‘Not dead and buried’: Freo coach hits back after finals disaster, laments costly errors
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir remains optimistic about his team's premiership chances despite a qualifying-final loss to Hawthorn. The team must now win two consecutive finals to reach the Grand Final.
Why it matters
The performance of major sports teams in high-stakes finals has significant cultural and economic impact on local fanbases and the AFL league.
AFL TEAMS FREMANTLE-DOCKERS ‘Not dead and buried’: Freo coach hits back after finals disaster, laments costly errors 'I disagree: Selection gamble backfires | 10:31 Brad Elborough, Newswire from Fox Sports September 4th, 2026 8:17 am Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said his team can still win back-to-back finals and remain a premiership threat, despite Thursday’s disappointing Qualifying-Final loss to Hawthorn .
That loss to the Hawks at Optus Stadium puts the Dockers into a home semi-final next week.
They will need to win two consecutive finals, including a potential interstate preliminary final, to reach the Grand Final.
But Longmuir pointed to Fremantle’s 14-game winning streak during this season, as well as its ability to win on the road, as evidence his players were capable of responding.
“We’re not dead and buried,” Longmuir said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in