Devastated coach Justin Longmuir was left with a hollow feeling after Fremantle’s agonising one-point elimination final loss to Gold Coast, believing his side had much more to give in the 2025 AFL season. The narrow defeat marked a sudden and emotional end to a promising campaign for the Dockers, who had secured 16 wins during the home and away games.
Longmuir, coaching his third final at Fremantle, faced the added emotional weight of bidding farewell to retiring champions Michael Walters and Nat Fyfe. “It’s devastating,” Longmuir expressed. “I think whenever you finish the season, there’s no pleasant way to go out, unless you win it. The players are hurting. The game is a game, but it was bigger than that after the game because of the calibre of people that are leaving.”
The Turning Point: Second Quarter Blitz
The match took a dramatic turn during the second quarter when the Gold Coast Suns unleashed a seven-goal blitz, leaving Fremantle trailing by 26 points. Despite this setback, Longmuir praised his team’s resilience as they clawed back to take the lead with just three minutes remaining. “We were in front with three minutes to go,” Longmuir noted. “Like we’ve done all year, we’ve embraced every challenge, we’ve fought our way back. And yeah, we did that again tonight.”
However, the final moments of the game proved costly for Fremantle. Key errors, including allowing Mac Andrew to get free inside the 50-meter mark to level the game, were pivotal. “I don’t think it was structure or not executing,” Longmuir explained. “It’s you lose two contests, and then (Brennan) Cox goes to lay a good tackle, and the ball gets knocked out, and he holds on too long.”
Reflecting on a Season of Promise
Despite the disappointing exit, Longmuir remained optimistic about the team’s potential. He highlighted the competitive nature of the league this season, noting the evenness among the top nine sides. “If we had held on, they (Gold Coast) would have said the same thing,” Longmuir remarked. “I think they’re two pretty similar lists. Played a pretty similar brand of footy the two teams tonight, and we got a pretty even game.”
Longmuir acknowledged the need for improvement but emphasized the bright future ahead for Fremantle. “There are some things we need to improve in the way we play. I won’t go into that right now, but we’ve got a lot of natural development in our group still. All our core players are still reasonably young and have improvement left in their careers.”
Looking Ahead: Building on a Strong Foundation
The loss, while painful, does not overshadow the progress made by Fremantle throughout the season. Longmuir is confident that the team’s performance over the last few months demonstrates their capability to compete with the best. “I think our footy over the last three four months stacks up against any team. That’s what’s disappointing about exiting the way we’ve exited,” he said.
As Fremantle looks forward to the next season, the focus will be on harnessing the potential of their young core and addressing the areas identified for improvement. The departure of stalwarts like Walters and Fyfe marks the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new chapter filled with promise and potential.
The Dockers’ journey in 2025 may have ended earlier than hoped, but the lessons learned and the experiences gained will undoubtedly fuel their ambitions for the future. As the team regroups and reflects, the foundation laid this season provides a strong platform for continued growth and success.
