THERE are similarities between former Magpie James Clement and emerging defender Tom Langdon.
Ever since Langdon donned the No.8 that Clement wore to two best and fairests in 146 games and two Grand Finals at Collingwood the comparisons have been hard to ignore.
Both are no fuss footballers.
Both had similar builds at the same age and low profiles.
Both can judge a mark.
So it was only natural Clement approached Langdon during Collingwood's season launch and wished him the best.
A revered figure among the Nick Maxwell generation of defenders, Clement's legacy has lived on long after he retired at the end of 2007 because of willingness to impart his wisdom to those who have followed.
His conversation with Langdon was simple and the 20-year-old appreciated his support.
"He was one of the best," Langdon told AFL.com.au.
"He just gave me some advice about how I should go about it."
Clement's message to Langdon was that he should to continue on his understated path, keeping the gap between his best and worst narrow and playing honest football.
Langdon would earn recognition if he did that, according to Clement.
Not a highlight reel type of player, Langdon is becoming, even with just 21 games experience, the type of solid player former defenders respect.
He was instrumental in getting Collingwood across the line in the opening round with a game-saving tackle on the Lions' Dayne Zorko and was one of the team's better performers against Adelaide.
He laughs with a defender's resignation at the banana goal Adelaide's Eddie Betts kicked on him in the opening quarter of that game.
"I knocked it down and thought that was pretty good and then thought … 'he won't kick that'. Then he dobbed it from the pocket and I thought how did he do that?" Langdon said.
Betts did it with freaky skill whereas Langdon's skill is his ability to see the marginal differences that can separate wins from losses.
In relation to Collingwood's ball use against Adelaide, Langdon thinks any deficiencies were more about attitude than execution.
"I'm a big believer that it's the structures and the willingness to lead and get that whole patterning right," Langdon said.
"I think we did go into our shells a bit and we got a bit stagnant with people leading for the ball."
It's a concession from Langdon that Adelaide's press can psychologically affect teams by giving them a bout of footballing claustrophobia.
"At times you have just got to bite the bullet and hit it because it is almost impossible to get it out if you don't take any risks," Langdon said.
"You can't win many games of football just kicking down the line."
James Clement played 146 games across seven seasons at the Pies. Picture: AFL Media 490.jpg)
It is an approach consistent with Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley's exhortation for the team to play with some freedom when they have the ball in hand.
He wants teammates to give both the kicker and receiver space.
Outsiders know that will take time.
But no wriggle room is being given for excuses to be made by a defence young in both age and experience.
Langdon, 20, says the group that contains just one player – Alan Toovey – with more than 100 games experience has trained together all summer and understands what is required.
He said Nathan Brown and Toovey are exceptional mentors to the group and the return of Ben Reid – who sits on 99 games – is keenly anticipated.
Langdon is willing to accept more responsibility too now that he has entered his second season.
"Being a first-year player last year it was kind of easy to take a back seat and let the other guys be loud in their leadership," Langdon said.
He is now willing to accept he needs to become more involved and take on better opponents.
"You can take a back seat in your role. You obviously you don't get as good opponents as the third or fourth tall so you have to take more responsibility in that as well," he said.
With an old head on young shoulders he says being drafted as a 19-year-old helped him get through his first season, with the benefits of maturity more real in a mental than physical sense.
He is off to a solid start and understands he has a chance to become part of a younger brigade of players who were all talented juniors.
"[We're a] lot younger group, which brings a lot of energy to training and competition for spots. Everyone is a pretty similar age so everyone is pushing each other to get that spot," Langdon said.
Clement's words are unlikely to be wasted.
Langdon has a clear view on what he wants to achieve.
"The expectation I have within myself is to be a young leader in the group and to have a consistency of performance, which I don't think I had last year as much … and for the coaches to trust me to perform my role every week," he said.
