The Fremantle Dockers may be just three wins from claiming the club’s first-ever AFL premiership, but coach Justin Longmuir has dismissed suggestions he will be using that as motivation heading into the finals.
The 2026 version of the Dockers is comfortably the best-performed team in the club’s history when it comes to the home-and away season.
Fremantle won 19 of its 23 games to race away with the minor premiership, earning the right to host Hawthorn in a qualifying final at Perth Stadium on Thursday night.
Murphy Reid (left) will return for the Dockers against the Hawks after recovering from a groin knock. (Getty Images: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos )
It has seen excitement build among the Freo faithful, who are hopeful this could be their year, having made just one grand final since the club entered the AFL in the 1995 season, losing to the Hawks in 2013.
But throughout this year’s campaign, Longmuir has urged his players to stay in the moment and focus on more immediate tasks, and he insisted thinking about the ultimate goal is not what would get the job done.
“I just don’t feel like we need to [lean into it]. If there’s someone at the footy club that doesn’t see that carrot, well then you’re probably in the wrong game, right?” he said.
“All our players know what’s on the line, and we just need to make sure that we use whatever motivation that gives us to give it all to your next moment.
“Everyone feels it in different ways … some players will see it as a stimulus and some players will maybe see it as a distraction, and we’ll work through that.
“Everyone sees pressure as different things and we’ve done some work on that, and it’s all about staying in the moment.
Hawks forward Nick Watson will be one man the Dockers are keen to keep a close eye on. (Getty Images: AFL Photos/Michael Willson)
“The way to win premierships is to win games of footy, and you win games of footy by winning more moments than the opposition.
“We’ve just got to make sure that we give our best to each moment, and the next moment is the most important one.”
Fast start wanted
Much of the talk in the build-up to Thursday’s game has focused on the Dockers’ home-crowd advantage, after they rode the Wharfie Time rallying cry to come from behind to win their last clash against Hawthorn at Perth Stadium.
But Longmuir is hopeful they will not have to rely on the fans to overcome another slow start.
Fremantle got up in Wharfie Time against the Hawks in round nine, but hope they will not need it this week. (Getty Images: Daniel Carson)
“They’re not going to get us over the line if we’re not playing good footy, so we’ve got to give them something to cheer for, and it needs to be from the start,” he said.
Key defender Brennan Cox will miss Thursday’s match through injury, but Fremantle is set to welcome back the likes of Murphy Reid, Jye Amiss, Heath Chapman and the retiring Sam Switkowski.
Hawthorn is at virtually full strength for the clash, with only two players unavailable on its most recent injury list.
The Hawks enjoyed a comfortable win over West Coast at Perth Stadium in their final game of the home-and-away season.
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