Fremantle Football Club, bracing for a long week. They are under enormous pressure after their woeful effort against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium last Friday night. That defeat has raised burning questions about coach Justin Longmuir’s professional future. Despite strong backing from team captain Alex Pearce, doubt hangs in the air about Longmuir’s future. The Dockers entered the season with expectations through the roof, with most pundits predicting them to make the finals. At 4-4, their record demands they quickly begin to turn things around.
The match against St Kilda was characterized by Fremantle’s crashing down to earth without any capacity to compete. The Dockers could never settle against the Saints who controlled things across the ground. The absence of key players Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw loomed large. Serong had a horror night, notching only 15 disposals, his worst since his first season debut five seasons ago. Hayden Young limped off the field in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. This miscue just added to the team’s woes.
Reflecting on the match, Longmuir could hardly fathom how badly his side had played. He noted, “Nothing in the week gave me alarm bells that we were going to walk into this game thinking it’s easy.” The coach emphasized the need for introspection among players and staff alike, stating, “Everyone at the football club at the moment should be questioning themselves.”
Pearce, visibly devastated, echoed Longmuir’s sentiments. We were able to do a lot of good things. “We went into this match knowing what we needed to accomplish and we trained extremely hard. In a real sense, we failed him as a country as much as we failed ourselves. We let down our own fans,” he said.
Misunderstandings excuses for individual struggles aside, Fremantle was outmanned and outmatched in almost every phase of the game. Longmuir lamented, “We got beaten in all aspects of the game. We knew they were a strong ground-ball team, contested possession, and we just got smashed. It’s really disappointing to get beaten by what we knew.”
The team’s now preparing for their heavyweights battle with over-powerful Collingwood on Thursday night. Longmuir shares her worries over Fremantle’s inconsistency as they gear up for the daunting task before them. He stated, “When we get challenged early in games … I’m not sure we’re up for the fight.” This commentary underscores a broader issue facing the club: the need to unify and perform under pressure.
Through all of this chaos, Pearce remains steadfastly supportive of Longmuir and his game style. President Sertich echoed the sentiment of solidarity through difficult times. Pearce stated, “We really clearly would love to not be in this position, but we have to stick together.” This focus on togetherness may be just what Fremantle needs as they attempt to bounce back from their dramatic losses on field.
Longmuir also addressed his own accountability, stating, “The first thing I look at after a performance like that – and any good leader should – is what did I get wrong? Of course I’m going to question myself.” His commitment to self-reflection speaks to a genuine willingness for growth and improvement both within himself and the organization he leads.
As Fremantle reaches a pivotal point in their season, they need to tackle both their performance on the field and their culture within the club’s four walls. The huge Anzac Day clash against Collingwood now looms as an instant redemption opportunity. It is unclear if they will be able to fulfill this critical role.
