The private pledge behind Fremantle Dockers' rise from pain to premiership favourite

IN THE aftermath of Fremantle's crushing elimination final loss to Gold Coast last season, Justin Longmuir handed each of his players a link in a chain to take with them in their off-season, accompanied with an important message that would set up their record-breaking 2026.

The symbolism of the links was obvious to the players. While the anchor is the cornerstone of their identity under Longmuir, the chain represents the group's connection. Without it – and without each link in the chain doing its job – the anchor is useless.

So after a season that came undone in 15 minutes of football in the second quarter against the Suns, Longmuir wanted his players to know that the team was only as strong as its weakest link, and it was "everyone's job to strengthen theirs over the off-season".

It was a moment from Longmuir that resonated over the summer, but it planted the seed for something much bigger when the players returned, with Longmuir asking head of leadership Andrew Sturgess to set-up a new program using those symbolic links to build the group's connection.

Taking place on the club's 'for the anchor' days in the heart of Fremantle, Sturgess designed a season-long program that saw every player and staff member choose a word that represented their link in the chain before presenting on "what that word means to them, why it's a strength, and why they're going to bring it every day".

It fell to Longmuir to kick things off during the pre-season, and while the senior coach has grown comfortable over seven seasons standing in front of his team, this was a more daunting challenge for the 45-year-old.

As uncomfortable as it was, however, he showed a different side of himself and opened the door for others in a year of harbourside presentations that have been emotional at times but have played a significant role in the Dockers' rise to premiership contention.

"I get up in front of the players all the time and talk footy, X's and O's, setting focuses and all that type of thing. But when you're talking about yourself and your background and where you come from, it does become a little bit more daunting," Longmuir told AFL.com.au on the eve of finals.

"I tried to lead off down at Freo over the pre-season, and it's been great to get to know certain aspects of people that you wouldn't have known if we hadn't done this.

"Some of them have been (emotional). I mean, it's difficult, right? It was difficult for me to get up there and talk.

"It was difficult for some of our leaders too, just because it's daunting to be able to talk about yourself in a different way and let others in.

"But I feel like everyone who has done it has shared something with everyone that we probably didn't know about them, which has been great.

"And then people check in off the back of that, so it's created a number of conversations between people that might not have been there otherwise."

Fremantle's 'for the anchor' days involve the team training in its Fremantle heartland then using part of the day to learn more about the club's history, its past greats, and the harbour city. They've been a staple of Longmuir's tenure.

The addition this year of the football department connection sessions has been significant, however, drawing some parallels with Richmond's famous 'HHH' talks from 2017, which saw players, coaches and staff gather weekly to share personal stories with the themes of hardship, highlight and hero.

Many of those sessions were emotional during the Tigers' premiership run, and the same has been true at Fremantle, with Longmuir leading an environment where everyone feels comfortable showing vulnerability.

"If you were to ask me where he has grown, I reckon he has grown in that space. He's become more vulnerable himself, but then also led that for others," assistant coach Jaymie Graham said of Longmuir.

"The way the players speak about each other now and the vulnerability they show, it's pretty impressive. And clearly as a head coach, you lead that by being vulnerable yourself."

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THERE is a case that Longmuir has produced the coaching performance of the season so far, guiding his team through a club record 19-win campaign, including a dominant 14-game winning streak that showcased the new scoring power of the minor premiers.

An introverted leader, he has grown more comfortable in his skin as a senior coach this year, more connected to his players, and he is reaping the rewards for staying true to his core football beliefs.

Now in his seventh season as a senior coach, Longmuir led a young Freo team to a breakthrough finals win in 2022 – his third season in charge – and set a high bar early on that led to a burden of expectation that the team struggled to meet through 2023 and 2024.

A fork in the road arrived for the team and the coach in round eight last season when St Kilda smashed the Dockers in Melbourne by 10 goals, with Longmuir questioning himself in the aftermath and questioning whether his team was up for the fight.

A series of meetings followed the dramatic loss involving leaders, and then a players-only session where some home truths were shared.

Longmuir faced a decision between intervening with more "barriers around the players" or handing more ownership to the group. He backed his instincts and chose the latter, and the message to emerge was "we're going to treat you like men and the responsibility is that you show up and play like men".

It is an approach that has contributed to an improved environment from that point on, with star forward Josh Treacy highlighting the trust that now flows both ways between the players and their coach.

"He's let the group go a bit more and be themselves, which I think he's gained a lot of trust from," Treacy told AFL.com.au.

"There's a lot more trust in the playing group, which has allowed a bit more freedom amongst the team and allowed guys to express themselves more.

"He's created an environment that guys are happy to be in and happy to be underneath his coaching, that's for sure.

"When we work, we work. But we can have fun along the journey as well and he's been a big pusher in that."

The trust that Longmuir has put in his players off the field has been mirrored on the field this season, particularly in comeback wins where his calm nature during breaks has given the players the belief needed to claw back deficits.

The coach's box has remained calm, according to his assistants, and there has been a constant belief in the players' ability to turn games back in their favour after some slow starts.

The round 18 win against Sydney was the most prominent example, with the Dockers going goalless in the first half but responding to Longmuir's calm address at the main break to put 100 points on the board in the second half in a 38-point win.

According to Treacy, that calm presence and Longmuir's preparation and organisation are the traits of the coach that are most reflected in his players in 2026.

"He could easily have come in at half-time or quarter-time in some games this season and really given it to us, but he hasn't," Treacy said.

"His ability to stay calm in those moments has reflected strongly in some games that we've played where he couldn't have put any more trust or belief in us. That just allows guys just to go out and flourish."

An example of the trust that Longmuir has put in his players is the final team meeting of the week before game day, which involves the on-field leaders presenting to the group on the match-up ahead.

The week is framed up by Longmuir, but there is trust in the players to then deliver a strong message at the end of the week about how the upcoming match is going to be attacked.

"My basic philosophy is that at the start of the week it should be the coaches telling the players and at the end of the week it should be the players telling the coaches," Longmuir said.

"It's taken a little bit of time to get to that stage, but I feel like we're there now."

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SOME players have reflected this season that Longmuir has felt more like a mate at times than a coach, increasing his one-on-one time with players and having an influence on performance through his direct relationships.

One player found himself in a form slump early in the season but emerged to play a key role in the run to finals after Longmuir cut a highlights package of the best things the player had done in a Freo jumper this season and called him into his office to watch it.

For midfielder Neil Erasmus, who has enjoyed a breakout season on the wing, the opportunity to routinely pop into Longmuir's office and talk about his game is something the 22-year-old has relished.

Shai Bolton is a regular visitor to talk footy and exchange ideas, Sam Switkowski likes to drop in with coaching thoughts, while back-to-back All Australian Jordan Clark, who has a close relationship with Longmuir, has leant on him for guidance after questioning his form throughout the season.

"When you feel like you're not playing that well, he just really strips it back for you and simplifies the game," Clark said.

"Halfway through the year he said don't compare yourself to anyone else, you're a completely different player, no one in your position is the same sort of player as you. You're all different.

"Conversations like that that really help you strip things back and go, I am a good footballer actually. I haven't forgotten how to play.

"He just really simplifies the game, so I really love JL as a coach, and just as a guy who can also guide you through life at times."

For Longmuir, building those personal relationships with a diverse group of players is both a challenge and the "joy" of coaching. It is something that the people around him have seen evolve with each year in the job, and particularly in 2026.

Indeed, while Longmuir entered the senior ranks with one of the sharpest tactical minds in the game, coaching the person has become just as important as coaching the system across 154 games in charge.

"We're not all made the same, so I like getting to understand different personalities and the ways that they think," Longmuir said.

"We do make a lot of assumptions at times. But once you get to know people, you sort of get to understand how they tick and how they might react in different situations. You put all the pieces together and try and work out the best way to coach them.

"A great part of being a coach is understanding that you want everyone to fit within a team and do what's best for the team … but you want everyone to also be able to be themselves and make sure that they rock up every day trying to be authentic to who they are as a person.

"It's a balance, but we need to make sure that we keep finding that balance because AFL football is too hard for people to come to the club and try and be something that they're not."

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IF CHANGE and evolution has been an important aspect of Longmuir's coaching in some areas, then so has conviction in his core football beliefs and a determination to stay true to them.

A student of the late Phil Walsh during his formative seasons as an assistant coach at West Coast, there is a core DNA of team defence and contest in Longmuir's coaching that has seen the Dockers finish a clear No.1 for points conceded in 2026 (72.4 a game).

The Dockers have also made the jump from averaging 85.7 points for last season to 99.4 in 2026, utilising their tall forwards and dynamic midfielders like Bolton and Murphy Reid to add an enhanced attacking edge to their game.

The shift this season, according to Longmuir's sidekicks, has more to do with the team executing for longer within games than any dramatic change in style.

"He's probably been unfairly criticised on the attacking [side of the game], and it becomes a narrative," Graham, a long-time friend and trusted lieutenant, said.

"He's always a big believer in roles and having a very role-driven team, but allowing players to use their strengths within those roles. He never stifles any of that.

"What's helped this year is someone like Shai Bolton is playing his role but still bringing his strengths. 'Bruce' (Reid) is still playing to his strengths but playing a role within the team.

"So he's allowing those guys to express themselves, and that's probably a reflection of JL's coaching that he's been able to get those boys to express themselves, but still within role."

Another example of Longmuir's strength in his convictions is the Dockers' preference to play two ruckmen, even in the face of external criticism, with most teams now following since the introduction of the five-man bench.

"He doesn't fold to outside noise," one club leader said, with his consistency and reliability within the Dockers' program seen by colleagues as his "superpower".

Believing in the work he has done through 28 years in the game is the reason Longmuir said he had little trouble staying true to his football beliefs and backing himself in his role.

"I don't find it difficult. No. And the reason why I don't find it difficult is because I think my beliefs as a coach haven't been formed overnight," he said.

"I felt like I did a decent enough apprenticeship in terms of length and experiences, and I've been able to do a lot of professional development and learn from a lot of different environments and people who have helped me form these beliefs.

"So I've got strong beliefs in the way I think footy is supposed to be played, and there's a lot of factors that go into that. I feel like I've been able to identify those factors and stick to my guns along the way, and I'm not necessarily going to get swayed by what an expert commentator says."

Longmuir believes others are best placed to comment on how he has changed as a coach, highlighting his comfort in the role as the biggest factor for him.

For his players, however, the increased vulnerability the coach has shown stands out, going right back to the pre-season and the example he set for everyone at Fremantle to follow.

If all his players strengthened their link in a season of significant improvement, then there is no doubt that Longmuir did likewise, connecting with his team on a new level in 2026.

"Talking in front of big groups is probably not his favourite thing to do, and [showing] emotion at times is probably not a strong point for most of us. But he did do that and he showed vulnerability as well," Clark said of Longmuir's pre-season talk to the group.

"He got up in front of the group and did his, and that opened the floor for people who I wouldn't have thought would have got up in front of the group and actually spoke to the floor.

"No players are the same and everyone has a different story, and he encourages us, along with Andrew Sturgess, to actually spread your wings and tell your story and tell people why you are who you are.

"In this tribe, you can be whoever you want to be. And that just brings a whole new layer to this group that everyone does belong. He's been a big driver in that."

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