Fremantle midfielder Ed Langdon has decided to leave to play for a Victorian club
Fremantle’s ‘bold’ call to sack coach Ross Lyon will have implications for its list plans, with Ed Langdon linked with a return to Victoria and Tim Kelly entertaining a return to Western Australia.
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Fremantle’s summer of change will include Ed Langdon, who is certain to leave the Dockers for a Melbourne-based club.
Langdon had made up his mind to move before Ross Lyon’s dramatic sacking, and like teammate Bradley Hill, is eager to move closer to family in Victoria.
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Lyon’s sacking on Tuesday rocked the football club ahead of Langdon and Hill’s last games for Fremantle this weekend against Port Adelaide.
But Dockers veteran David Mundy is a certainty to play on into a 15th season after a strong 2019.
The Herald Sun understands the Dockers list management group has given the midfielder/forward the green light to continue.
Promising youngster Adam Cerra — contracted until the end of 2021 — will also remain despite speculation about a move back east. He is seen to have stagnated after a bright debut season, averaging only 15 disposals per game while being played out of position at times.
Fremantle’s decision to sack Lyon will not improve their chances of securing Tim Kelly but moving on chief executive Steve Rosich might.
Player managers have continually complained to Rosich about the club’s issues including lacklustre assistant coaches and poor recruitment choices under his watch.
It means Kelly is still likely to ask for a trade to West Coast instead of Fremantle, with confirmation yesterday the star had met with both the Dockers and West Coast in the past year.
All three financial offers for him are of a similar size but at this stage Fremantle have no coach, no chief executive, departing stars and little chance to prove they have made dramatic progress since Kelly refused to go to the Dockers last year.
Langdon had an excellent relationship with Lyon. The midfielder rebuffed several rival approaches 12 months ago to see out the final year of his contract and honour that relationship with Lyon.
Langdon’s emergence this year, combined with Hill’s imminent departure, would see him command a long and lucrative contract at the Dockers.
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But despite the likelihood he will earn less money elsewhere, Langdon believes he has offered good service to the club who drafted him in 2014 and he feels the time is right to return home.
The Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne have been linked with the speedy midfielder, while Collingwood have the family connection through brother, Tom.
But Melbourne shape as the favourites to land his signature. The Demons appear to have lost out to St Kilda in the chase for Hill and aren’t keen on Sydney’s Zak Jones, leaving Langdon as the Plan A in their push to add more outside speed to their squad.
Langdon has averaged 25 disposals and 435m gained in his 21 games this year.
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Sean Darcy had been pushed back in Fremantle’s ruck pecking order early in the season and was seen to be frustrated last summer over the club’s operations.
But the retirement of Aaron Sandilands gives him the opportunity to secure the No. 1 ruck role after he was linked to Geelong in a potential trade for Tim Kelly.