Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is eager to maintain the majority of his present squad collectively in an try and construct a staff able to snaring the membership’s maiden premiership.
The Dockers (8-11) have been one of many large disappointments of 2023, with final 12 months’s semi-finalists sliding to fifteenth on the ladder.
Fremantle have been stricken by inconsistency all 12 months, with away wins over Melbourne and Geelong undone by dwelling losses to North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney.
The Dockers boast one of many youngest lists within the competitors, and the squad can be rated as one of many AFL’s most gifted.
Longmuir is eager to keep away from a repeat of final 12 months when the Dockers misplaced Griffin Logue, Rory Lobb, Blake Acres, Darcy Tucker and Lloyd Meek to trades amongst 9 record modifications.
David Mundy’s retirement left an enormous gap within the midfield.
Fremantle stay optimistic they’ll bounce again up the ladder subsequent 12 months, and Longmuir is decided to deal with the problem with a steady record.
Their greatest flight threat is wingman Liam Henry, who’s out of contract and weighing up his choices.
Ruckman Sean Darcy has another 12 months to run on his contract and will likely be closely focused by Victorian golf equipment, particularly Geelong.
“Our key goal is to keep this list together,” Longmuir advised reporters on Wednesday.
“We’ve got a lot players under 24 that are developing together, and we want to make sure we see it through together.
“It’s inevitable that there will likely be modifications to our record on the finish of the 12 months however we wish to hold the core group collectively.
“And we want to make sure they keep developing together because we think that’ll take us a long way.”
Asked about the important thing to making sure minimal departures at season’s finish, Longmuir mentioned: “We need to make sure that we finish the year well and players are really optimistic about where they see the future of the club.
“They play a large half in that. Those connections between the enjoying group are very important to sustaining and constructing a listing.
“Last year we had a lot of change … close to 25 per cent of the list changing.
“We wish to ensure that we do not have that once more and we preserve a degree of consistency with personnel, as a result of that performs a giant half in efficiency.”
Fremantle will be aiming to back up last week’s seven-point win over Geelong with victory over top-four fancies the Brisbane Lions at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
Star defender Brennan Cox is an opportunity to return from an ankle harm.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
