The Fremantle Dockers have agreed to part ways with three senior members of the club’s football department.
CEO Simon Garlick said high performance manager Jason Weber and assistant coaches Michael Prior (defence) and Anthony Rock (stoppages and structures) were leaving the club by mutual agreement.
“We are taking this course of action now out of respect for people who are long-term servants of the club and who had sought clarity about their futures at Fremantle,” Garlick said.
“There is never an ideal time in these situations but given the team’s relocation to Cairns next week, once the decision had been reached regarding Jason, Michael and Anthony, we wanted to provide them with the clarity they are entitled to and deserve.
“It was therefore mutually agreed that they would not be required to fulfill their duties for the remainder of the 2020 season.
“It was also appropriate, given the uncertainty surrounding football in general, that they be advised as soon as practicable to allow them the chance to explore alternative opportunities.
“Both Jason and Michael have been highly valued long-term employees with 12 years of service, playing important roles during the most successful period in the club’s history, and Anthony has been a highly regarded and important member of our coaching team since joining Fremantle in 2016.
“On behalf of everyone at the club, we thank Jason, Michael and Anthony for their significant contributions over a long period of time and wish them all the best for the future.”
The departures will also facilitate Fremantle’s forward planning for the 2021 season and a proposed restructure of the football department.
Garlick said Prior and Rock’s coaching roles would temporarily be shared for the remainder of the season by senior coach Justin Longmuir and his coaching team.
“Justin will take on responsibility for the defensive unit, which we already know is one of his strengths, while stoppages and structures will be shared by the rest of the coaching team,” Garlick said.
“We also have a highly capable support team in our medical and high-performance area who will share responsibility for our player strength and conditioning.”
Weber joined Fremantle as the club’s high-performance manager in 2008 and oversaw Fremantle’s strength and conditioning during the most successful period in the club’s history.
Prior joined Fremantle in 2008 as an assistant coach, with his 12-year tenure at Fremantle also including the most successful period in the club’s history. He has most recently overseen Fremantle’s backline as the club’s defensive coach.
Rock, a premiership player with North Melbourne in 1996, joined Fremantle as a development coach in 2016 and from 2017 onwards has been midfield assistant coach, with responsibility for stoppages and structures in 2020.
