Mick McGuane: Why John Longmire must stick with Sydney and reject North Melbourne

John Longmire is a wanted man and this morning his manager confirmed North Melbourne had made contact with the Swans coach. Mick McGuane says Longmire needs to do what Alastair Clarkson did.

Contracts? Do they mean anything any more?

I would hope so. Alastair Clarkson’s response to a question about his tenure on Fox Footy this week was a breath of fresh air.

When asked about his role at Hawthorn, and if he were staying, despite expected interest from rival clubs, he dead-batted the conversation.

Clarko said with great clarity: “I sat down with the club and made a commitment. It’s not just a commitment to the club, it’s a commitment to players you recruit, and staff you recruit, and coaches you’re trying to help out on their journey.

“(I won’t break a commitment), not until the contract ends.”

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That’s meant to be the essence of a contract.

The paper you sign your name to should have some standing.

You are supposed to honour it.

Clarko was forthright, honest and prepared to back himself in to get the job done.

Sydney coach John Longmire — Clarko’s old teammate and long-time friend — MUST do the same.

He’s under contract with the Swans until the end of next year, but there is mounting speculation he is about to get a “godfather” offer from North Melbourne to break that deal.

Longmire has deflected the discussion at recent press conferences, but has had the chance to ‘do a Clarko’ and completely and utterly dismiss it.

So far he hasn’t done that. Speculation will continue. That’s disappointing.

Swans assistant John Blakey and coach John Longmire, both former Kangas, have each been linked to the North job. Picture. Phil Hillyard

In mid July 2016 the Swans and Longmire agreed to a three-year extension, tying which tied him to the club until the end of the 2020 season.

At the time, Longmire said: “I am really fortunate that it is a terrific football club — from the board, to the executive, to the staff and the playing group … it is a tough job being a coach, but it is a lot easier by the fact we have got good people around at all levels.”

Then football director and now chief executive Tom Harley said when Longmire signed the deal: “We firmly believe John is the best person to guide our young players and coach our team as (the) list demands of the competition continue to evolve.”

History tell us the Swans made it through to the 2016 Grand Final — losing to the Western Bulldogs — meaning they had every reason to believe they had the right man.

Coaches in the middle of contract discussions — either through the club’s initiative, aching for stability, or a proactive manager — search for security on the back of perceived value.

In this instance, when a three-year contract is on the table, the coach doesn’t have to sign it.

But when he does, there must be an expectation to follow it through.

The vision, the plan, the relationships, the recruits, the assistant coaches, the entire playing list all become a part of that journey.

Alastair Clarkson knocked talk of him leaving on the head. Pic: AAP

Rhyce Shaw has done a fine job as caretaker at North. Pic: Getty Images

Longmire would understand that.

The romantic, sentimental subplot of an old favourite reconnecting with his club — in this case North Melbourne — becomes part of the story.

Timing is always important in any appointment, and sometimes in sport and life, the stars align.

But when they don’t … bad luck!

The AFL world will always throw up thunderbolts, or curve balls, if you like. Just when everything seems on the upward curve, sometimes the unexpected calls.

The Swans have played in every finals series since 2009, and Longmire has played a big part in that, having been senior coach since 2011.

I don’t think any of us envisaged the Swans being in their current predicament, sitting 15th on the ladder and with only four wins.

My great coach Leigh Matthews would always say “never expect, never assume”.

Premiership coach Longmire

This is the environment the Swans find themselves in now, and it is the greatest challenge of Longmire’s coaching career.

If he was to walk at the end of this season and take on the North Melbourne job — while contracted — it would look as if he was abandoning a sinking ship.

Longmire is better than that … and so he should be.

I don’t know about his personal situation, or what his future plans are.

My point is if he was prepared to sign a deal and embark on a plan with the Swans, he needs to see it through. He owes that to the club and his players.

Courage in footy comes in many forms.

As a player the adrenaline of match days can see you accomplish amazing things.

As a coach, that courage comes from staying the course, and sticking to the plan you set in place is a huge part of the jigsaw puzzle.

Longmire is a premiership coach (2012) and has taken the Swans to two other Grand Finals (2014 and 2016).

So it is obvious he has what it takes to galvanise a group and take it to the pointy end.

He is trying to do it again, reinventing this 2019 group on the run.

I’ve always admired a coach who can rebuild, reinvent and reinvigorate during the course of a season.

Generally, a checklist revolves around what we want to do, why we need to do it, how we are going to do it, and when are we going to do it.

Longmire and his coaching staff look to have identified those four questions — why, what, how and when — and finding the answers proves your prowess.

It is a challenge on the back of equalisation, the soft-cap, drafting and trading, and it is difficult to stay around the top for any extended period of time.

For an outsider, the Swans and Longmire look to be a perfect marriage. They seem to trust and believe in each other, hence the 2016 contract extension.

If the last month of Longmire’s coaching is a reflection of his emotional investment in the playing group, you would hope he is going nowhere.

Nor should he!

John, it’s time to stop the speculation. You’ve got a contract, it’s time to see it out.

* Mick McGuane’s column on John Longmire appeared in the Herald Sun on June 21.

Originally published as Mick McGuane: Why John Longmire must stick with Sydney and reject North Melbourne