From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alex Lang

Personal information
Birth	12 March 1888
Recruited from
Height and weight	175 cm / 73 kg
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 1, 1906, Carlton vs. Melbourne, at Princes Park
Team(s)	Carlton (1906-10, 1916-17) 105 games, 82 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 1917 season
Career highlights
3 time Premiership Player (1906,07,08)

Alex 'Bongo' Lang (born 12 March 1888) was an Australian rules footballer who played with the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Despite being a three time premiership player, Lang will be remembered by history as the joint record holder for the longest ban received from the tribunal.

Recruited by coach Jack Worrall in 1905, Lang debuted for Carlton in the opening round of the following season. He played as a rover, winning premierships in his first 3 years at the club and in 1909 was voted by 'The Australasian' newspaper as the most 'Outstanding player in the VFL'.

During the 1910 final series he became involved in a match fixing scandal after being dropped from the side for their 2nd semi final against South Melbourne. It had been alleged that he had accepted a bribe to play poorly, along with teammates Doug Gillespie and Doug Fraser. Both Carlton and the VFL launched their own investigations and Lang admitted that an offer had been made to him. He claimed however that he did not intend on accepting it. Regardless of his plea of innocence he was found guilty along with Fraser and both were banned for 99 games, a total of 5 years. Doug Gillespie was exonerated and played in the club's losing Grand Final.

Lang returned to the game in 1916 and brought up his 100th game for Carlton. He retired the following season after playing only three games.

References

• Alex Lang's statistics from AFL Tables
• Blueseum: Alex Lang
• Full Points Footy: Alex Lang