Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir lashes out at Dockers display in last week’s loss to Western Bulldogs - “That’s not what I stand for as a coach”

Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir has slammed his players for their awful performance last week against the Western Bulldogs. The Dockers suffered a huge 67-point loss (149-82) at the hands of the Bulldogs, which came as a shocker due to their impressive form heading into the clash.

Fremantle were on a three-game unbeaten run before a Round 13 bye which includes a 92-point thumping of Melbourne, only to slump to their worst defensive performance under Longmuir’s four-and-a-half-year tenure.

Longmuir did not mince words while speaking about his side's performance in the previous round, claiming that some of his players were more concerned about padding their stats than helping the team in defensive duties. He said (via Fox Footy):

"There’s no doubt in the seniors on the weekend that guys were worried more about how many possessions they got than how they competed in the contest, how they pressured the opposition and how they defended. That’s not what I stand for as a coach."

The Fremantle Dockers have one of the best defensive setups in the league this season, which makes conceding 149 points unusual. The coach pinpointed his side's complacency in their defensive 50 as the major reason for the loss to the Bulldogs, saying:

"It’s not our offense and scoring. When you’re coming off a 140-point score against Melbourne and you go into the bye, sometimes your priorities can just get swayed a little bit."

He continued:

"I’m not talking massive margins either. It only needs to be a little bit in this game to lose your edge and give the opposition a sniff. We rely on what’s important – around the contest, pressure and the way we defend the ground. No doubt we’ll bounce back."

However, despite his blunt assessment, Longmuir revealed no player was pointed out for their performance, rather the issues were discussed collectively as a team.

"No individuals got called out. The issues we covered in the team meeting were team issues. Yes, some individuals were in the individual clips, but they were only highlighted because it was a team problem. Everyone needs to bounce back," the coach said.

"I’m confident we can turn it around" - Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir confident of victory against Gold Coast

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is confident his side will bounce back from their Round 14 loss to the Western Bulldogs when they trade tackles with Gold Coast this Sunday.

Speaking ahead of their Round 15 clash with the Suns, Longmuir revealed his players accepted the blame for their poor show last week against the Bulldogs and are ready to redeem themselves against Gold Coast.

"They came in and owned it. They’re up and about, they want to redeem themselves. I get criticized at times for being calm and composed. I don’t react to one performance. Just like I didn’t react to the Melbourne game, I’m not reacting to this.

"Clearly some players got some things wrong on the weekend, which contributed to us getting a lot wrong. I don’t think it’s going to be much to realign. Only two games ago we had a 92-point win. I’m confident we can turn it around," he said.

Fremantle with a 6-1-6 record are eighth in the standings and will look to consolidate their position with a win ahead of the 2024 qualifying finals.