VFL 2019: Thrown into the midfield, Shannen Lange is having a superb season for Port Melbourne

The death of his father and two brothers was a heavy blow to Shannen Lange but the Port Melbourne midfielder says football keeps them close to him.

The great Gary Ayres played and has coached a lot of football.

He’s seen it all, and then some.

So a few ears pricked up when he spoke about his Port Melbourne midfielder Shannen Lange after the Round 11 draw against Williamstown at North Port Oval last Sunday.

Ayres declared that in all his years in the game, he had seen few better performances than Lange’s 33-possession effort.

It was gushing praise from the Borough coach.

“Well, I like to think I call it as I see it, and that’s how I saw it,’’ Ayres said on Tuesday morning.

“He almost single-handedly got us over the line. It was one of the best games I’ve seen from a player, and one of the best I’ve seen in a long, long time. Just off the top of my head … 33 disposals, nine tackles, a great running goal, his clearance work, his takeaways. He was super.’’

Lange was “stoked’’ with Ayres’s assessment.

“Coming from him, it means a lot,’’ the 24-year-old said. “That’s pretty big, for him to say that in front of the group.’’

As for his own assessment of his game, “it was up there’’.

His best-afield outing earned Lange not only lift-off from Ayres, but boosts from the Willy coaching staff and the Frank Johnson Tribute Medal, presented annually to recognise Port Melbourne’s greatest player.

It also settled the spotlight on a player Ayres says is “developing into one of the premier midfielders in the competition’’.

The statistics support him: the right-footer is averaging almost 25 possessions from 10 matches this year.

Shannen Lange on the burst early in his time at Port Melbourne.

But there is a backdrop of sorrow to Lange’s season.

In March his father, Shayne, died from cancer at the age of 61. Lange had already lost two brothers from his large family.

Shayne Lange was his son’s biggest supporter and, although he was working in Bendigo and often on call, he attended all of Port’s matches.

“My old man was always there. He’d tell me he wasn’t coming because of work and then I’d see him at the huddle. He’d snuck away from Bendigo,’’ Lange said.

“He loved to get around the club in the background … he used to tell me stories all the time about who he’d spoken to.

“I feel like footy helps me through it, because my old man and my brothers loved my footy. “When I go to the footy I remember them. It’s not an outlet to forget. It’s an outlet to keep them there. That footy connection is there.’’

Lange is from Gippsland and played for Gippy Power in the TAC Cup, helping it to the grand final and finishing runner-up in the best and fairest in 2013.

Keen to play in the VFL, he trained at Port.

But it was only one time, and Ayres remembers it for the fact that Lange “trained for 20 minutes then did his hamstring’’.

He later joined a friend from Sale, Tom Hams, at Bendigo, playing under Aussie Jones, but “hammy’’ troubles tailed him.

“Had a shocking year … didn’t really get a chance to show what I could do,’’ he said.

Gary Ayres is a big fan of Shanne Lange.

When the Gold folded, Lange reappeared at Port, this time to stay.

Soft-tissue injuries initially held him up, but his pace was his pass to a senior team. In 2017 he became a premiership player.

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Lange’s role has changed this year.

“When I first got to Port I had players like Shane Valenti, Toby Pinwill, John Baird and Chris Cain in the midfield and I’d play outside on the wings, which I was happy to do,’’ he said.

“It’s not until this year that I’ve been able to play as an inside player. I like it there. I think I’ve said this to ‘Ayresy’ before, in the midfield it’s a lot easier to lose your opponent than it is on the outside. You can use your pace to receive or get your own ball and I enjoy doing both.

“I think it helps that I’m fit. I’m actually feeling as fit as I’ve ever been and as quick as I’ve ever been. I’m happy with how it’s working out.’’

And so his grateful coach.