Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir weighs in on AFL Grand Final debate

The AFL has yet to decide where it will hold the biggest game of the season but Dockers coach Justin Longmuir thinks he might have the answer.

Longmuir played 139 games for the Dockers prior to his coaching career. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Justin Longmuir knows the job is ahead of Fremantle to play finals this season.

But the Dockers coach has still backed the push for some September action this year, including the grand final, to be played at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

His side remains in the hunt to pinch a spot in the top eight in Round 23 with a 15-point win over the Eagles.

The game was played in front of 51,692 fans, while matches in Sydney and Victoria went ahead without any crowds at all.

Growing cases of Covid-19 in both Victoria and New South Wales are putting doubts over either’s ability to host finals with crowds, with decisions needed to be made soon for logistic reasons.

Longmuir said he was all for games being played at Optus Stadium, regardless of who was participating.

“Our fans create the game; they are the game,” he said.

“We wouldn’t do it without them and the game wouldn’t be what it is without them. We need them at the games.

“When it comes to finals, playing them in front of empty stadiums just wouldn’t feel right.

“(Optus Stadium) is a world-class stadium. The Perth people would turn out to watch any finals, so I am all for them playing them here.”

That Perth crowd did turn up to the Round 12 Dreamtime clash between Richmond and Essendon. The crowd of 55,656 turned out to watch the Tigers win by 39 points. It was the biggest crowd at the Perth stadium for this season.

The Dockers’ hopes of being in the mix to play beyond Round 23 are remote, despite ending an 11-match derby losing streak against the Eagles on Sunday.

They are in 10th spot on the AFL ladder, relying on West Coast losing to Brisbane, Essendon going down to Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney being knocked off by Carlton.

If two of those happen and the Dockers can defeat St Kilda, they will sneak into an elimination final.

Longmuir warned that focusing on anything other than the Saints would be a mistake and it’s one that he said his club had mistakenly done this season already.

“We always dare to dream. We never said we didn’t want to play finals,” he said.

“We just can’t spend too much time focusing on that.

“We have to look after our own business. We focus on St Kilda; have another good week on the track and put our best foot out there.

“What happens, happens.

“That’s the learning curve over the last six to eight weeks. We have sometimes been distracted by outcomes, finals positions – outside noise and that has taken us away from our preparation.”

After beating Hawthorn by 62 points in Round 17, the Dockers jumped into seventh spot on the AFL ladder, but then lost three of their next four games, to Geelong, Sydney and Brisbane, by an average of 58 points.

Before Sunday, the Dockers had never defeated the Eagles at Optus Stadium. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The 2021 AFL Grand final might well still be played in Perth, but the chances of either of the WA-based sides participating in it copped a massive hit on Sunday.

Fremantle saw to that with an upset 15-point win over West Coast at Optus Stadium to end Round 22.

Essendon ended Round 22 in the eight and in the prime position to play finals thanks to the Dockers holding off a fast-finishing Eagles.

The 12.7 (79) to 9.10 (64) result left the Eagles in ninth spot on the ladder after the round, outside of the top eight for the first time since Round 6.

The Bombers now need to only beat Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney need to take care of Carlton, in Round 23, to extend their seasons beyond it.

And for the first time since 2009, neither of the WA-based sides will progress beyond the home and away fixtures.

After storming home to almost beat Melbourne a week earlier after a lightning delay in the final term, the Eagles again flew home to almost pinch victory against the Dockers.

Led by ruckman Nic Naitanui, they came back from 40 points down in the second quarter, to get to within six.

Like the Demons lead a week earlier though, the early margin of almost seven goals was too much to make up.

A Caleb Serong individual effort midway through the final term to shake off a Dom Sheed tackle and snap his side’s only goal of the final term was enough.

It topped off a great game from Serong, who had 32 touches and six clearances in the absence of some Dockers stars.

The Dockers need to win next week and have other results go their way if they’re to sneak into the top eight. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Dockers ambush

The Dockers lost three of their four games going into Round 22, by an average of 10 goals. They had also lost their previous 11 clashes against the Eagles.

With Nat Fyfe, Andrew Brayshaw and Michael Walters missing from their midfield, expectations of a purple celebration going into this one were low.

But they kicked 8.2 in the first term, their best start of the season and their best start against the Eagles since the last time they beat them – Round 3 of season 2015.

Not known for their accuracy in front of goals, Fremantle was much more efficient going forward, leading by 30 points at the first break although they had only one more forward entry than the Eagles.

Fremantle took eight marks inside its forward 50 in the first term, three fewer than its game average for the season.

Key forward Matt Taberner marked and kicked his third goal for the term just before the siren.

All that happened after West Coast’s Josh Kennedy kicked two of the first three of the game to open up a seven-point lead for the Eagles early.

Key Eagles starved early

The Dockers opened that lead up by starving the Eagles of the ball. They had only 60 possessions in the opening term, 24 fewer than the Dockers.

Dom Sheed touched the ball once, and Tim Kelly was well held by Fremantle’s Bailey Banfield.

Serong led the possession count with 11 in the first term, including four clearances.

All the cheers from the Dockers home crowd were for veteran David Mundy though, who was also terrific with 10, riding the wave of emotion of joining Matthew Pavlich on 353 games, the most of any other Dockers.

The Eagles took control of the game in the second term, upping their effort and having 100 possessions for the quarter.

The chase down was on.

Andrew Gaff led the way, with 12 for the term.

The Eagles’ job go a little tougher at halftime, though, when Kelly was subbed out of the game with a suspected medial ligament knee injury.

In his first game since round 19, Liam Ryan booted three goals. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The scenario

For West Coast to snatch back its spot in the eight in Round 23, first it needs to beat the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

Having lost three consecutive games and probably having to play without Kelly, that looks a tough task in itself.

But if they can get over the Lions, they also need the Blues to beat the Giants or the Magpies to beat the Bombers to sneak back in.

However, to add to the drama of the final round, if two of Greater Western Sydney, Essendon and West Coast lose, Fremantle will snatch a spot in the eight if it can beat St Kilda.

Yes, Richmond fans, the Tigers are mathematically still chance, but they would need to belt an in-form Hawthorn. Even then, the Dockers and Eagles would both need to lose and the Magpies would need to demolish the Bombers.

Still, the way this season is playing out, you wouldn’t write it off.

DOCKERS 8.2 10.2 11.2 12.7 79

EAGLES 3.2 4.7 7.9 9.10 64

ELBOROUGH’S BEST Dockers: Serong, Mundy, Cerra, Ryan, Schultz, Aish. Eagles: Naitanui, Redden, Gaff, Yeo, Witherden, Ryan.

GOALS Dockers: Taberner 3; Schultz 2, Serong 2; Mundy, Cerra, Darcy, Colyer, Treacy. Eagles: Ryan 3, Kennedy 3; Darling 2; Witherden.

INJURIES: Dockers: Blakely (hamstring). Eagles: Kelly (knee).

UMPIRES Margetts, Dalgleish, Brown.

VENUE Optus Stadium

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES

3 Serong (Dockers)

2 Naitanui (Eagles)

1 Mundy (Dockers)