After the Dons' performance in holding out Richmond to win by 19 points in Saturday night's Dreamtime at the 'G match, he might have to revise that statement.
Read Nick Bowen's full match report
Essendon's 1993 premiership team had two indigenous players, Long himself and Gavin Wanganeen.
The 2000 premiership had one indigenous player: Long.
This year's crop trumps the indigenous representation in those two teams in numbers alone.
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The team that sparkled on Saturday night before being forced to dig deep to repel a resurgent Richmond included five indigenous players: Paddy Ryder, Courtenay Dempsey, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Leroy Jetta and Alwyn Davey.
All had quiet patches but played important roles in a hard-fought victory that will fuel Essendon's premiership claims.
If the five do play in a premiership they will surely be considered the best crop of indigenous players to have played the game.
Only Port Adelaide's 2004 team would compare. That team included Wanganeen, Byron Pickett and the Burgoyne brothers, Peter and Shaun.
But first things first.
Ryder set the ball rolling in this match by scoring three goals in the opening 12 minutes of the first quarter.
The first two were set shots from within 30 metres of goal, while the third was kicked on the run from just inside the 50-metre arc, showcasing his athletic abilities.
Early in the third quarter he put the Bombers on the path towards controlling the match by kicking his fourth.
Jetta had a purple patch in the second quarter, kicking two goals that showcased his speed and creativity, while Lovett-Murray curled one through from the boundary line midway through the last quarter that regained the lead for the Bombers.
Davey, who had been busy throughout, sealed the victory when he kicked the last goal of the night.
Of the quintet only Dempsey failed to kick a goal, but his performance was no less important as he provided polish and run from half-back.
His silkiness through the middle served to emphasise his importance to this Essendon team since his return from a knee reconstruction before the season.
Early in the week, St Kilda's small forwards Terry Milera and Ahmed Saad set tongues wagging with their brilliance against Carlton.
The displays by Davey and Jetta deserve to be compared to that pair's performance; both Dons constantly bobbing up out of reach of the Richmond defenders.
Davey had 16 disposals and kicked two goals while Jetta matched his goal return and had 15 touches.
A goal by Jetta in the second quarter underpinned his dangerousness when he was left one out with Richmond's Steven Morris at the top of the goalsqaure.
Jetta nudged Morris under the ball before seizing on it and popping it through for a goal.
His action was clever, strong and decisive. Victory is built upon such acts. And so, cumulatively, are seasons.
You can see Michael Long scratching his chin now.
