Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says he’s extra involved concerning the Dockers sustaining the core of their younger checklist than his personal teaching future as he stares down a finals miss this season.
Longmuir signed a two-year contract extension on the finish of 2021 to tie him to the membership till the top of subsequent season, earlier than taking the Dockers to a drought-breaking finals marketing campaign final yr.
But an inconsistent marketing campaign marred by poor begins means Freo are unlikely to see September motion this season. The Dockers sit fifteenth on the ladder with an 8-11 document, and are two wins and proportion exterior of the highest eight with simply 4 video games to go.
When requested if he and the Dockers had been working by his contract earlier than subsequent yr, Longmuir, who has 39 wins from 80 video games in cost, stated “I’m not really concerned about that”.
“We’ve still got over 12 months to go on my contract so it hasn’t really entered my mind.”
Longmuir stated the Dockers’ key aim proper now was protecting their checklist collectively as they push for a maiden premiership.
Fremantle misplaced appreciable personnel final low season, with Blake Acres (Carlton), Rory Lobb (Western Bulldogs), Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker (North Melbourne) and Lloyd Meek (Hawthorn) all departing.
“We’ve got a lot players under 24 that are developing together and we want to make sure we see it through together,” Longmuir stated.
“It’s inevitable that there will be changes to our list at the end of the year but we want to keep the core group together.
“And we want to make sure they keep developing together because we think that’ll take us a long way.”
Fremantle upset reigning premiers Geelong on their dwelling turf of GMHBA Stadium on the weekend and should again that up in opposition to Brisbane at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Longmuir stated it was necessary they completed the season properly and that gamers had been optimistic about the way forward for the membership.
“They play a massive part in that. Those connections between the playing group are vital to maintaining and building a list,” he stated.
“The connections in our playing group are really strong. The motivation to achieve has never waned.
“Last year we had a lot of change, I think 10 changes to the list … we want to make sure we don’t have that again and we maintain a level of consistency with personnel because that plays a big part in performance.”
Longmuir stated defender Brennan Cox needed to get by coaching this week to make himself obtainable to tackle Brisbane after overcoming an ankle damage.
It may power veteran Joel Hamling again to the WAFL regardless of a stable three video games since returning to the aspect.
“They (Brisbane) have a lot of aerial threats in their forward half,” Longmuir stated.
“Whoever misses out is going to be pretty stiff because it was a really even performance on the weekend. That’s footy though sometimes.”
Longmuir wouldn’t rule out sending Cox ahead however stated considered one of their forwards can be stiff to overlook out with former Gold Coast Sun Josh Corbett kicking two targets, whereas Jye Amiss and Josh Treacy have been spectacular.
“What it does is provide plenty of options, so that’s a good position to be in,” he stated.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
