#25
Millie Lang
height: 177cm
weight:
D.O.B: 06-11-2006
Leagues: Coates Talent League Girls, AFLW U18 Championships
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Snapshot
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Analysis
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Summary
SNAPSHOT: “A powerful-marking defender with a booming kick, Lang has been a reliable source of interception in both the GWV Rebels and Vic Country defences.”
Millie Lang has achieved plenty in her junior career, having played the sport all her life and has made her way through the pathways to earn an AFLW National Draft Combine invite this year. A member of Vic Country’s squad the past two years where she ran out in two games each carnival, the reliable interceptor also plied her trade for the GWV Rebels across the 2023-24 seasons.
Lang first caught the eye playing school footy where she dominated in 2022 for Ballarat Clarendon College coming out of defence. Using her potent left boot, the tall was able to slot straight into the Rebels under the same coach Sally Riley and in a breakout season, averaged 23.4 disposals, 3.9 marks, 3.4 tackles and 7.6 rebound 50s.
Coming into 2024, Lang was going to split her time between defence and midfield, rotating at centre bounces where she looked to use her strength and smarts to impact the contest. Though a good experience, it was evident her best role was in defence, and she largely stepped back into that intercepting and rebounding role consistently.
She had a nice moment this year where she was able to kick a goal just before the final siren – her first in the Coates Talent League Girls across two seasons – and would finish the year with slightly lower statistical averages, but a greater variety of experiences.
At national carnival level, injury ruled her out of playing at Marvel Stadium against Vic Metro, but she got her chance against both Queensland and Western Australia, where she averaged the 16 disposals and five rebound 50s playing deep in defence. She also represented the AFLW Academy earlier in the year, holding her own in the backline there.
PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:
STRENGTHS:
+ Strength
+ Intercept marking
+ Reading the play
+ Footy IQ
+ Kick penetration
+ Leadership
IMPROVEMENTS:
- Speed
- Composure
PROFILE:
Millie Lang is one of the most reliable players in this year's AFLW Draft. A consistent intercepting threat with her aerial ability, along with a booming kick and footy IQ to read the play and get into the best positions, make her the perfect candidate to translate her game to the elite level.
Starting with her aerial work, Lang is a consistent threat above her head thanks to her safe hands and strength in one-on-one contests. She gets a lot of her touches through those marks and from kickouts where she can deliver saving rebound 50s.
A usual one-touch player above her head, Lang does all the hard work leading up to the marking contest. She reads the ball in flight well and positions herself accordingly to mark. A mark-first player, Lang can spoil as well and competes hard one-on-one, throwing herself at contests to try and wing the ball for her side.
Once she has the ball, her booming left-foot kick has been a source of success for her over the years, and though in 2024 it was not quite as efficient in terms of her precision, still showed a fantastic penetration that cleared the danger zone on more than a few occasions.
Able to hit targets over short, medium and long distances, it is not about the technique, but more about the composure or consistency of the kick, particularly when under pressure. Lang is fortunate enough to be able to use her right side to a reliable level if forced onto that side.
Along with her composure as a potential improvement, Lang is also not the most athletic player, with her speed being the main deficiency in her game. That element might be where she lacks, but she makes up for it in strength and smarts, which allow her to take the tougher jobs on bigger tall forwards.
As a whole, Lang has shown plenty over the past two seasons for both the GWV Rebels and Vic Country. While not the prototype athlete others might be, few have the same balance of strength and smarts in the back half which makes her a unique prospect that clubs will be interested in.
DRAFT RANGE: 30-50
SUMMARY:
Millie Lang has the runs on the board to be a reliable choice at this year’s AFLW Draft. She has areas to work on, but from a fundamentals point of view, the tall defender understands the game well behind the ball and is able to impact the game with her penetrating kick to clear the danger. She will likely be a second or third round option for clubs looking for a more readymade defender.
Coates Talent League Girls
| Season | Team | K | HB | D | M | CP | UP | T | HO | CLR | I50 | R50 | GL | GM | K | H | D | M | HO | T | G | DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | GWV Rebels | 200 | 81 | 281 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 91 | 0 | 12 | 16.7 | 6.8 | 23.4 | 3.9 | 0.1 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 86 |
| 2024 | GWV Rebels | 157 | 83 | 240 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 62 | 1 | 11 | 14.3 | 7.5 | 21.8 | 3.5 | 0.1 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 78 |
| Total | - | 357 | 164 | 521 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 153 | 1 | 23 | 15.5 | 7.1 | 22.7 | 3.7 | 0.1 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 164 |
AFLW U18 Championships
| Season | Team | K | HB | D | M | CP | UP | T | HO | CLR | I50 | R50 | GL | GM | K | H | D | M | HO | T | G | DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Vic Country Girls | 11 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 8.0 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 31 |
| 2024 | Vic Country Girls | 24 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 12.0 | 4.0 | 16.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 55 |
| Total | - | 35 | 13 | 48 | 7 | 18 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 8.8 | 3.3 | 12.0 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 86 |
