Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy boast seven All-Australian blazers between them – however Walyalup (Fremantle) coach Justin Longmuir has declared it’s his personal star ruck combo that’s the finest within the competitors forward of Saturday’s blockbuster bout.
The Dockers are the No.1 group within the AFL for hit-outs with 523, due to Doig medallist Sean Darcy, who has contributed a whopping 421 to set himself up as an early All-Australian contender.
Narrm’s (Melbourne’s) Grundy (229) and Gawn (125) are nicely behind Darcy as his teammate and former Demon Luke Jackson (102), who’s ranked twenty fourth within the competitors however is getting used primarily as a ahead.
Darcy and Jackson are but to earn All-Australian blazer, whereas Grundy (two) and Gawn (5) have been constants within the facet throughout the previous decade.
Longmuir backed Darcy and Jackson as the brand new ruck pacesetters forward of their essential conflict on the MCG on Saturday.
“We think we do (have the best combination). It’s going to be a great challenge this week,” Longmuir advised SEN.
“Grundy and Gawn probably have a bit of experience on our guys, but I feel like Jacko and Sean Darcy in particular have been really good in giving our mids first look.
“I think in the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to translate that into not only stoppage wins but stoppage scores which has given us a bit of bang for buck around that area of the ground, so we need to continue that.”
Longmuir additionally threw his assist to embattled cross-town rival in Adam Simpson, whose job as coach of West Coast is beneath the pump after only one win this season and a 116-point belting a the arms of Hawthorn.
“Simmo is copping it a little bit at the moment and I feel for him and what he’s going through,” Longmuir mentioned.
“So much of it is out of the control as senior coach but we tend to wear the brunt of it so I am thinking of him.
“It is part of the industry and being part of being in a two-team town I guess.”
The function of coaches has been within the highlight this week after Damien Hardwick give up at Richmond citing being burnt out after greater than 300 video games within the function.
Longmuir mentioned whereas it was robust, being a coach was rewarding.
“If you come to work with a really strong coaching group … you get to work with young players and help them be their best self every day – I don’t think there’s a more rewarding job for that,” he mentioned.
*Fremantle have formally modified their title to Walyalup for the AFL and AFLW Indigenous Rounds.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
