Essendon Bombers utility Kyle Langford promises St Kilda Saints won’t get an easy win in 150th anniversary match
Essendon sharpshooter Kyle Langford has set the scene for a huge clash against St Kilda on Saturday night by suggesting the Saints booked their 150th anniversary match against the Bombers because they expected to beat them.
Instead, the undefeated Saints will meet the unbeaten Bombers in what now looms as a tight and tough contest between the early surprise packets of 2023.
Kyle Langford kicked the biggest bag of his career against the SunsCredit:Getty
“I think they booked us in for a win,” Langford said. “They’re 2-0 and we are 2-0. We are going to build right throughout this week, and we’re going to come out nice and hot against them.”
After accounting for Hawthorn and Gold Coast in the first two weeks, Essendon faces their biggest test yet against the Saints. But with belief building under new coach Brad Scott, the Bombers are no longer considered the easybeats they might have appeared to be when the fixture was released, even if the Saints have defeated them easily in their past two encounters.
St Kilda lost to the Bombers in the 1965 VFL grand final, but turned the tables a year later in the preliminary final and then beating Collingwood by a point in the 1966 grand final to claim their landmark premiership.
Langford said Scott was having an impact, and even though Essendon’s forward line was depleted through injuries to Peter Wright, Sam Weideman, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Jake Stringer, there was no panic at Tullamarine.
“There’s so much belief in this group, and although we’ve had so much happen over the last few years, Scotty’s brought a real sense of calm. He’s just really, really good for our group, and we have a lot of faith in him,” Langford said.
The versatile 26-year-old has been outstanding in the first two rounds playing across defence in round one against Hawthorn before turning the game when he kicked five goals playing forward against the Suns.
Essendon sharpshooter Kyle Langford has set the scene for a huge clash against St Kilda on Saturday night by suggesting the Saints booked their 150th anniversary match against the Bombers because they expected to beat them.
Instead, the undefeated Saints will meet the unbeaten Bombers in what now looms as a tight and tough contest between the early surprise packets of 2023.
Kyle Langford kicked the biggest bag of his career against the SunsCredit:Getty
“I think they booked us in for a win,” Langford said. “They’re 2-0 and we are 2-0. We are going to build right throughout this week, and we’re going to come out nice and hot against them.”
After accounting for Hawthorn and Gold Coast in the first two weeks, Essendon faces their biggest test yet against the Saints. But with belief building under new coach Brad Scott, the Bombers are no longer considered the easybeats they might have appeared to be when the fixture was released, even if the Saints have defeated them easily in their past two encounters.
St Kilda lost to the Bombers in the 1965 VFL grand final, but turned the tables a year later in the preliminary final and then beating Collingwood by a point in the 1966 grand final to claim their landmark premiership.
Langford said Scott was having an impact, and even though Essendon’s forward line was depleted through injuries to Peter Wright, Sam Weideman, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Jake Stringer, there was no panic at Tullamarine.
“There’s so much belief in this group, and although we’ve had so much happen over the last few years, Scotty’s brought a real sense of calm. He’s just really, really good for our group, and we have a lot of faith in him,” Langford said.
The versatile 26-year-old has been outstanding in the first two rounds playing across defence in round one against Hawthorn before turning the game when he kicked five goals playing forward against the Suns.
