Is Justin Longmuir’s coaching future at risk amid another inconsistent season for Fremantle?

Questions are being asked of Justin Longmuir’s tenure after an embarrassing loss to St Kilda. And those questions are fair when you’ve played one finals series in six years, writes Eliza Reilly.

It’s an age-old footy adage.

When teams win, the players are praised.

But when they lose, the coach is to blame.

“F***ing disappointing.”

“This is a soft culture.”

“We’re really embarrassed.”

“Are we up for the challenge?”

That’s how players, coaches and pundits described Fremantle’s 61-point loss to St Kilda in round eight.

Freo’s loss to the Saints has them firmly in the firing line. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Some say it was the most disappointing performance of Justin Longmuir’s time at the helm. Others believe this latest instalment of mediocrity is synonymous with Fremantle’s 30-year history.

What’s certain is that questions are being asked of Longmuir’s tenure as his side suffered its fourth loss this season. And unfortunately for the under-siege coach, a group one field of contenders has quietly assembled in the background should he fail to take Fremantle back to finals.

Safe and secure coaches don’t receive “20 or 30 text messages” in the days after a loss to offer support and check in. But when you have one finals series to show from six years at the helm, the football world is entitled to start asking the question.

“People say we’re hard on coaches, and we probably are,” Fox Footy expert David King said. “But when you’ve coached the same team for six years and you’ve still got inconsistencies and you still put in a stinker every few weeks … Is it a motivational issue? A tactical/strategic issue? Is it a talent issue?”

The stats say that if you don’t win a premiership within your first five years as a coach, you probably never will. Since the AFL era began in 1990, just six AFL coaches have won their first premiership beyond their fifth season in charge, with Damien Hardwick (eighth season), Chris Fagan (eighth season) Mark Thompson (eighth season) and Mick Malthouse (ninth season) among the outliers.

Justin Longmuir is one of the most under-pressure men in footy. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Dockers would also have to defy history to achieve the ultimate this year given only eight teams have suffered a loss more significant than Fremantle’s 78-point margin against Geelong in round one during the home and away season and gone on to win the premiership.

A 10-goal loss to the defensively minded Saints is however verging on the final straw.

“There’s a long way to go in this season, but if it unravelled, this would go down as a coach killer for the Dockers,” Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy said on SEN’s commentary.

“These types of performances can cost coaches their jobs,” Fox Footy expert and four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis added. “That will be the question: is this coach the right coach to lead this team forward?”

Fremantle’s clearance differential of -28 is the club’s worst on record and it’s also the 9th worst in AFL history. The Dockers also went down -48 in contested possession, the third-worst differential in club history.

In the first half, Fremantle scored from just 8.7 per cent of its inside 50s, the worst conversion rate of any team in Champion Data history.

“Does he [Longmuir] have the ability to stand up in front of the group, and make them want to run through a wall?” Collingwood premiership player Sharrod Wellingham told ABC Perth.

“Can he build the players up to want to jump out of their skin?”

It doesn’t help that chief executive Simon Garlick brashly declared pre-game that Longmuir would “absolutely” be coach of Fremantle in round one, 2026, praising the “phenomenal job” he is doing.

Garlick may have softened his stance upon the team’s return to Perth, but what’s become clear in the post-mortem if the Dockers are determined to “spread the burden of blame.”

“What happens externally is the coach gets blamed for every poor performance,” Longmuir told the media on Wednesday. “Realistically, what happens internally is that everyone takes ownership in their part of those performances.

“I know with the external noise going on, I know everyone would like me to sit here and say that we’ve had crisis talks, this and that, meeting after meeting, but to be honest, it’s been a really consistent week.

“I don’t sit there and read external commentary. What I’ve done this week is I’ve tried to prepare the players the best I can for our upcoming performance, irrelevant of what’s going on externally.”

COACHES VS PLAYERS

Ask the players and they’ll tell you unequivocally that Longmuir is the man for the job.

Co-vice-captain Caleb Serong revealed earlier this week he’d personally reached out to the under-siege coach to offer his support.

The dual Doig Medallist was held to his lowest disposal tally since his debut season, finishing with 15 touches against St Kilda. Serong said the mounting pressure on Longmuir is “hard to cop” given the playing group is also liable for Fremantle’s inconsistency.

“I texted him yesterday and just made sure he knew I have full belief in the game plan and him as a coach and I love playing for him,” Serong said on Monday.

Caleb Serong expressed his support for Longmuir this week. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“It’s on us to respond and make sure we’re the ones going out there and playing the game plan that he’s setting up for us, because it’s a winning game plan in my opinion. We just haven’t played it consistently enough and that’s on us.

“He would have been copping a bit of heat over the last couple of days and I just wanted him to know that he’s got my full backing as a leader and I’ve got no doubt that’s a reflection of the whole playing group … he’s got our full belief.”

Longmuir revealed Serong wasn’t the only one to reach out.

“It’s frustrating they have to do it,” he said. “I’d rather not be in this situation. But I’m glad they have.

“I feel everyone’s support inside the four walls.

“The difference is that I’ve had 20 or 30 text messages checking in to make sure I’m going alright, which I really appreciate.”

The Dockers held a review on Saturday morning before flying back to Perth.

All-Australian defender Luke Ryan said the coach can’t be at fault when the players aren’t executing.

“If they sit inside of our meetings, they’ll see we’re not doing the game plan that JL set out for us to do,” he said. “It’s all to do with us and nothing to do with JL.

“We back JL in 100 per cent. It’s on the playing group. Some of the clips we’ve seen … it’s player-driven. It’s not the coach. It’s on us.

“It’s only been eight rounds. You can turn around seasons pretty quickly like Hawthorn and Brisbane.

“We’ll hit our straps. I know we will. We’ve got a tough four weeks, but we’ll find out where we’re at from here.”

TALENT VS SYSTEM

It’s impossible to trust Fremantle when they don’t trust themselves.

Despite boasting one of the most talented lists in the competition, the Dockers aren’t playing to their potential.

“Are we overvaluing their list? I don’t think we are. I think they’re stacked,” King said.

If the Fremantle job were to become available, it would be the hottest job in footy. Unlike last year when contender after contender ruled themselves out at West Coast, the Dockers’ list is flush with potential.

All-Australians, Brownlow medallists, first-round draft picks, premiership players – all of the puzzle pieces are in place. But Ryan said the Dockers’ playing group doesn’t deserve the praise it’s receiving.

The Fremantle job could one of footy’s most coveted. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“People can say it’s a premiership list, but we’ve never won a premiership,” he said. “We’re just inconsistent. There’s nothing we can do.

“The list is there, but we’ve got to play the coach’s game plan, which we’re not performing. We’ve got to do the work.

“We can’t expect we’re going to win because we’ve got a premiership list like everyone is saying.”

Asked about the gap between talent and on-field results, Serong said Fremantle was being let down by individualistic mindsets.

“I think the best teams have individuals who can play on instinct and then guys that are playing roles,” Serong said.

“We at the moment need to continue to dive into where we sit within that game plan and, as individuals or as a group, how much we want to really give to that.

“At the moment, there’s probably been not 100 per cent buy in across the board, and I think that’s probably not allowing us to really bring that talent out and, as a group, not allowing us to get the results we are after.

“I think the roles and the dedication to the game plan and the team will allow the talent to come out more because we will be more predictable to each other, and we’ll know what we’re after from each individual and the group as well.”

The problem is that system has always been Fremantle’s strength and talent a bonus.

HOME AND AWAY

The difference between the Dockers’ home and away form has been one of the most alarming facets of Fremantle’s decline in 2025.

Last year, Fremantle maintained a 5-6 away record and a positive 7-1-4 home ledger.

This year, the Dockers have only won once away from Optus Stadium, against Richmond in Gather Round. Fremantle’s three worst losses against Geelong in round one (78 points), Melbourne in round six (10 points) and the Saints (61 points) have all come in Victoria.

Serong said Fremantle’s travel routine is currently under the microscope, given WA teams must perform away from home to be considered a genuine premiership threat.

The Dockers have a problem away from Perth. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

“We need to fix it. The reality is we haven’t changed anything with our travel schedule and routine, and over the last couple of years, our travel results have actually been all right,” he said.

“This year, definitely not. There’s no beating around the bush, and we need to figure out what is going on, whether that’s individuals working on their own prep, whether that’s team little things we can do, or whether that’s during the week in the lead-up to the travel.

“We’re analysing everything. We’re looking at it all from a player leadership point of view, from a playing group point of view, from a holistic leadership point of view.

“We’re digging deep into it because we need to be better on the road. It’s not just losing games, it’s the way we’re performing.”

Originally published as Is Justin Longmuir’s coaching future at risk amid another inconsistent season for Fremantle?