Coach Justin Longmuir

[Alfonz]

On a side note to game day coaching - my biggest hate for JL is him ruining kids debut games by making them the sub. It's just disgusting. We should use their adrenalin as a tool and throw them straight into battle. sub them out later if they're not performing. leaving a poor kid sitting on the bench for 3 quarters of his debut game is pathetic in my opinion. Culture breaking stuff.

Just encapsulates his ultra conservative mentality. Which is never going to take us anywhere above a lower finals side. It's a major red flag which is intrinsic to his personality and I simply don't see it changing.

It's not just what you mention above ... it's how long he waits. Very poor strategist on gameday. We were behind by ~30 points and simply could not get much closer. Sydney always answered. Needed a change in dynamic at half time or early in the third quarter. Even if it doesn't work ... bloody change something. He did this with Walters twice as well. Almost certainly cost us the North game and perhaps even 2 considering we did close within striking distance of Richmond after Walters provided a spark. That's the difference between bottom 4 / season over, and still having a pulse where say Essendon is on the ladder.

 

[Purpletown]

If a draft was held for all coaches where do you think JL would go? I reckon 17th.

It's very difficult to see him ever taking us to the promised land, unfortunately.

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17th and not 18th? Who would you have behind him?

 

[DragoDelph]

If Hinkley or Scott were available, you’d have to look at it. Otherwise think he has until the bye next year.

Absolutely need some more experience around him. If mini doesn’t get the Richmond gig, should throw the cheque book at him to come west. Though I think Ross is in line to poach him.

Pyke, Dean Cox

Dean Cox

Age

43

Ht

203cm

Wt

107kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.0

4star

K

5.8

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.0

1star

should also be high up the list.

Bring pyke in as senior assistant with a view to take over from Bell.

 

[Bicco]

This is a dubious narrative. Graduated introductions for newbies is a perfectly sound strategy logically. It's not anything particularly isolated to modern times either. I've heard plenty of old-timee footballers (pre-interchanges) describe their debut game as spending most, if not all, of the time on the bench.

By what mechanism is it "culture breaking"?

Being an AFL-level footy player it helps if you to adapt to the conditions as they are.

I remember Sheedy saying you should always start a 1st gamer on the ground
To me it's just one of those sports things like 'momentum'. Which people will argue doesn't exist because there's no real statistical evidence of it, yet you can see it with your eyes.
Starting a kid one the ground when the game is there to be won is the best way IMO. They can get stuck in and show what they're made of. Bringing a kid on when the game is lost in the last quarter has so much 'meh' about it.

 

[DragoDelph]

Didn’t Richmond start a debutant as sun last week, who came on and helped turn the game their way?

There’s examples of to support either side of the argument here, just don’t think it’s that important when judging a coach.

 

[freo1]

This is a dubious narrative. Graduated introductions for newbies is a perfectly sound strategy logically. It's not anything particularly isolated to modern times either. I've heard plenty of old-timee footballers (pre-interchanges) describe their debut game as spending most, if not all, of the time on the bench.

By what mechanism is it "culture breaking"?

Being an AFL-level footy player it helps if you to adapt to the conditions as they are.

Culture breaking because he now has multiple kids at the club who will no doubt all discuss this point - and it will be negative. No one wants to sit on the pine for most of their debut. Especially when family and friends have flown over to watch. He should be using the energy of this moment to drive the team, not to crush a kids moment.

And comparing now with the old days is apples and oranges stuff. the game is different now with rotations.

We can agree to disagree on this one but personally I think it's crap. I cant imagine Craig McRae doing this sort of thing - at least not multiple times. He'd be using that positive energy.

 

[Demons09]

Posters saying wait until the bye christ just another season wasted, if we don’t win another game this year we’re wasting our time.

 

[DragoDelph]

Ye

Posters saying wait until the bye christ just another season wasted, if we don’t win another game this we’re wasting our time.

Yeah look, if we don’t win another game this year, which includes the worst team this side of Fitzroy, absolutely should be the agenda to be replaced.

Though I’m sure those on the inside would have a better idea of how much this season is down to age profile, and how much is coaching.

Fully expect changes to the coaching group end of the year, just don’t see it being JL yet.

 

[DragoDelph]

Also wonder how much the decision to endorse Pearce as captain was the club being aware of the potential dip this year, and protecting Bae and Sebba from criticism in that regard.

 

[Midnite65]

91.3 fm radio I heard host saying most of the clubs at the top already embraced this type of footy. Those who didnt is at the bottom. He said there is Collingwood influence in wafl as well , as many clubs started playing this footy. Very soon grass root amateurs will start playing this style, but we will still be playing slow moving possession footy. I mentioned earlier .. if east perth win flag, any chance of getting Ross McQueen as an assistant?

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It is also not helped too much by players like Ryan, Pearce and Hamling in the backline. They are all poor kickers of the ball (Pearce and Hamling hardly kick the ball) and Ryan loves the high kick to a pack so we get no drive from half of our backline to move the ball forward at pace. Contrast that to the Magpies, Dees, Lions, Power who have good kicks in the backline.

 

[Midnite65]

Only reason I’m bringing this up is if we do get off to a similar start to this year.
The knives will be out for JLo, and we would have no one wanting the job.
At least if we had an assistant with experience, or desire too, rather than on the
run.
I’m sure being Freo it’s all good and nothing to worry about, as you know our
history is fluid transitions.
It’s funny looking back on those times how WC and Freo were connected.
Judge lasted 2 years for a 14th, 15th season and we were into Worsfold.
Which resulted in Woosha poached from our delay, I think Neil Craig was
their man?
Nothing has changed and Simmo is gone. Let’s hope we don’t get leftovers.

We will never have an issue with someone wanting the job, good youth in the team, good facilities and great stadium with passionate fans. Still a lot to attract a coach.

 

[Sweetback]

Remember earlier in the year when we stayed for the week in Adelaide and there were reports of Belly catching up for a coffee with Josh Carr

Josh Carr

Age

44

Ht

179cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.8

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

0.8

3star

? I wonder if there was anything in that

 

[GingerDocker]

From those that want to sack JL this year, can we get a list of realistic options you think should be considered as a replacement?

I'm presuming Hardwick is an extreme long shot, and I can't see any current coach leaving their post to join us.

Who does that leave us with?

 

[Midnite65]

From those that want to sack JL this year, can we get a list of realistic options you think should be considered as a replacement?

I'm presuming Hardwick is an extreme long shot, and I can't see any current coach leaving their post to join us.

Who does that leave us with?

Just our luck Fagan will bomb out in the finals and then we will get the oldest and nicest coach in the AFL.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

I would look at Dean Solomon

Dean Solomon

Age

44

Ht

189cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.8

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

5.5

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.7

5star

No current season stats available

D

17.6

5star

K

13.4

5star

HB

4.2

4star

M

6.2

5star

T

2.8

5star

from GC, he's respected and rated or even Dew if he wants to return. We have to throw money at another assistant coach.

 

[GingerDocker]

I would look at Dean Solomon from GC, he's respected and rated or even Dew if he wants to return. We have to throw money at another assistant coach.

I'm definitely in the "get a senior assistant in the door" camp.

I'm just struggling with any potential replacement for JL.

No point sacking a coach unless the situation is utterly shambolic or a materially better option is sourced.

 

[King Tenz]

From those that want to sack JL this year, can we get a list of realistic options you think should be considered as a replacement?

I'm presuming Hardwick is an extreme long shot, and I can't see any current coach leaving their post to join us.

Who does that leave us with?

People always say this when talking about firing a coach and it bothers me. Where did Craig McRae come from? Alastair Clarkson when he started in 2005? Chris Fagan? Chris Scott? John Longmire? Luke Beveridge? Adam Simpson? Damien Hardwick?

None of these guys had experience when they started.

 

[GingerDocker]

People always say this when talking about firing a coach and it bothers me. Where did Craig McRae come from? Alastair Clarkson when he started in 2005? Chris Fagan? Chris Scott? John Longmire? Luke Beveridge? Adam Simpson? Damien Hardwick?

None of these guys had experience when they started.

I'm not saying they need to be experienced, but they still need to be found. I'll bet everything I have that Collingwood had a fair inkling about McRae before he was appointed and that a club legend like Buckely wasn't booted in the "hope" there was a better coach out there for them.

As I said previously, the only time you blindly boot an existing coach, is if the current situation is dire and your hand is largely forced.

 

[arsesmart]

Culture breaking because he now has multiple kids at the club who will no doubt all discuss this point - and it will be negative. No one wants to sit on the pine for most of their debut. Especially when family and friends have flown over to watch. He should be using the energy of this moment to drive the team, not to crush a kids moment.

And comparing now with the old days is apples and oranges stuff. the game is different now with rotations.

We can agree to disagree on this one but personally I think it's crap. I cant imagine Craig McRae doing this sort of thing - at least not multiple times. He'd be using that positive energy.

What people are more likely concerned about is whether it's consistently applied or not and if there's some reasoning to it. If they can understand it, see it's good for the team and them, then it's actually more likely to be beneficial to the culture.

The past is brought up to highlight the relative nature of our reactions, not to say the eras are the same.

 

[King Tenz]

is if the current situation is dire

I dunno man, looks pretty dire to me.

Don't see much point in waiting around.

 

[GingerDocker]

I dunno man, looks pretty dire to me.

Don't see much point in waiting around.

I guess that's where we differ.

It's been a shit year, granted, but overall, I'm still really positive about this group. There's no doubt JL has a way to go, but he has had this list humming, at various time over the last 18 months and I'm happy to give him another year to see if he can take the next step.

I don't want to get into the situation of having a revolving door of coaches when in reality, I reckon it's more our list structure and inexperience that is the main reason behind our patchiness.

I've seen people refer to Collingwood and McRae as a reason why JL should be moved on but then I think about Richmond and Hardwick and Melbourne and Goodwin as reasons to stick fat for a bit longer. Both of those clubs went through coaches like WC has gone through 100 point losses and didn't see success until they maintained some stability for an extended period. You could even apply that to Port and Hinkley considering the way they are playing this year.

TL;DR Another 12 months is ok in my book, unless a known coaching gem becomes available.

 

[Vimal Anand]

People always say this when talking about firing a coach and it bothers me. Where did Craig McRae come from? Alastair Clarkson when he started in 2005? Chris Fagan? Chris Scott? John Longmire? Luke Beveridge? Adam Simpson? Damien Hardwick?

None of these guys had experience when they started.

By stats of last 25 years except 2, all premiership coaches were inexperienced

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[wakojako]

I would look at Dean Solomon from GC, he's respected and rated or even Dew if he wants to return. We have to throw money at another assistant coach.

We need to throw everything at Don Pyke as a midfield coach. He will be no.1 target for the Eagles as head coach if Simmo leaves/is pushed out so we need to get his signature before than.

 

[pK75]

If Hinkley or Scott were available, you’d have to look at it. Otherwise think he has until the bye next year.

Absolutely need some more experience around him. If mini doesn’t get the Richmond gig, should throw the cheque book at him to come west. Though I think Ross is in line to poach him.

Pyke, Dean Cox should also be high up the list.

Bring pyke in as senior assistant with a view to take over from Bell.

The irony in all this is that Hinkley was a dead man walking at the start of the year, many (not just dockers supporters) saw the arrival of Carr as a potential successor to Hinkley, Carr gets the midfield humming and suddenly port are top 2 and Hinkleys safest coach in the league.

The only way we’d get Carr back is to appoint him head coach (if Hinkley doesn’t move to Richmond and Port offer Carr head coaching role).

 

[DragoDelph]

The irony in all this is that Hinkley was a dead man walking at the start of the year, many (not just dockers supporters) saw the arrival of Carr as a potential successor to Hinkley, Carr gets the midfield humming and suddenly port are top 2 and Hinkleys safest coach in the league.

The only way we’d get Carr back is to appoint him head coach (if Hinkley doesn’t move to Richmond and Port offer Carr head coaching role).

Carr has also been linked as a candidate at Richmond.