By Justin Chadwick
In today’s AFL briefing:
- Justin Longmuir returns fire after latest criticism from commentator and former North Melbourne premiership player David King.
- Cooper Hodge is an obvious father-son candidate for Hawthorn, but also is in the Brisbane Lions academy ahead of next year’s national draft.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has hit back at David King, questioning the weight of the analyst’s opinions given the North Melbourne great has never put together a game plan, list or culture.
Following Fremantle’s 11-point loss to Sydney on Sunday, King declared Longmuir must guide the Dockers to finals action this year to show he is “the man” to lead the club forward.
Fox Footy commentator David King.Credit: Getty Images
“Is he the guy to take them all the way to a premiership? Sixth year, I have my doubts. I’ve had my doubts for a while,” King told Fox Footy during his extended critique of Longmuir.
The Dockers had won six games in a row before falling to Sydney.
Although that defeat dropped Fremantle to ninth on the ladder, their 10-6 record means they are just a win and percentage adrift of the top four ahead of Saturday night’s crunch home clash with Hawthorn.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has grown weary of criticism.Credit: AFL Photos
Longmuir is now in his sixth year as Fremantle coach, but their only finals performance to date came in 2022.
King has taken regular pot shots at Longmuir over the years, especially for things like the team’s slow ball movement, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what I’ve done to David King, I’d be a rich man,” Longmuir said on Thursday.
“I’d probably be in the Bahamas, guts up, rather than doing this job.
“But in the end, everyone needs to understand that it’s just David’s opinion. I don’t want to be disrespectful towards anyone, but I don’t think David’s put together a game plan, put together a list, put together a culture.
“It’s just an opinion, and that’s what I take it as.”
Longmuir has guided Fremantle to 63 wins, 58 losses and two draws in his tenure. But their dramatic fall from grace at the tail-end of last year – they lost their last four games to crash from the top four to 10th on the ladder – raised the pressure on Longmuir heading into this season.
When asked how he felt about the severity of criticism levelled at him despite only being a win out of the top four, Longmuir replied: “It seems a little bit over the top, but it seems to be his way with me.”
Longmuir said the intense criticism directed at coaches could lead to some brilliant football brains opting out of a coaching pathway altogether.
The threats levelled at Carlton coach Michael Voss hammered home just how much heat coaches can cop.
“I understand there’s a lot of passion in our game. I love it. That passion drives our game,” Longmuir said. “But there’s a line you can’t cross. Clearly a line’s been crossed there.
“In the end it is just a game. I know we all want our teams to win every week and finish on top of the ladder and win the flag every year, I understand that. If he’s getting death threats, that’s going way too far.”
Hawks or Lions? Mitchell keeping pressure off Hodge’s son
AAP
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is toeing a softly, softly public line as Cooper Hodge weighs up where he might try for an AFL career.
Luke Hodge has a kick with Cooper in his Hawthorn days.Credit: Getty Images
The 16-year-old son of Hawthorn great Luke Hodge trained at Waverley this week before heading back to Brisbane, where he lives.
Hodge is an obvious father-son candidate for Hawthorn, but also is in the Brisbane Lions academy ahead of next year’s national draft if either club decide he has the talent for a shot at the AFL.
Luke Hodge played 305 games at the Hawks – captaining the club and winning four premierships – and then ended his career with 41 at the Lions.
Asked on Seven this week about his son’s allegiance to either club, Hodge joked it is “about 50-50”.
Similarly, Mitchell said before Thursday training he does not want to put pressure on the teenager.
“Unfortunately he’s getting a game in the seniors ... so he had to go back up to Brisbane to make sure he could hold his spot,” Mitchell said.
“The thing with a guy like Coop is he’s still a young man and because of his dad’s fame and accolades, there’s a lot more pressure on him. The last thing I want to do is add anything to that.
“He’s great, he’s a really energetic sort of kid. He’s quiet, he’s a young lad, very respectful. He’s going to be a nice talent.”
Hawthorn will head to Perth for Saturday’s big game against Fremantle, who dropped out of the top eight with their upset loss to Sydney.
A massive feature of the game will be the ruck duel, with Dockers pair Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson against Lloyd Meek.
“They’re formidable rucks and they have some potencies that are a bit different,” Mitchell said of the Dockers’ big men.
Big threat: Dockers ruckman Luke Jackson.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“Normally when you play against a really dominant ruck, they have one set of skills and you prepare for that one thing.
“The thing with Freo is they have the big brute in Sean, but then with Luke they can go with athleticism and a bit of jump and a bit of followup.
“So Lloyd’s going to have his work cut out, making sure he can manage both tasks.”
Mitchell must also balance the need to quell star Fremantle midfielders Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw with making sure Hawthorn play to their own strengths.
The Hawks tried and failed to shut down St Kilda young gun Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera last weekend.
“Serong’s been a great player for a long time now and Brayshaw has probably hurt us a couple of times - so balancing up those two match-ups,” he said. “I’m still having nightmares about Nasiah.”
While losing Josh Weddle, perhaps for the rest of the season, is a major blow, Mitchell is confident they have the depth to cover their injuries.
“If you’re going to lose Josh Weddle and bring in [captain] James Sicily, we’ll take that, not worry too much about it,” Mitchell said.