The 2020 season has thrown up its challenges to everyone in the AFL environment and this is especially so for the players on the cusp of selection, according to Justin Longmuir.
Longmuir said he empathised with the current situation facing Freo’s non-selected players, who have not been afforded the opportunity to play regular football every week and put their hand up for selection.
The senior coach added that the restrictions placed around training sessions further limited those opportunities.
Freo’s non-selected players last played a game of competitive football on 10 July but will have another opportunity against a Geelong team this weekend, albeit the game will have less than the regular 18 players on the ground due to player availability.
“For our younger players, all I’ve said for them from the start is that they continue to train with real purpose and improve day in day out,” Longmuir said.
“It’s obviously difficult in the current situation because they’re not playing regular 18 v 18 games and being able to practice our structures.
“They can still improve their skills, their contest and intensity that they need to bring.”
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Longmuir said exciting young forward Liam Henry would need more time playing in these scratch matches before being made available for selection.
“Liam’s half a game in to his career at Fremantle. He gets some more minutes against a Geelong reserves side and it’s really just about him getting his match fitness up to an AFL standard at the moment,” Longmuir said.
“He’s obviously had his injury issues so he’s coming from a fair way back.
“We all know the skill he brings and the tricks he’s got. We’re just really focused that we get his body resilient for AFL footy at the moment.”
While Freo is enjoying plenty of depth in their midfield stocks, Longmuir said it meant the likes of Mitch Crowden and Connor Blakely would have limited opportunities to prove themselves.
Crowden last played in round one while Blakely hasn’t played an AFL game in 2020, and Longmuir confirmed the pair would not play in round eight against Geelong.
“For Connor, it’s about him pushing one of the mids out of the team,” Longmuir said.
“I feel our midfield group is going ok. It’s really frustrating for the guys out of the team at the moment to not have consecutive (reserves) games and 18 on 18 games to put their hand up and demand selection.
“That’s the same for Mitch Crowden, who played round one and hasn’t had a great opportunity to force his way back into the side.”
Longmuir praised Blakely’s attitude on the training track.
“He’s been outstanding with his attitude. He’s been able to really stay in the process and improve his footy while training in small groups,” Longmuir said.
“His intensity at training has been outstanding. He’s holding his end of the bargain up.
“He can play back and has played back before but since day one, since I walked in, he’s been in the midfield group so I want to give him opportunity in the midfield because that’s where he’s been trained up to play our system.”
