Justin Longmuir appeared on TAB Radio on Tuesday morning in an interview that covered a range of important topics.
Read the key takeaways below.
LONGMUIR ON THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE RETURN TO TRAINING
The way we’re tracking as a country with the virus is really solid. Australians have done a really good job at stopping the spread, clearly.
(A return to training in May) is probably not optimistic from a footy sense, it’s probably more logistically, trying to get all of our players back in the one place with the travel restrictions and the quarantining, which is going to be the difficult part.
We’ve got players that are interstate at the moment and getting them back to WA and integrating with our group is going to take at least two weeks.
I would think if we get our players back by June, that would be probably be the date that I would earmark as the earliest possible date.
ON HAVING THREE WEEKS TO PREPARE FOR GAMES AFTER TRAINING RESUMES
Clearly (three weeks) is not ideal. For some players it probably will be enough but for some it won’t.
That will be the issue when we get back - to make sure we screen all of our players and we get some really good data off them as to how they’ve been training and at what level.
If we try and rush some players that aren’t up to the level, injuries will occur.
We need to be really careful with the way we manage our playing group when we get back, and the way we manage our program, to make sure we’re able to deal with the condensed, brutal footy season that’s going to lay ahead.
ON MAKING SURE THE PLAYERS DON’T TRAIN TOO HARD DURING THE SHUTDOWN
We’ve addressed that with certain individuals. I think it’s just mainly on the back of the fact that everyone is stuck inside, so the only time they get out is to exercise.
A few guys are doing extra kicking, running and a bit of extra exercise. It’s not (a bad situation having) them doing that, you’ve just got to make sure, if this drags along for a long period of time, that they’re not overdoing it.
I’m pretty sure it will hold them in good stead when they return, we’ve just got to make sure they’re not burnt out mentally as this period of time, with the uncertainty, can be a drain on the overthinking and mental wellbeing.
We’ve just got to make sure our players return healthy and ready to go when we do return.
ON WORKING WITH THE UNCERTAINTY
That’s probably the cloud that’s hanging over us at the moment for our players’ motivation.
But overall, they’re going well, they’re connecting really well on different mediums than what they’re used to.
A lot are missing the day to day footy life and the routine but they’ve been keeping themselves really busy and keeping their own personal routines up and training in pairs. I feel the overall wellbeing of our players is pretty solid.
A few things that will hold you in good stead in this time is a really strong trademark. I feel like we put in a lot of time into our culture over the pre-season and it’s a really good time to test that culture within our playing group.
ON JESSE HOGAN
Jesse’s continuing his wellbeing program to get himself right and to get in a good spot, so that when he does return, he’s going to make an impact and it’s going to be a sustained effort.
My conversations with him have been really positive, he seems really happy and healthy and he seems like he’s in a good headspace.
We’ll continue with the medical advice. When they say it’s a good time for him to come back to the footy club, we’ll welcome him back with open arms and get around him and support him like we have through the past couple of months.
REFLECTING ON THE LOSS AGAINST ESSENDON
It’s something I’ve thought about for way too long. Usually, it’s the week between games, you can sort of get over that pretty quickly and move forward.
I’ve been dwelling on that a fair bit, I’ve been dwelling on the first quarter, I’ve been dwelling on the last quarter. It would be nice to get out there and right some wrongs and continue (Fremantle’s effort in) that last quarter on.
