Wayward Freo turning coach Longmuir grey 

Wayward Freo turning coach Longmuir grey 


Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is fast turning into a silver fox, but he was quick to excuse the team’s latest goalkicking wobbles that almost cost them victory in Sunday’s four-point AFL win over Richmond.

The Dockers have built a reputation for being the most inaccurate team this year, recording more goals than points in just four of their 19 games.

Against Richmond, Fremantle booted 7.13 (55) in blustery conditions at Optus Stadium.

Luckily for Fremantle the Tigers fared even worse, with the defending premiers kicking 6.15 (51).

Longmuir is in just his second year of coaching, but he has already experienced plenty of frustrations and near misses.

Getting the win against Richmond moved Fremantle into eighth spot, and there will be more nervous times ahead as the Dockers attempt to snare their first finals berth since 2015.

Improving Fremantle’s goalkicking accuracy has been a big focus for Longmuir in recent months, but he is willing to let their wayward display against Richmond slide.

“Unfortunately I’m getting used to it. I’m getting a little bit greyer because of it,” Longmuir joked.

“The conditions were really ordinary out there. Watching it on TV or in the stands you probably didn’t get a sense of how windy it was, how difficult it was.

“I wouldn’t have been able to get the ball to hit my foot, let alone through the big sticks.

“We missed our fair share early. I thought they (Richmond) missed some they should have kicked as well, so I think that evened itself out.”

The win was all the more meritorious given Fremantle were missing stars Nat Fyfe, Michael Walters, Alex Pearce, and Rory Lobb.

Fyfe and Lobb are out for the rest of the season, and Walters could miss five more weeks.

But Pearce (concussion) is expected to return for Sunday’s clash with Brisbane in Perth.

Dockers forward Bailey Banfield will miss the match after suffering a concussion against Richmond.

The Tigers led by nine points against Fremantle in the last quarter, but a mark-of-the-year contender from Lachie Schultz helped turn the momentum.

Schultz kicked the goal to kick-start the fightback, and he ended the match with two goals to his name.

“I thought ‘Shooter’ played a really disciplined team game,” Longmuir said of Schultz.

“He was really unselfish. It’s funny as a forward how if you go into a game being really unselfish and you do the right thing for the team, some of those moments land in your lap.

“He’s always been a pretty good overhead mark and he puts himself in those situations. It was critical, and I thought he played a super game all around.”

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