The deal was never done, but when Hardwick headed north to take over the Suns last year there was an easy decision to make.
Long spent six seasons at the Saints as a half-back and his first at the Suns under Stuart Dew in the same position, playing 15 games in that campaign and not kicking a goal.
He played 17 under Hardwick last year, showing glimpses of what the three-time premiership coach had seen with 26 goals as a refashioned medium-sized forward.
The Northern Territorian has gone to new heights in 2025, kicking 19.10 in eight games, including four in front of family and friends in last week's impressive defeat of Hawthorn in Darwin.
There is a touch and timing to his play that doesn't register on the stat sheet but noticed around the league.
Former Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd this week labelled him "the most improved player in the competition, by a long, long way", likening his impact to Toby Green at GWS or Jamie Elliot at Collingwood.
"He's got that great mix of hardness, ability to finish, can mark it, good on the deck," Suns forwards coach Brad Miller told AAP.
"He's that hybrid type that can do pretty much everything pretty well.
"Requires very little maintenance, so low-fuss. Plant the seed and it grows on its own.
"That's allowed him to flourish in a role he can play on instinct and he puts himself in the right place at the right time."
Miller had been at the Suns for a season before Long arrived and has marvelled at his evolution under the new coach.
"We got him up originally to play half-back but Dimma had a vision of him playing forward at his previous job (at the Tigers), they were interested in him back then," he said.
"I'm not sure how far it went but Dimma has mentioned he saw his attributes and thought it suited playing forward in the systems he coaches."
Hardwick also pushed hard to recruit halfback duo Daniel Rioli and John Noble this year and has backed Bailey Humphrey and Will Graham to impact the game forward of centre.
Miller said those pieces had all contributed in a 7-2 season - they sit third with a competition-best percentage of 132 - that has the Suns on the cusp of their first finals campaign since entering the competition in 2011.
"We've found ways to not rely solely on Ben (King)," Miller said of the Coleman Medal leader.
"You're seeing their belief growing throughout the year; coming from a few goals down to win games, naturally it grows when you get that evidence."
The Suns play Long's former team at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, St Kilda, on the bounce back from a loss to the previously winless West Coast.
But the Saints edged the Suns in a dour 7.9 (51) to 7.6 (48) contest there last year and Gold Coast also struggled for fluency in an upset loss to Richmond in their only other trip to the venue earlier this season.
The Suns are 10-28 overall at the ground and 3-9 there since 2022.
Miller doesn't think the venue is to blame but is wary of Ross Lyon's side.
"They strangled us last year when we played them at Marvel and we fully expect their best footy," he said.Â
"A hard-working defensive unit that can slow you down and they cleaned us up last year."
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