BREAKING NEWS: Dockers Keep Hope Alive Despite Long Odds for Finals… Read More

Coach Justin Longmuir isn’t willing to write off Fremantle’s season, even though a lot needs to go right for the team to make the finals.

After a nine-point loss to Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, FREMANTLE coach Justin Longmuir has refused to write off the Dockers’ season, even though they now need further wins to secure a finals berth.

Before Jesse Hogan kicked the game-winning field goal with just over two minutes remaining at Engie Stadium, the Dockers trailed the Giants by eight points at the last change and had come within one goal on three separate occasions without taking the lead.

Three weeks ago, when the Dockers were eyeing a double chance and sitting in third place, they might have easily secured a top-eight position, but by the time they visit the Power on Sunday, they could very well be out of the finals.

“We’ll front up like we did today. You can’t sit back and look at our footy the last three weeks and say we haven’t had a crack,” Longmuir said when asked how the Dockers would play out the season.

“The message to the players after the game was that I was proud of their efforts. Come away from home, play a top-four side after two narrow losses, and sometimes you can get caught up in the outcomes and the ladder and the scoreboard.

“I just thought we stuck at it all day today and competed our backsides off. The challenge is to front up against Port next week and do the same thing.”

The Dockers were left to rue the absence of captain Alex Pearce as Giants’ spearhead Hogan made a powerful start with two early goals on the way to booting six for the match.

Hogan spent two years at the Dockers but could only manage 18 goals in 19 matches before joining the Giants ahead of the 2021 season.

GIANTS v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats

The 29-year-old is now closing in on a first Coleman Medal after equalling the Giants’ club record for 67 goals in a season with at least two matches still to play.

“We didn’t have a heap of options, missing our skipper who would usually play that role (on Hogan) for us,” Longmuir said.

“The thing is with Jesse, he does a really good job of trying to get the match-up that he wants.”