As the Fremantle Dockers gear up for a Thursday night blockbuster against Hawthorn at Optus Stadium, head coach Justin Longmuir has pushed back against any concerns over star midfielder Caleb Serong’s dipping disposal numbers, framing the statistical dip as a sign of the vice-captain’s game-changing team-first mindset.
Amid the Dockers’ current seven-match winning streak — a run that has lifted the club to second place on the AFL ladder — Serong has posted his lowest average disposals per game since his rookie debut season. Where many supporters and analysts might flag this drop as a cause for worry, Longmuir says the shift reflects a deliberate, selfless choice by Serong that benefits the entire starting lineup.
Opposition teams have increasingly focused on tagging Serong to neutralize his influence on the field, a strategy that Serong has leaned into to create space and opportunity for his teammates. Longmuir highlighted this underrecognized contribution in press comments ahead of the clash, noting that while Serong’s personal stats are down, his on-field impact remains as critical as ever.
“The selfless nature of Caleb when he gets tagged and what that opens up for other players is something that probably hasn’t been picked up enough,” Longmuir explained. “His numbers might be down, but I think his impact is still at a really high level. He’s all about the team. It’s great when two of your vice-captains — Serong and Andrew Brayshaw — are leading the way in that aspect.”
Longmuir specifically name-checked Hayden Young, Shai Bolton and Murphy Reid as players who have reaped the benefits of opposition attention shifting to Serong, unlocking more space and possession for the Dockers’ other playmakers. A win against Hawthorn on Thursday would not only extend Fremantle’s current winning streak to eight matches, a feat the club has not achieved since a red-hot opening to the 2015 season, but also solidify the club’s hold on second place on the ladder, creating a crucial buffer over chasing sides.
Despite the stakes of the clash, Longmuir rejected framing the match as a chance for the Dockers to prove they are legitimate premiership contenders. “We don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” he said. “We just need to see where our footy stacks up. It’s another opportunity for us to try and improve our footy. We understand the opposition, we understand their strengths, we understand what our footy is about. Last year we played our better footy against the better sides. I don’t feel like we need to go out there and prove anything to anyone.”
Both clubs head into the Thursday night match at Optus Stadium with unusually healthy injury lists, with Hawthorn captain James Sicily confirmed to take the field for his side. The showdown is set to be one of the most high-profile matches of the AFL round, with a historic winning streak and ladder position on the line for the in-form Dockers.