Ben Long never considered trade away from St Kilda despite interest from Essendon and Melbourne
St Kilda forward Ben Long attracted interest from Essendon, where his uncle Michael is a great of the club, during the trade period but the emerging youngster has revealed why he never considered a move and is right at home at the Saints.
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Emerging St Kilda forward Ben Long says he was never tempted by Essendon’s trade period interest.
Long, who this week led another Saints party on a camp in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, last month attracted the attention of Essendon where uncle Michael was an AFL great.
Melbourne also reportedly inquired about Long, who showed flashes of brilliance this year.
“Yeah I think they showed a bit of interest and I guess as a player, in a way it’s a bit flattering,” Long said.
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Keep circling all you want 🙄
— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) October 10, 2018
Ben Long's going nowhere. https://t.co/2KkXxuGgys
“But I’m still in contract with the Saints (until the end of 2019) so I wasn’t going to change clubs or worry about all that trade stuff.
“I said to the club ‘I’m quite happy at the Saints and I love my time here’.
“I guess I’ve played a few games and I think showcased a bit of good footy in those games. But I’ve got another year and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
The Saints responded through their official Twitter account at the time, tweeting: “Keep circling all you want. Ben Long’s going nowhere.”
At St Kilda, Long appears at home — literally and figuratively.
The 21-year-old again played host to a small group of teammates, coaches and officials on a five-day trip to the top end and where it all began for a player whose speed and hardness caught the eye this year.
A collection of the Saints’ third and fourth-year players — Jade Gresham, Josh Battle, Rowan Marshall, Jack Sinclair, Darragh Joyce, Brandon White and Ed Phillips — joined Long and coach Alan Richardson for a camp that combined heat training with cultural experiences.
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The group even went to Parliament House to listen to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.
“Last year when the club asked me ‘Can you take us back home?’ it really struck me,” Long said.
“Obviously my dream came true being drafted by the Saints and this has been a huge honour. Hopefully we can keep doing it because these small camps have brought us closer together and I think we’ve taken a lot out of this trip.”
While much has been made of the importance of next season for his club, Long also feels he has much to prove.
After being overlooked in the 2015 draft, an excellent 2016 national championships and VFL season with the Western Bulldogs saw the Saints swoop with their first pick — No.25.
Long played four games in 2017, but after a fractured metatarsal restricted him to 10 games this year there’s a real urge to impress.
“I’m still trying to play a full season in year three, but when I’m playing I just want to win, really,” he said.
“Obviously as a club we’re aiming to one day win a flag and that’s all we’re about. For me right now it’s about cementing myself in the team and trying to win every week.
“Us young fellas have got a bridge to gap and instead of just listening to the older fellas, we’ve got to speak up as well.”
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