After dominating the Derby, the Dockers coach praised the “special talent” of the young star and praised the debutant’s performance.

In the midst of rising pressure on the group as a result of their winless start, Fremantle senior coach Justin Longmuir has praised the efforts of his players in the Dockers’ remarkable victory over West Coast in the Derby on Sunday.

“I’m really happy with how we played and really proud of how we have responded to the last two weeks,” Longmuir told reporters following the game.

“Given our performance against Geelong, it is obvious that we have been under a great deal of pressure; yet, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to our method.

“Our focus has been improving our footy and I thought we stepped forward with that [against West Coast].”

A comfortable victory by a score of 38 points was achieved by Fremantle after they were able to withstand the Eagles’ initial vigour and break away in the second half. Longmuir argued that Fremantle’s momentum was spurred in their favour by the scorching two-goal first quarter that was scored by Isaiah Dudley, who was making his debut before this. His match-high 35 disposals and 10 clearances proved to be too much for an inexperienced Eagles team to handle, which earned him a fourth Glendinning-Allan Medal at the age of just 24. Caleb Serong was unmissable on the pitch, and his performance earned him the award.

Longmuir explained how Serong’s intensity during the week correlates to his exceptional performance on game day. This comes at a time when enthusiasm about the purple haze is beginning to grow again.

“He’s one of the most consistent players in the AFL, and that’s because he’s one of the most consistent players between games in the AFL,” Longmuir explained to reporters.

During the course of the week, one of the younger players approached him and said, “Geez, you were angry in that handball game.”

What he does is exactly that. The quality of his training, preparation, and performance is all at a high level. He also plays at a high level. He is a wonderful example to follow.

“He got us up and going I reckon early, a bit of excitement, him kicking his first goal and two in the first quarter,” Longmuir told reporters.

“He’s a special talent, he’s got some forward craft and he shows really good composure.” The superstar Andrew Brayshaw demonstrated that the six-year contract deal that he signed in the beginning of March was well worth it by putting on a similarly powerful performance in the middle of the pitch on Sunday.

As a result of his 29 disposals, six clearances, and seven tackles, he received six votes for best-on-ground, which is one less than Serong received.

“All of our senior players played well, but I thought the younger guys played really well as well and played their role and all had their moments,” Longmuir said of his midfield group. “I thought they all had their moments.”

The Western Bulldogs will be the opponent for the Dockers’ final home game of the season, which will take place at Optus Stadium on Sunday, April 6 against the Western Bulldogs.