Senior coach Justin Longmuir has no concerns about young gun Caleb Serong handling the lofty expectations heading into the 19-year-old’s second AFL season.
The midfielder won almost every possible award dedicated to a fist-year player in 2020, including the NAB AFL Rising Star, AFLPA’s Best First Year Player and Fremantle’s Beacon Award.
Only a spot in the fan-voted 22under22 team eluded Serong, however he was named in the extended squad by the AFLPA’s panel of judges.
Speaking on the Greats with Garby podcast, Longmuir lauded Serong as an ‘impressive young man’ who could only be caught out by working too hard.
“Everyone is different, some players are going to get ahead of themselves, read the press and drop their work rate and some players are going to strive so hard for it that they work too hard, he’s probably in that second bucket,” Longmuir told the Greats with Garby podcast.
“I’m more worried about making sure he has a break, making sure he trains with real purpose and with him it is more about quality over quantity. I don’t want him doing too much and burning himself out.
“It’s more about making sure he does everything with real purpose and quality.”
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Longmuir said Serong’s fearless attitude from day one had been one of the standout aspects in his debut season.
“I remember early on in pre-season he came to the coaches and said, ‘don’t be scared to put me on Fyfey (Nat Fyfe), he might beat me now but I want to learn from him, I want to know what makes him so good, so if we do match simulation put me against him,’” Longmuir said.
“It’s just such a good trait to have to be putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and trying to grow from them.
“He’s got this great mix of confidence in his own ability and his want to take on a big challenge but also the humility of knowing that he is not where he wants to be and that he is working every day to be his best self.
“He’s a beauty, we had a lot of wet games this year a lot of wet weather footy and I remember the game against Geelong he was just so clean in everything that he did. He played on one of the best players in the competition in Patrick Dangerfield but he was just so clean and it just shows how much work he puts in during the week.
“He is always looking for every avenue he can to get better which is a great attribute to have in a young player so it is going to hold him in good stead for the future.”
In a positive sign for Fremantle, Longmuir said Serong was not an outlier at the club.
“He is going to do everything he can to be the best version he can be and, to be honest, that’s the characteristic that shines through in so many of our young players,” Longmuir said
“They have just got this burning desire to be their best self and really, it’s our job as coaches to make sure we guide them in the right direction and set up a program where they have got everything they need to assist that burning desire.”
