In the midst of a key season, the Dockers shock the coaching staff by making a decision that indicates he is both safe and not

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Once the Dockers experienced a late decline in 2024, which resulted in them losing a berth in the eight, Longmuir, who was scheduled to be released from his contract at the end of this season, was under increasing pressure to lead the team back into the finals.

However, the Dockers made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon that subsequent to the expiration of his contract on October 31 of this year, it will be converted into a “ongoing employment agreement.”

Longmuir will be contracted in the same manner as any other club staff member, which will provide him with a certain degree of stability while yet allowing Fremantle to maintain some degree of flexibility. Although there is no set date for the deal’s expiration, each side may still choose to terminate it whenever they deem it appropriate.

Most notably, David Noble (North Melbourne) and Brendon Bolton (Carlton) were both on the same type of contract when they were terminated in the most recent years.

It might be argued that the arrangement is a compromise between Fremantle fully committing to Longmuir for future years and firing him ahead of schedule. This is because the deal comes during a season in which Fremantle was otherwise going to have to make a decision regarding the coach based on the results of the season. In addition to having great hopes for what we are capable of accomplishing over the next few years, we have a significant amount of faith in what we are constructing here at Fremantle,” said Garlick.

“After having a number of conversations with Justin, it became abundantly evident that the expectations that we each set for ourselves are the primary factor that determines our aspirations and standards, and not the duration of a contract.

“We believe that this agreement complements our plans for Justin to lead us through a period of sustained contention and success. Justin has been building and leading an elite coaching program, and we believe that this agreement will help us achieve our goals.”

There is always a lot of demand on the club to do well, and the accountability of the leadership will continue to come from the frequent performance evaluations and reviews that are essential to our accomplishments.

Longmuir was hired by Fremantle prior to the 2020 season. He has a career record of 53-52 with two draws, and he led the team to one finals series in 2022, where they won an elimination final but lost the next week. Longmuir’s career record includes two draws.

The statement made by Longmuir was, “It is a privilege to lead this talented group.”

Since the structure of my contract does not alter the fact that the external expectation for us to perform and deliver success over the coming years is high, as it should be, this expectation is not going to change.

“I believe that the variation more accurately reflects the systems that ought to be in place for coaches to guarantee that we have an acceptable layer of protection and security for ourselves and our families, and that we are able to continue working.

“As a club, we are all ready to embrace the standards that can deliver the period of contention and success that the Freo family deserves,” I said. “I am as driven as I have ever been to see this group succeed.”

In light of this decision, Luke Beveridge, who coaches the Western Bulldogs, is the only coach whose career beyond 2025 is subject to uncertainty.

The Chief Executive Officer of Fremantle, Simon Garlick, issued a statement in which he indicated that the agreement will result in increased “accountability.”