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Live sport on SN this weekend“What a waste of time”: King and Cornes call out Freo coach over “vanilla” admission
Nic Negrepontis • February 17th, 2025 9:37 am
David King has taken aim at Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir, who suggested that his side played a “vanilla” brand of footy against the Indigenous All-Stars, hoping to not give away too many trade secrets to other teams.
The Dockers managed just 65 points against the make-shift opposition, who piled on 16 goals and kicked away in the fourth quarter.
“We tried to focus on us, understanding that (there was) a bit (of) unexpected about where their players were going to line up and how they were going to play and the lack of structure and opportunity to scout the opposition,” Longmuir said post-match.
“Then we played pretty vanilla. It’s interesting, because all the other teams are getting the vision and will be able to watch it from behind the goals. So, we tried to keep it pretty vanilla. We’ll work on bits and pieces next week and we’ve got match simulation and the vision is not released.
“This time of the year, trying to just make sure we get the basics right and we didn’t want to expose some of the things we’ve been working on.
“I know when we do our match sim, 18 on 18, no one gets the vision, so we’ve been working on a few things in that space. Not going to give too many teams to look at today.”
King believes they have overthought the situation and wasted an occasion to test whatever they have been working on over the pre-season.
“What a waste of time,” King told SEN Breakfast.
“Why would you play a vanilla brand of footy when you’ve got two hours of opportunity to marshal the troops and hit the season at full speed.
“This nonsense about opposition getting behind the goals vision – what, do you reckon you’re going to sneak up on Geelong? You reckon you’re going to sneak up on an AFL team who is programmed within an inch of their life?
“I couldn’t believe that. These practice matches are not life and death and you might be experimenting with players in different positions, but wouldn’t you be rigid with how you play?
“The way you want to play is fundamentally all that matters. At the end of the season, talent for talent is pretty even if you’re talking last four standing.
“You’ve just got to hit the ground running. The first six weeks of the season are everything.”
Kane Cornes agreed, saying the Dockers, if anyone in the competition, need to practice unleashing the shackles.
“It was a bizarre statement. They had 43 entries and they kicked nine goals and they played exactly like that. They played vanilla,” said Cornes.
“Yes, they were missing some personnel … you factor that in, but this is a side that needs to GO. They need to practice that as much as possible. You don’t need nine goals, 43 entries – Shai Bolton’s going ‘I’m playing in this fast, small forward line, we’re changing angles, putting elite pressure on, celebrating goals and I’ve got to go back to this boring Fremantle side?
“We don’t want to overreact much to pre-season, but there’s only one proper practice match before they start. If you want to get off to a good start, then you’ve got to implement the way you want to play, at least 80 per cent.
“You’re right, do you think Justin is going to come up with something nobody has seen before? You’ve just got to get good at what you want to do to the point where everyone knows what’s coming and they can’t stop it.
“Everyone knows they way Collingwood wants to play. Everyone knew the way Richmond wanted to play, but they were too good and you couldn’t stop it.”
Fremantle opens their 2025 campaign at GMHBA Stadium against Geelong on the 15th of March.
