Fremantle head coach Justin Longmuir has brushed off suggestions that Saturday’s highly anticipated clash against Melbourne at the MCG serves as a 'dress rehearsal' for the Grand Final, insisting his side remains strictly focused on the immediate task at hand.

Since Longmuir took the coaching reins ahead of the 2020 AFL season, the Dockers have made only 12 appearances at the home of Australian football. While the Saturday afternoon timeslot mimics the Grand Final’s traditional schedule, the Fremantle mentor is refusing to let his players look too far ahead into September.

No MCG Fears for Rising Dockers

'I just don't get caught up in dress rehearsals,' Longmuir said. 'We feel like we've played there enough, had good experiences, had some average experiences there, but beaten teams that have been on top of the ladder. We feel like it's not a burden going to the MCG now.'

Longmuir emphasized that traveling to Melbourne is a routine part of the club's schedule and that treating the matchup as anything other than a standard regular-season game would be a disservice to their opponents.

'We're going over there to give our best and all we've got, to play and improve our footy against Melbourne, who we know have played some really good footy there,' he added. 'It would be disrespectful to this game if we got ahead of ourselves. It's not the be-all and end-all either.'

Graham Focused Despite Head Coaching Rumours

As Fremantle prepares for a deep finals run, off-field distractions have emerged with highly regarded assistant coach Jaymie Graham reportedly in the frame for senior coaching vacancies at Essendon and Carlton. Graham has allegedly progressed to the final rounds of interviews for both prestigious roles on the east coast.

However, Longmuir is fully confident that his colleague and close friend will not lose focus during the crucial home stretch of the season.

'I've spoken to him regularly about it... we're colleagues, we're pretty good mates away from work, so yeah, of course I've spoken about it,' Longmuir revealed. 'I haven't had to speak to him about getting the balance right. He's professional, he understands his responsibilities at the club, and he's done a great job of managing that.'

Longmuir indicated that if Graham were to secure a senior role, the club would support him staying through Fremantle's finals campaign.

'We'll cross that bridge when it comes,' he said. 'I've got a lot of faith in Jaymie to be able to walk and chew at the same time. If he got a job elsewhere and they announced it and he wanted to see it through, I'd be happy for him to do that.'

Player Management and AFL Warnings

Addressing the AFL's recent warning to clubs regarding mass player resting in the lead-up to the finals, Longmuir admitted to some mild surprise over the league's memo but confirmed the Dockers have no plans for sweeping changes.

While acknowledging the AFL's intent to protect the competition's integrity, Longmuir defended the right of individual clubs to manage player workloads responsibly. He noted that because top-six teams already receive a pre-finals bye, the league's warning was likely directed elsewhere. Fremantle will continue to prioritize field readiness as they eye a historic premiership run.