MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 15: Dockers players look dejected after the round 14 AFL match between Western Bulldogs and Fremantle Dockers at Marvel Stadium, on June 15, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir shocked by lack of intensity in big loss to Western Bulldogs
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has vowed a thorough probe into his team’s 67-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, claiming they did not resemble the Dockers he had been accustomed to watching this season.
The Dockers fell 23.11 (149) to 12.10 (82), just one game after defeating Melbourne by 92 points in Alice Springs. It was the team’s biggest loss of the season, and they hadn’t conceded a score that high since 2018.
Longmuir was taken aback by his team’s lack of pressure and stated that he saw no indications of this happening during the week.
“We need to take another look at it. We need to take a deeper dive. Clearly, something was not right. We were just dominated from start to
“We had 11 players at halftime without a tackle. During that period when they scored 12 or 13 goals, our pressure was 1.6 or something like, which has not been the case since. We need to go deeper to find out why.
“I can’t really express it right now. Going into the bye with a great win and everyone pushing our tyres, I told the players after the game that it looked like a squad determined to keep their season alive and a team that was at ease.”
To make matters worse, Fremantle lost Michael Walters to a hamstring issue, while Heath Chapman withdrew late on Friday afternoon after reporting hamstring awareness.
The Bulldogs’ midfield dominated the game, with Marcus Bontempelli finishing with 30 possessions, seven clearances, and three goals after a week of illness.
Tom Liberatore also contributed with 28 touches and 10 clearances, while Adam Treloar had 27 possessions and one goal.
Longmuir stated that they made every effort to stop Bontempelli but were unsuccessful.
“We tried to tag him but there’s so much depth through that middle ground,” Longmuir continued.
“It’s pointless to have one person locked on one person when there are two or three others out.
“It felt like they controlled the outside of the battle far too easily all day, making it difficult to tag and lock one person in.
“We need to consider how we handle the accountable positions. Is there a better way of doing it? But it felt like if we had tried to stop one, we would have been putting a finger in a hole while water continued to rush in.”
