After initially preparing for a season in defence, even Kyle Langford couldn’t have predicted his impact on the Bombers’ forward line in 2023.

Always highly rated internally and a gradual improver, Langford emerged as a shining light from the Bombers’ season, receiving his first-ever selection for the All Australian squad of 44.

Langford has put the wider league on notice as a makeshift key forward, booting 51 goals and dishing off 20 goal assists after featuring in every game.

After a strong start to the year held the side in good stead until round 17, a frustrating finish to the season saw the Bombers lose five of their final seven games, eventually falling out of finals contention.

Looking to channel that frustration into a testing off-season, Langford and the group already have their sights set on redeeming their late-season lapses.

“We’re largely disappointed with the year. Although there were a lot of positives throughout the first 15 rounds, the last month has really let us down and unfortunately that’s what you’ll remember the most,” Langford said.

“We have a lot of things that we need to think about over the next few weeks as to why the season panned out the way it did.

“It's bitterly disappointing that we’re not still playing into September.”

Langford and the team’s emotions were clear after Friday night’s loss to the Pies, rueing a challenging end to a season that predominantly held steps in the right direction for the team.

Reflecting on the immediate post-game reaction, Langford believes a firm message has been sent to the group about the standards required to take the next step.

“We reiterated on Friday night that we now have an opportunity to commit to the off-season and all the things we need to improve on. We’re challenging the group not to leave anything to chance,” Langford said.

“We were pretty stern in issuing that challenge to each other going forward.”

Forced to overcome numerous hamstring setbacks in the 18 months leading to his breakout season, Langford missed the majority of 2022 after undergoing surgery and enduring another interrupted pre-season this year.

Through arguably the most challenging period of his career, Langford always believed that the foundations set from his off-season preparation would keep him well-placed to return with immediate impact.

“Although I’ve obviously got the fruits of my labour a bit this year, I feel like I have been building over the past few years and setting some great things in place,” Langford said.

“I had another interrupted pre-season block this year, but the building blocks were there on account of my off-season which allowed me to go out and play some free football.

“I played in multiple positions early in the year, but it was just the confidence and belief that ‘Scotty’ (Senior Coach Brad Scott) gave me which allowed me to play with that freedom this year.”

The influence of Scott has played a key role in getting the best out of Langford as a deep forward threat, having previously floated between roles ranging from half-back to the wing in previous seasons with the club.

Despite covering as a relief defender in spurts, the continuity gathered from locking down a key position has aided Langford in more aptly reviewing his own output every week.

“I wasn’t expecting to play forward, but it is a massive strength of mine to be adaptable and versatile to any position, that’s what’s allowed me to play my 130 games so far,” Langford said.

“A lot of my feedback over the last few years was around just how hard it is to review your consistency in games when you’re constantly being thrown around between different positions.

“For me, playing as a deep forward it was very easy to put a system in place and be consistent week in and week out.

“The process of reviewing the craft aspect and playing that one position just allowed me to hone in, rather than really not knowing where you’re going to end up on the day.”

A growing strength in Langford’s game has become his presence in big moments, often bobbing up with clutch plays to keep the Bombers in close games such as the Port Adelaide and Sydney fixtures in the back end of the season.

As an experienced head in the group, Langford is taking the onus upon himself to make those moments his own.

“When it gets to those big moments, I’m not one to shy away because I know I’ve got the bank of work behind me,” Langford said.

“Even when I have games like Friday night where I’m not kicking straight, I still want the ball and I want to give it a go. It’s the way it is, but doing the work allows you have that confidence in your game.”

Looking ahead to an important off-season in shaping the Bombers’ 2024 platform, Langford’s eyes are already set on laying the groundwork.

“I’ve had a bunch of niggles this year, so for me it’s about getting those right and providing myself the best opportunity to attack pre-season,” Langford said.

“At the end of the off-season, there’ll be a group of us going to Phoenix, Arizona for a training camp just focusing on different elements of training. It’ll be about taking away those learnings and implementing them into your own schedule once you get back.

“It’s been a tough year and a long year, but I’m hungrier than I’ve ever been. I see what this group is capable of and I’m really excited to get back and challenge each other to be the best team we can be.”