FOR THOSE that may not know Ed Langdon, he’s not someone who takes decisions lightly.  

He’s a deep thinker, who will often pause mid-sentence to really delve into the topic he is discussing. 

So, when it came to re-signing with Melbourne, ultimately deciding his future in footy, it was something the Demon wanted to really take his time to think about.  

But, having now signed the dotted line, committing until 2028, Langdon reflected that it was undeniably the right choice for him.  

“I may have taken a while to make my decision, but it was just around being really sure about how I wanted the next few years of my life to look,” Langdon told Melbourne Media.  

“It’s a pretty big decision and obviously once I had made that decision, it was always going to be Melbourne. 

The Melbourne-born winger returned to his home city in 2019 to play for the Dees after five seasons at Fremantle.  

Over these past five years, Langdon has cultivated an impressive career as the club’s No.1 wingman, his most notable memory being a part of the club’s draught-breaking premiership in 2021.  

Having been an integral cog in that premiership machine, Langdon knows what success looks like and is head-strong in his faith of the club’s future, their ambition and personnel.  

“Obviously having success probably breeds a culture of success, which is really appealing, everyone here wants to win,” Langdon said.  

“And I think having won not too long ago, the desire is still big for a lot of people. 

“It's really exciting with a lot of young guys coming through now, our team sort of has a different dynamic.  

At 28 years old and with nearly 10 years of experience in the AFL system, Langdon is now considered one of the team’s senior players.  

With the club’s recent influx of young exciting talent, this seniority is something that he’s had to come to terms with in 2024.  

“You blink, and you realise you’re one of the older players,” Langdon said.  

“Footy is so week-to-week that sometimes it can feel like eternity and sometimes it can scoot by.  

“I came to Melbourne when I was 23 and now all of sudden it’s five years later.”  

Often with seniority comes the expectation of leadership and while externally he may not be considered a formal leader of the football club, those within the four walls know of the natural ability he shows both on and off the field.  

This year in particular he’s been thrown into the informal role of mentor to a new cohort of wingers, working closely with likes of Caleb Windsor, Kynan Brown and Taj Woewodin.  

“I think leadership is complicated, but I absolutely consider myself a leader, maybe not in the traditional sense of the word,” Langdon said. 

“But I'd like to think I help as many players out on the ground as I can. I'm quite calm on the ground, so I think that if that helps players, that's a huge positive. 

“Now I'm in a position where I've got a lot of young players playing similar positions and roles to me. 

“We do a wing-specific review every week, so that's been a really great platform for me to try and teach Caleb in particular, but Kynan as well and Taj for when they’re playing there.  

“So, that's been a great platform for me to, whilst watching vision of their game, explain and get them to understand why they're doing stuff and the purpose of our structures and strategies and how they can maximise their strengths within our gameplay.” 

Mentor isn’t the only new role adopted by Langdon this year, with slight tweaks to his on-field roles.  

The Demon has notched up impressive numbers in 2024, averaging nearly 20 disposals and 5.4 marks, putting him in the race for the team’s most impactful player of the year.  

So, what’s been the personal change that has spurred on this level-up from Langdon? He puts it down to a culmination of three specifics: forced team changes, excitement in the new and a fresh enjoyment of the game.   

“I've really enjoyed it. I've had a few different role changes this year, which has been quite exciting for me,” Langdon said.  

“It's been something a little bit different, it's certainly re-stimulated some of my interest in learning the game from a different role.    

“I also feel like maybe there might be an element of losing two of your best players in Angus [Brayshaw] and Christian [Petracca] and naturally, other people have to either stand up or get more exposure due to their absence.  

“So, potentially a little bit of that, but also potentially I’m just really enjoying my football.   

Another unique aspect to Langdon’s talent is his ability to switch off from football when he can.  
 
It’s something that he considers incredibly important for his performance mindset, but it hasn’t been an easy thing to develop.   

“I think that is probably something that comes with age a little bit,” Langdon said.  

“The way I've set up my life outside of football is that there's very little crossover and that is by design, so that when I’m not at the football club I’m completely removed, and then when I'm at the football club, I can focus on being a footballer.   

“But that’s taken a few years to really nail, because you get pulled both ways at different times.  

“So, finding that balance and what really works for you, that’s probably the key.” 

Speaking of his uniqueness, Langdon’s recently become known for his decision to ride his bike to games at the MCG, a choice that surprised many, with the Demon notching up an average of 16kms of running each match.   

Add in his ride to and from the ‘G and that’s a lot of kilometres for one person in one day.  

But for Langdon, the choice is a no-brainer.  

“I love being outside, I love the fresh air, and I really like bike riding,” Langdon explained.  

“Riding to the games can be a bit hectic, because a lot of people see me, but riding home when you've played a night game, three degrees, midnight, I just love it.  

“Plus, there's also the practical side of it, driving to the ‘G would take me 25 minutes, riding only takes me about six minutes.”  

For Melbourne, its hopes of finals footy in 2024 is becoming a tough goal to reach.  

Coming off the back of three consecutive losses and with three games left of the home-and-away season, the Dees need to make the most of their run home if they want to continue deep into September. 

Langdon was candid in his review of the team’s challenges but can see the clear positives from the adversity faced this season.  

“Footy is a really tough environment at the best of times and then when you're losing it certainly puts pressure on different aspects of your game,” Langdon said.  

“I think, especially as a midfield, we’ve been shown up a few times this year. 

“Honestly, it's hard to see the bigger picture when you’re in it, but it's probably the best thing to happen to us, in a weird sort of roundabout way, because there's some seriously good teams out there at the moment and seriously good midfields who are super efficient and damaging.  

“I think moving forward, we can become a much more dynamic midfield because of this.” 

Join Langdon and the Dees at the ‘G on Saturday night for a 90s party to celebrate our Member Thank You Round. Grab your tickets here.