‘We’ve just got it wrong’: Frustrated Freo coach bakes AFL ‘advantage’ after horror fadeout

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has called for a return to a traditional fixture where all 18 AFL clubs start on the same weekend.

Longmuir was left frustrated after his side gave up a 35-point lead on its way to a loss against Geelong to open their 2026 campaign.

The Cats ran out the game stronger than the Dockers, to bounce back from their Opening Round loss to the Gold Coast Suns, with the visitors kicking 3.8 in the second half.

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“I think anyone who has been around football would realise this is an advantage,” Longmuir said.

“We should all start the season the same way. There should be no competitive advantage in teams having played a game before they play another team.

“It just makes so much sense to people in the industry. We’ve just got it wrong.

When asked if the club had approached the AFL with their concerns, Longmuir responded with “we’ve said enough”.

The Dockers started in brilliant fashion with eight goals in the opening quarter in a period where Longmuir believed the foundations of his side’s game looked “really good”.

He said his side weren’t able to handle tweaks to Geelong’s game after the main break.

“Lost a bit of composure with ball in hand, our basics fell away, we succumb to their pressure a little bit,” the seventh year Dockers coach said.

“We’re disappointed with the way we handled the second half, disappointed with how we handled the last quarter.

“Didn’t defend Geelong well enough. When we did create opportunities back the other way, we didn’t tidy our work off.

“We got a bit sloppy and the way they were playing left us really vulnerable the other way.”

Fremantle now returns to Perth for their first home of the season next Saturday night against Melbourne.

Judd McVee who made his Dockers debut will face off against his old side.

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