A draft slider in 2022 who the Eagles were delighted to recruit with pick 58, Long exceeded expectations in his debut season, playing 19 games and booting seven goals as a crafty small forward in a struggling side to ultimately finish top-10 (tenth overall) in the Club Champion award. The diminutive Bendigo product was highly rated as a junior before suffering a broken collarbone which impacted his draft year, and has the football nous and work ethic to enjoy a long career at the top level. Long made his debut for the Eagles in round one last year, booting his first goal and collecting 10 touches in the five-point loss to North Melbourne. He quickly established himself as a regular in the youthful West Coast line-up and was bestowed with retiring captain Luke Shuey's No.13 following the Norm Smith medallist's final game.
At a glance: Junior clubs: Echuca (VIC)/Geelong Grammar (VIC). Debut: Round 1, 2023. Recruited from: Bendigo Pioneers (VIC). Brownlow votes: 0.
