Justin Longmuir says he always wanted to be a senior coach at the Fremantle Dockers after playing career ended

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says once he decided he wanted to be a senior coach — deep down he always wanted to do it at his own club.

Longmuir will coach his 100th game for the club against Richmond on Saturday night. He is already the Dockers’ third-longest serving leaders and — they hope — the first to win a premiership.

The level-headed and modest boss’ 99th win — Saturday’s famous raid on Sydney at the SCG — was one of his best, and sets his team up for a second finals tilt in his fifth year in charge.

Reflecting on his journey Longmuir said playing professional football, let alone coaching at the top level, was never his dream growing up on a farm near Korda.

Despite stints as an assistant at both West Coast and Collingwood, the Dockers man said his heart was always set on wearing purple again.

“It’s not really something I set myself out to do, even play AFL,” Longmuir said.

“It’s been an interesting journey and one that I don’t take for granted and one that I’m really grateful of the football club for giving me opportunities first as a player and as an assistant or a development coach and now as a senior coach.

“I’m really grateful for what this club has given me and I work every day to try and give something back.

“When I went in to coaching I always aspired to be a senior coach. I always wanted to be a senior coach but I always wanted to be a senior coach here as well, deep down.

“I’ll be forever indebted to try and repay that.”

Longmuir listed the moment he was given the job back in 2020 as his highlight in the role so far and said that wins like the one-point stunner against the Swans were great, he spends more time mulling over the defeats.

“The win on the weekend was great, but most of the time you hang on to the losses more than the wins,” he said.

“Especially the close losses, they tend to stay with you a lot longer.

“You are always looking forward as well as a coach at what the future holds and next week and longer-term focus of how we are going to shape things to have sustained success as a footy club.

“I’m not really one to be nostalgic and look in the rear-view mirror.”