Coach Justin Longmuir Pt 2

[Quay Club]

I think Justin uses a bic multi colour retractable ballpoint pen in the coaches box. Those things can get stuck. It's got to be an issue.

That and the lack of finger nails to press the button down on each colour..

 

[swanny1234]

Jackson should stay in Ruck, we might even win a flag. Darcy is yesterday’s man. Jackson is best hunting the ball

100%, I don’t always agree with Kane Cornes but he’s bang on with this. Jackson as a number 1 ruck wins us a flag.
Jlo just needs to not be too stubborn to see it.
I’m quite happy for Cox to just play his second fiddle and chop out if/when needed.

 

[King Huskii]

I enjoyed seeing angry Justin in the box a few times.

I enjoyed watching him spray some of our players

He's under pressure even with the wins. This means a lot to the club. The expectations are there

 

[swanny1234]

I enjoyed watching him spray some of our players

He's under pressure even with the wins. This means a lot to the club. The expectations are there

Yes, I will pay the credit where it was due, that’s the most emotional I’ve ever seen the guy in the box - good to see he can dish out a spray.

 

[King Huskii]

Yes, I will pay the credit where it was due, that’s the most emotional I’ve ever seen the guy in the box - good to see he can dish out a spray.

Its useful if done effectively

You don't just make it a habit players switch off. Murphy Reid copped it at quarter time walking to the bench because JLO new he deserved it.

 

[malpaso]

They had 61 inside 50s and kept them to 5 goals...

The backline is like the sole reason they won

Yeah I get that, they were forced into action and the Pies were terrible with their entries for the majority of the game.

 

[Purple Suit]

Its useful if done effectively

You don't just make it a habit players switch off. Murphy Reid copped it at quarter time walking to the bench because JLO knew he deserved it.

It’s always going to be useful from Jlo since he doesn’t do it very often. It’s his emergency card rather than his one wood.

 

[malpaso]

Jackson should stay in Ruck, we might even win a flag. Darcy is yesterday’s man. Jackson is best hunting the ball

I agree however during the regular season we CANNOT wear him down so that he's 1) Available for critical matches and 2) Is ready ramp it up in Finals.

 

[malpaso]

It’s always going to be useful from Jlo since he doesn’t do it very often. It’s his emergency card rather than his one wood.

It has been quite widely reported that Jlo behind the walls is much more direct and forceful than he appears externally.

 

[swanny1234]

I agree however during the regular season we CANNOT wear him down so that he's 1) Available for critical matches and 2) Is ready ramp it up in Finals.

Which is why Cox in is the obvious play moving forward - allows Jackson to play 60-70% in the ruck and Cox can rest forward or on bench and chop out when necessary.

When Darcy is on the field you’re obliged to play him ruck 100% of the time he’s on the ground as he can’t play forward like Cox can.

 

[clivenator26]

He’s still a bit awkward but he seems a lot more confident and willing to have a laugh at these pressers.

Not that it matters to be honest.

 

[stax on the mull]

That and the lack of finger nails to press the button down on each colour..

I hear where you're coming from brother. What I think is happening repeatedly is a build up of lint and general dirt in the springs inside the thrust device of the pen that makes it either hard to retract the nibs, or hard to push the nibs out and change colours and this leads to Justin breaking the edge of his nails. This is why he ends up being distracted trying to bite the loose bits. For chrissakes where is he storing these pens in between games.

 

[Deveraux]

Mature, established teams changing their whole game plan to try and figure out how to beat Freo but too good, doesn't work. JLo masterclass.

 

[toto95]

Yes, I will pay the credit where it was due, that’s the most emotional I’ve ever seen the guy in the box - good to see he can dish out a spray.

Big fan of JLs spray, angry pen scribbles and crazy eyes era.

 

[theGav56]

Come on guys. We saw great coaching on display last night, it was a huge factor in what got us the W. Treacy to defence was brilliant. As a side we didn't fall apart at any stage but stuck to what we thought would get us through. We out-clutched the Kings of Clutch for the past few years. Our lads are playing with determination and never-say-die. Our only loss of teh season was one we expected to lose. Knocking off Adelaide and Collingwood two weeks in a row is just fabulous.

I confess, I'm a swinger.

After our humiliations to open 2025 after JLo's 'vanilla' comment I posted that I'd lost interest and was just waiting for JLo's sacking. I was W.R.O.N.G.

I think that of the 6-7 contenders Freo has the most upside in the season. We have absolutely earned Top 4 favouritism and from there anything is possible.

Go Freo. Go JLo. This is a great ride. Everyone needs to get onboard.

Longmuir and co are positioning the club to finish top 4.

To achieve that they have clearly addressed some issues:

• a significantly more aggressive games style
• a strong focus on higher scoring utilising both talls and smalls, and improving midfielder goal scoring
• much better first quarters.
• developing list depth that is ready to impact across the most vulnerable areas of our game
• a fitness/strength based that enables us to remain ferocious in the final moments of the game

We are clearly stepping up, and that is good coaching.

 

[Duz97]

So away games that I’ll count as a loss
Lions and dogs
50/50 away game giants

Play gc dogs hawks Geelong crows swans in Perth say at worse go 3-3 probably go 4-2

Danger games are north and saints since we never play well against them at a all for arguments sake say we go 1-1

Win the rest that we defs should win
Will put us 16 and 7. Think that’s the bare minimum we should be come finals which you would think is 4/5th at worst. Wouldn’t be surprised if we go 18-5 but can’t see us losing more then 7 for the year.

 

[chaosball32]

I definitely wouldn’t say they dealt with the pressure well. Just rewatching the last 2 minutes now.

• Rushed clearance from Clark saved by epic second effort, gut running to affect the Jones kick
• Brayshaw spills the ball in the ensuing stoppage
• McAndrew picks it up, Jackson and Bolton fail to restrain him and he gets the handball to Rankine in space
• Bolton lets Rankine get past him
• Rankine kicks i50, a Freo player (can’t see who) is ball watching and loses Keays who marks in the pocket
• Keays misses, we get lucky
• Ryan’s kick-in is way too central, should have been towards the boundary
• Jackson does well in a 2-on-1 aerial contest, Voss brings ball to ground for stoppage
• Bolton gets Milera high, no whistle but Milera gets free anyway
• Berry goes i50, good spoil from Chapman on Walker
• Pearce fails to restrain Thilthorpe who gets the kick away to Borlase in space
• Borlase hits the post, we get lucky again
• Again way too central from the kick-in, this time from McVee
• Voss and Jackson both go up for the ball, neither touch it and it spills out the back to an Adelaide player
• Bolton bodies the Adelaide player off the ball and we regain possession
• Johnson then kicks it out on the full, giving the ball back to Adelaide
• Ball goes i50 again, ball is spoilt, Johnson fumbles it through his legs then goes to ground
• Pearce smothers Peatling (smother of the year)
• Brayshaw clears it but Amiss gets a shocking bounce and Adelaide go in again
• Massive fist from Cox in the pack to Brayshaw and Serong in space
• Siren

So in the last 2 minutes I count 6 things we did right and 13 things we did wrong.

Yes it’s easier to sit in my armchair with a birds eye view, and no I’m not “miserable” or a “hater” or whatever. I’m happy we won but the reality is we got pretty lucky. We did just enough in the 1st half that our crap 2nd half didn’t cost us like it did in Geelong.

In the pursuit of fairness I’ve gone back and watched the last 2 minutes of this weeks game:

• Pearce big 1-on-1 win vs Membrey
• Kicks down the line to Voss who gets outbodied and outmarked by Maynard
• Maynard kicks into the corridor, big fist from Cox from behind to spoil McStay
• Perryman gathers and goes inside, huge mark Treacy
• Treacy to Ryan who takes 15 seconds off the clock
• Ryan goes down the line, Jackson brings the ball to ground and Voss + Dudley wrap up Cameron
• Jackson jumps over Cameron and taps straight down to Brayshaw
• Brayshaw kicks it right into Pendlebury, ball deflects to Perryman in space
• Dudley covers 20 metres in 2 seconds to pressure Perryman
• Clark similarly covers a lot of ground to pressure McCreery’s kick
• McCreery’s kick long to goal square, big spoil from Pearce + Treacy on Membrey
• Ball spills, Freo defenders cause stoppage taking 10 seconds off the clock
• Ball-up, Freo defenders clog the contest and take another 10 seconds off
• Jackson knocks it down to Brayshaw who locks it up and forces another stoppage
• Jackson taps it to Sidebottom who’s dislodged by Brayshaw
• Another 10 seconds taken off the clock from Freo’s defensive pressure
• Jackson wins a ground ball with two Pies around him, handball over his head to Chapman who clears
• Voss is bodied underneath the ball by Quaynor, but follows up by pressuring Jaicos over the ball
• Ball bobbles around to Clark, who hands to Voss, who kicks to Amiss in space
• Siren

Last 2 mins vs Adelaide: 6-13
Last 2 mins vs Collingwood: 16-2

Overall much more composed in the late stages this week. We won this game on our own defensive merits as opposed to mostly lucking our way to victory last week. Impressive.

This will be my last comment on the matter as it’s not really related to the thread lol.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

The manner of the loss to Geelong really got me.

But I'm quite surprised we are 4-1 given our fixture to start the season. I saw us at 3-2 or 2-3.

That's huge.

I'm still not 100% sold. I think our capacity to build a strong lead or build percentage needs work. We also need to make sure we don't trip over a banana skin against a poor team as we've done for such a long period of time.

But I can't see us not being top 4-6 if we keep things going as is. If we improve just a little bit further the sky is the limit.

I think I'm back at I get my hopes up. Not quite at start to believe again on the famed cycle of being a Dockers supporter.

Well done Justin.

 

[go_the_dockers]

The manner of the loss to Geelong really got me.

But I'm quite surprised we are 4-1 given our fixture to start the season. I saw us at 3-2 or 2-3.

That's huge.

I'm still not 100% sold. I think our capacity to build a strong lead or build percentage needs work. We also need to make sure we don't trip over a banana skin against a poor team as we've done for such a long period of time.

But I can't see us not being top 4-6 if we keep things going as is. If we improve just a little bit further the sky is the limit.

I think I'm back at I get my hopes up. Not quite at start to believe again on the famed cycle of being a Dockers supporter.

Well done Justin.

Both games could have easily been losses. We are very lucky to get two wins. Inaccurate kicking saved us.

We need to improve if we will do much damage in finals.

 

[The Lobbster]

Both games could have easily been losses. We are very lucky to get two wins. Inaccurate kicking saved us.

We need to improve if we will do much damage in finals.

We were more inaccurate than Adelaide

 

[Dump Truck]

In the pursuit of fairness I’ve gone back and watched the last 2 minutes of this weeks game:

• Pearce big 1-on-1 win vs Membrey
• Kicks down the line to Voss who gets outbodied and outmarked by Maynard
• Maynard kicks into the corridor, big fist from Cox from behind to spoil McStay
• Perryman gathers and goes inside, huge mark Treacy
• Treacy to Ryan who takes 15 seconds off the clock
• Ryan goes down the line, Jackson brings the ball to ground and Voss + Dudley wrap up Cameron
• Jackson jumps over Cameron and taps straight down to Brayshaw
• Brayshaw kicks it right into Pendlebury, ball deflects to Perryman in space
• Dudley covers 20 metres in 2 seconds to pressure Perryman
• Clark similarly covers a lot of ground to pressure McCreery’s kick
• McCreery’s kick long to goal square, big spoil from Pearce + Treacy on Membrey
• Ball spills, Freo defenders cause stoppage taking 10 seconds off the clock
• Ball-up, Freo defenders clog the contest and take another 10 seconds off
• Jackson knocks it down to Brayshaw who locks it up and forces another stoppage
• Jackson taps it to Sidebottom who’s dislodged by Brayshaw
• Another 10 seconds taken off the clock from Freo’s defensive pressure
• Jackson wins a ground ball with two Pies around him, handball over his head to Chapman who clears
• Voss is bodied underneath the ball by Quaynor, but follows up by pressuring Jaicos over the ball
• Ball bobbles around to Clark, who hands to Voss, who kicks to Amiss in space
• Siren

Last 2 mins vs Adelaide: 6-13
Last 2 mins vs Collingwood: 16-2

Overall much more composed in the late stages this week. We won this game on our own defensive merits as opposed to mostly lucking our way to victory last week. Impressive.

This will be my last comment on the matter as it’s not really related to the thread lol.

This was enjoyable to read. Definitely much more than last week's (as you said its more about us winning rather than being lucky).
Hopefully we're progressing to becoming as well drilled as those Brisbane/Geelong teams

 

[Purpletown]

Teams don't continually win close games without a decent plan and the players to implement and then execute that plan. We have a very good record over 2025 and so far this season in winning most of the close games we play in. Unfortunately the one that hurt us most was the loss to GC in the finals.
Credit to the coaching staff and the players for achieving results that are second to none in the AFL in that time frame. Those close wins are extremely important for a teams chances in any give year.
Looking back to the 2024 debacle v Essendon, where they just waltzed the ball out the front of centre bounces too many times, we have a maturity and some real grit to get on top in those situations. Definitely moving in the right direction.

 

[PrancingPony]

Teams don't continually win close games without a decent plan and the players to implement and then execute that plan. We have a very good record over 2025 and so far this season in winning most of the close games we play in. Unfortunately the one that hurt us most was the loss to GC in the finals.
Credit to the coaching staff and the players for achieving results that are second to none in the AFL in that time frame. Those close wins are extremely important for a teams chances in any give year.
Looking back to the 2024 debacle v Essendon, where they just waltzed the ball out the front of centre bounces too many times, we have a maturity and some real grit to get on top in those situations. Definitely moving in the right direction.

The players and coaches are carrying themselves with a lot more hunger this year, you can see it in their body language after a win.

Everyone has fully bought in.

 

[King Huskii]

The players and coaches are carrying themselves with a lot more hunger this year, you can see it in their body language after a win.

Everyone has fully bought in.

Yes hence he's doing a pretty decent job.

 

[Quazar2]

***DISCLAIMER: I'm bored so I'll have a waffle. Apologies in advance for the essay ahead!



I think for me, the interesting thing surrounded not just Justin, but HIS team as it currently stands now, is how much growth I've personally seen/witnessed. Obviously there's the long way to go, and Freo are far from the finished article, but they're also not the AFL's teacher-pets getting access to red-hot academy or father/son picks that in any draft would be top 3 like an Ashcroft or 2, so in terms of how they've built this list post-Ross years is really impressive and outstanding.

Justin feels so instrumental in re-building the culture, that every now and again I see Ross in a presser have a pot-shot. "10 year rebuild" (fffs, how many of them were you here for dummy?! And how much did you suck the life out of said culture that it took this long to reverse it you draconian snide?!). And saying Justin hasn't been happy for 20 years or something, what's all this Ross, bit obsessed with Freo still whilst you're back at the Saints? Bit strange really, I'd want my coach to focus on my club, not his previous.

Anyway, I genuinely think he is jealous, because he failed in what Justin is now implementing and seemingly cementing here, I feel like Ross internally maybe waved the white flag without publicly doing it because his 2012-2015 team just couldn't get the job done (a list mostly built previously before he arrived) which is a team getting battle-hardened and sharpened like an axe to cut down foes at will. I don't really think Ross was ready OR willing to rebuild at the time because he wanted his flag, which I can't say I blame him on one hand. But the slips in culture became really evident as time meandered on, especially when Ross got too big for his boots and made some off the cuff remarks that should have got him fired there and then. History is history though now.

But my main point (not to get sidetracked or hung up on ex-coaches!) I want to discuss or mention is just how much things have changed in 2 years.

In football, 2 years sounds like a lot, but in most businesses just starting out, that's baby/toddler zones. This time (or thereabouts) 2 years ago, a Freo team looking for redemption of missing finals in 2023 the previous year went to Adelaide to play Carlton in Gather Round and then Port in a regular away fixture. They were 3-0 to start the season, their best start since 2015 I do believe. However. they lost both (one albeit in extremely controversial fashion), but they lost, nonetheless, the record books unfortunately show that.

Then off the back of an emotionally draining/jading couple of losses they got mega-ambushed by the Eagles back in WA and suddenly their 3-0 to start the year record was 3-3 and everyone was upset and the usual defeatist tropes came out to play. Which, given the circumstances was as understandable as it was expected.

Fast-forward to 2026 and almost the exact mirror-fixturing (albeit different teams) around the same part of the year or circumstances present. Arguably slightly more challenging. Now the team has a slight edge to it, more resilience and a better understanding of circumstances practiced. Throw in a heavy dose of 'luck' (you still make your own regardless), and they come back 2-zip rather than 0-2. I think for me, that's the fundamental difference, the team has evolved, matured and grown. What it failed to do or be ready for before, it was prepped and ready for 2 years on. And they went to task.

Road trips are never easy, and this team knows all about them, but it takes some guts to be backs against the wall and come out triumphant. It might not look pretty and been wholly palatable in terms of the manner of coming out on top, but it counts for something and the 4 points are invaluable. Obviously, some different personnel are involved, but it's that feeling of evolving that we've all been asking for, it's there.... it's happening. We'd all like to wallop each team 100+ points every damn time, but realistically, more games like this will occur than not; it's how they handled the moments and what they did to turn things around that have impressed me. No one wants a 39-45 outcome from a weather-affected game as a genuine spectacle of enjoyment. Unless they're some kind of sado-masochist!!

All that remains here to swoop full circle like a majestic eagle (ah....oops! My bad, poor choice of simile!), is to defeat. Yeah, them. The Eagles!

I think to take the next step, it's to defeat the arch enemy and march into a stirring Anzac round (probably one of my favourites of the entire fixtures) against Carlton, another nemesis of sorts to really get this season rolling. I honestly don't know from there what will happen. It feels exciting even if it ends up being (another!) false dawn. Let's hope what we're witnessing is the 'precise' evolution it takes to make it happen. But unlike others I like riding the highs and lows. Preferably the highs!

Ultimately, they're the ones you get out of bed for, in each and every day.

Let's see what this next chapter in the 2026 Freo evolution presents us. And good on Justin for stickling fat, working through his deficiencies; galvanizing the team/club's cultures and habits to push them into this exciting period of evolution that hopefully will yield something magical