Langdon bloody ripper: coach

Ed Langdon's Vic Metro under-18s coach has labelled him a "bloody ripper" and predicted the running forward would become a value draft pick for Fremantle.

Langdon, 18, the younger brother of Collingwood defender Tom, was taken at pick 54 by the Dockers, but 18s coach David Flood warned people not to be fooled by that number.

"He is a good pick-up and I think he will do well over there," he said. "He did a tendon in his hand in game two or three for Vic Metro in the 18s titles this year. He was just one of those kids that was going to keep improving. The injury kept him out for much of the year so his stocks probably went down through no fault of his own really."

Flood said Langdon showed great character when he suffered the injury.

"He hurt his hand pretty early in that game against South Australia and played on and ended up kicking four or five goals," he said. "He probably could have kicked a couple more because he hit the post once or twice. He can run all day, he has good speed and he will be a good player."

Flood urged some patience from the Dockers and their fans with Langdon while he built his body up.

"He has got good character, he is a good kid and he will work hard and do all the right things," Flood said. "I am not sure he will play league footy next year. He will get into the training, that will be no problem at all.

"It will just be about putting a bit of meat on his body and getting used to playing men's footy, but I think he will thrive in the environment.

"He is one of those half-forward, wingman, on-ball types.

"He is a prototype, I suppose, for today's footy and can get up and down around the ground, but I would say mainly at AFL level you would expect him to be half-forward, wing and maybe a bit on-ball.

"He can kick a goal but not so much from snap shots or opportunist goals, it is more running goals from overlap plays."