you’ve earned it, enjoy it. Supporters were also quick to criticize Langford for the event, calling him “selfish” for failing to pass the ball to his teammate.